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Business

Kenya: Profit with a purpose

December 24, 2012

Climate protection projects are most successful when they also benefit the local population. One such project was launched by the Vestergaard Frandsen company. It distributes water filters to people in Kenya, so they now no longer need to purify their water over wood-burning fires.

https://p.dw.com/p/15BUJ

In return for donating the filters, Vestergaard Frandsen receives carbon credits, which it can then re-sell a profit. The company has already distributed around 900,000 water filters in western Kenya, providing over four million people with access to clean water. Mikkel Vestergaard Frandsen calls the business model "humanitarian entrepreneurship", and it is benefitting all who are involved. The company also reinvests a portion of its profits locally, for example to carry out environmental education programs, launch a reforestation campaign and build new service centers run by local people to repair the filters.