New Program to Support Water Kiosks Serving 80,000 People in Conflict-Affected Communities
Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Boulder, CO – Virridy, a global leader in water-resiliency carbon credit generation, is partnering with Asili, a Congolese social enterprise supported by Eastern Congo Initiative (ECI), to ensure the long-term sustainability of clean water services in the conflict-affected eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Through this collaboration, Asili — whose newest water system is on track to serve 80,000 people in the region with further service expansion projected to reach 350,000 by 2030 — will generate carbon credits to support ongoing operations, maintenance, and expansion of safe drinking water services.
Asili, co-designed with mothers in the South Kivu region, operates a financially self-sustaining model that provides high-quality essential services—including clean water, healthcare, and income-generating opportunities—at prices that local communities can afford.
"Reliable, high-quality water services are a lifeline for communities in eastern Congo, where instability has made traditional aid approaches unsustainable," said Asili Director Valéry Namutoi. "By incorporating carbon finance, we can ensure that our water services remain operational, a high quality, and continue to grow, even in the most challenging environments."
Expanding Water Access with Sustainable Financing
The program will generate carbon credits under Gold Standard's Emission Reductions from Safe Drinking Water Supply methodology, based on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from households no longer needing to boil water for purification.
Virridy brings expertise in monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) of carbon credit projects, ensuring that Asili's water systems receive the necessary certification to generate and sell high-quality carbon credits in global markets.
"Carbon finance has already proven to be a reliable tool for sustaining safe water programs in Africa," said Evan Thomas, CEO of Virridy. "By partnering with Asili, we are applying this proven model to help communities in eastern Congo maintain and expand their access to clean drinking water, despite the challenges posed by conflict and instability."
A Scalable Model for Clean Water and Climate Resilience
The initial phase of this program will support Asili's newly completed water kiosks, which are on track to serve 80,000 people in South Kivu, with plans to expand further, reaching 350,000 people by 2030.
For more information about this partnership, visit virridy.com or easterncongo.org.
About Virridy
Virridy specializes in water-focused carbon credit generation, leveraging digital monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) technologies to quantify water and climate benefits.
About Asili
Asili, a Congolese social enterprise supported by Eastern Congo Initiative (ECI), delivers high-quality, affordable essential services—including clean water, healthcare, and economic opportunities—to communities in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Learn more at easterncongo.org/asili.