The Young Water Fellowship is an initiative byYoung Water Solutions that supports young entrepreneurs in creating socialenterprises aimed at solving water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) issues inthe most vulnerable communities.
The program provides specialized training,mentorship, and seed funding over the course of a year, focusing on aspects ofboth WASH and business such as market analysis, business model design,financial management, operations planning, and risk management, among others.The main objective is for graduates to develop, validate, and launch viable andsustainable business models through pilot projects. Throughout the program,entrepreneurs receive up to 5000 EUR to fund their projects.
In Latin America, the program has beenimplemented since 2021 thanks to the support of COSUDE and the IADB within theframework of the SIRWASH program. Additionally, within the framework of theFellowship, initiatives that win IDB-funded Hackathons are incubated. Theseinclude those dedicated to finding solutions for informal settlements in 2020and 2022, the water, sanitation, and solid waste management Hackathon inNicaragua, and the 2023 "Service Provider - Entrepreneur" Hackathoncarried out in collaboration with regional service providers. Cewas actsas the designer and facilitator of training sessions, both virtual andin-person, and their experts serve as mentors to the fellows. Below are theeditions in Latin America:
The first edition of the Young WaterFellowship in Latin America was launched in 2021 with the goal of validatingand launching 10 water and sanitation start-ups led by young people from theregion. The selected start-ups participated in virtual and in-person trainingsessions (including a Bootcamp in Mexico City) and received coaching. Among the10 start-ups, Wayru from Peru, Manantial Suspendido en el Aire from Colombia,and Ecotech Solutions from Venezuela stood out. After 10 months of work, theYoung Water Pitching Night was held to highlight the commitment and potentialof these initiatives. For more information, visit: Young Water Fellowship 2021 and Pitching Night 2021.
In 2022, the second edition supportedthe validation and launch of 8 water and sanitation start-ups in Latin America.Among the participants were Hydroplus from Argentina, WS22 from Colombia,Ver-o-Fruto from Brazil, BrixSan from Peru, and Geowaku from Bolivia. Four ofthese initiatives arose from a Hackathon organized by cewas with the support ofthe Inter-American Development Bank. The start-ups also received businesstraining and coaching and participated in a Bootcamp in Lima. For moreinformation, visit: Young Water Fellowship 2022 and Pitching Night 2022.
The third edition, launched in 2023,focused on young entrepreneurs from Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean.Eight start-ups participated, including Catecagua from Panama, Cova fromMexico, HidraMejora from Costa Rica, and Witari from Cuba. The entrepreneursreceived training and mentorship, particularly during a Bootcamp in MexicoCity, organized in collaboration with ImpactHub CDMX. For more information,visit: Young Water Fellowship Centroamérica, México y el Caribe 2023.
The 2024 edition, focused on SouthAmerica, includes 13 start-ups such as LIQUID LOGIC and Comsagua from Ecuador,Algabiotech from Peru, Aquared from Argentina, and Llena tu Botellón fromColombia. The program started in December 2023 and will conclude in September2024. These start-ups have access to training, mentorship, and funding andparticipate in the Bootcamp organized in Lima in May 2024. For more information, visit: Young Water Fellowship Sudamérica 2024/.