Doxa Research
Creating change through innovative WASH solutions
Why does Doxa Research exist?
It was rather blunt question to be asked by a CEO from another organization, as to why Doxa Research even exists. He was serious in asking the question and wanted a convincing response. We appreciated the challenge to ask “why”. After all, does the world really need another 501(c)3? Do you need another NGO office in Malawi or Uganda? The answer as to why Doxa Research exists is connected to change. Creating change. Creating long-term change. Creating that change through innovative WASH solutions (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene solutions). Taking a look at old and persistent problems and solving them in a fresh way. There are some gaps in the WASH sector that Doxa Research is trying to bridge. This is done through engagement with larger organizations that might have existing project goals that limit rapid innovation. Another way to bridge gaps is through the empowerment and employment of local people, who generate local solutions. That is why Doxa Research exists.
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Who are you trying to help? Doxa Research seeks to help a growing generation in need of long-term change. People like Cedric. Cedric is a young boy from Central African Republic. We met him during a pump installation. He watched us while we worked, picked up our trash, and then disappeared. The next day when we returned to check on the pump, Cedric returned to proudly show us the storage box he had created. From scrap. From cardboard and tape, trash that we had thrown away. We did not speak a common language, but formed a bond with each other. We marveled at his creativity and resourcefulness. Cedric in turn, appreciated the machines and people that supplied clean water for him. We’re not sure what has happened to Cedric since we met, but he represents the millions of kids who need long-term change in their community to move from survival to thriving. Without a reliable water source, Cedric, and millions of children, will have little hope for a healthy, educated, prosperous future.
In practical terms, as this short video shows, Doxa Research creates change through innovation in three main areas:
1. Collaborative pump upgrades. Working with organizations seeking to mechanically improve pumps and extend their life. This means improved pump uptime for those who need water. It means less days between repairs. It means increased pump reliability.
2. Connecting pumps, data and people. We seek to shorten the gap between pump data and people. Doxa Research can monitor your pump, and teach you how to build your own app to see that data. A large gap exists between pumps, pump monitoring and pump data getting back into the hands of those who need to know what their pumps are doing. Larger organizations have apps and data, but accessing that data is often cumbersome and difficult in local settings in Africa. Why not build apps for the data you need, accessible when you need it?
3. Cleaning up the final step. What does that mean? Well, the final step in the WASH sector is getting waste water back into the ground. This is linked to the “Sanitation and Hygiene” part of WASH. When a child is not comfortable going to “that” latrine at school, it is easier to miss school than suffer embarrassment or discomfort amongst peers. Doxa Research sells a proven latrine restoration product that fixes this final WASH step.