ImpactAlpha, February 25 – Singapore-based Nexus for Development has loaned social enterprise Khmer Water Supply Holding (KWSH) $500,000 to expand small-scale water infrastructure in rural Cambodia.
Only 8.5% of Cambodia’s rural households are connected to the water grid. KWSH is trying to bridge fragmented water infrastructure in the country’s rural areas to improve water access and delivery efficiency. The company acquires, connects, and expands existing piped facilities. It has connected 13,000 people to date and has a goal of helping 300,000 people secure long-term access to clean water.
Nexus for Development, whose mission is to help Asia’s tech-based social entrepreneurs in securing early and growth funding and technical assistance, committed the debt funding to KWSH through its Pioneer Facility, a working capital fund that was launched in 2017. The fund makes loans of $100,000 to $500,000 at 10% interest for up to three years. It is backed by French Facility for Global Environment, Lorinet Foundation and Phitrust Asia, who have committed $2.3 million towards the fund’s $6.5 million goal.
KWSH will use the funding to acquire two water stations that will serve 12,500 households, install piped connections in households, and construct water treatment plants.
