Frequently Asked Questions.

SAquaSolve Rwanda is a community-based organization working to expand access to safe drinking water in underserved rural communities. It develops and scales solar-powered community water systems that treat non-potable surface water and distribute safe drinking water through accessible community water points.

Yes. SAquaSolve Rwanda is a Rwandan non-governmental organization. Formal nonprofit registration in Rwanda is underway.

SAquaSolve's first implementation is in Gashora, Bugesera District. Its mission is Rwanda-wide: the organization intends to apply what it learns in Gashora to other underserved communities across the country over time.

In many underserved rural communities in Rwanda, water resources such as lakes and rivers are physically close, but safe, reliable drinking-water service is not. SAquaSolve builds the infrastructure needed to close that gap: intake, treatment, storage, distribution and community access.

Where a lake, river or other water resource already exists near a community, that proximity is an asset. The missing piece is usually not water itself but appropriate treatment, storage, distribution and monitoring to make it safe to drink.

Bugesera already has nine lakes and three rivers — water communities live beside every day. SAquaSolve's approach starts with what a community already has and builds the treatment and delivery system that resource is missing, rather than assuming a new source is the only answer. Boreholes remain a valid solution elsewhere; surface-water treatment is the right fit where a suitable lake or river already sits within reach.

One centralized system, not a single stand-alone device: source water is drawn from an intake, pumped by solar power, piped to a containerized treatment plant, held in protected storage, and distributed to multiple community access points — monitored and run by trained local operators.

SAquaSolve tests before it designs. Water-quality results, site conditions and engineering analysis determine the specific treatment processes and equipment a system needs, rather than a fixed design applied regardless of the source.

No. Treatment happens at the containerized plant the intake feeds, not in the lake itself. Raw water is drawn from an intake point, treated centrally, then distributed as safe water — the lake remains the shared natural resource; the system is what makes drawing from it safe.

A conventional kiosk is typically one stand-alone unit at one point-of-use. SAquaSolve is developing one centralized, solar-powered treatment system that distributes safe water to multiple community access points from a single accountable source — with water-quality testing, engineering and community ownership built in from the start, not added after installation.

Communities take part in project design, decision-making and feedback, and local operators are trained to run day-to-day service and maintenance. WASH and public-health education runs alongside the infrastructure work.

Solar power is central to SAquaSolve's intended system approach, including intake pumping and treatment. Detailed sizing of solar and storage capacity is engineering work that follows site and load analysis.

A safe water system depends on a protected source. SAquaSolve's Youth & Environmental Stewardship program engages young people in source protection, pollution prevention and climate-resilient practices around the water bodies communities depend on — alongside water and STEM education and leadership opportunities.

Gashora is where SAquaSolve's founder has a direct, personal connection through three years as a student at Gashora Girls Academy of Science and Technology (GGAST). Bugesera is a lake-rich district where the gap between water present and water safe is especially visible.

SAquaSolve is developing a solar-powered community water system for Gashora, drawing on Lake Mirayi as the intended source, distributing safe water to multiple community access points. Water-quality characterization of the lake is underway.

SAquaSolve delivered two-day WASH and community workshops in Gashora with direct community input, in partnership with GGAST, funded by a 2026 Davis Projects for Peace grant.

SAquaSolve Rwanda was founded by Sonia Irakoze, who serves as Founder & Legal Representative.

Sonia Irakoze leads as Founder & Legal Representative. Nadine Uwizeyimana, a water and sanitation engineer, serves as Deputy Legal Representative & Technical Lead. See the About page for more.

SAquaSolve Rwanda is governed through a Board of Directors, responsible for strategic oversight, accountability and the organization's long-term direction. Nonprofit registration in Rwanda is in progress; public Board profiles will be added once appointments are finalized.

SAquaSolve's initial work is supported by a 2026 Davis Projects for Peace grant, administered through the University of Rochester. The organization is also seeking technical partnerships and catalytic funding to move its Gashora system from validation into construction.

See the Partner With Us page for pathways covering funding, engineering and implementation, research, community engagement, and in-kind product or service support.

Yes — universities, laboratories and researchers can contribute through water-quality testing, engineering support, monitoring, and student and faculty engagement. See Research With Us on the Partner page.

Yes — relevant businesses and in-kind contributors can support the Gashora system through equipment, materials, solar components, laboratory services, logistics and technical expertise. See Support With Products or Services on the Partner page.

Rotary clubs, foundations and other philanthropic or institutional supporters can provide catalytic funding and coordination as the Gashora system moves toward construction, and support SAquaSolve's broader programs. See Fund the Work on the Partner page.

Beyond formal partnership, individuals can support SAquaSolve's work directly through a donation, or by getting in touch to offer relevant expertise or connections.

Yes. Visit the Donate page to support SAquaSolve's work.

Journalists and media partners can find organization boilerplate, approved photography, leadership information and press contact details on the Media page.

Contact SAquaSolve directly to request the project brief or ask a specific question — see the Contact page.