200 ORISA® water purifiers deployed in Chad to help Sudanese refugees

Faced with an unprecedented water crisis in eastern Chad, Secours Islamique France (SIF) has deployed 200 ORISA® water purifiers in the Milé 2 refugee camp, home to almost 75,000 Sudanese refugees. This project, carried out in 2024, has provided a concrete and sustainable solution to access to drinking water for more than 14,000 beneficiaries.

formation de l'ONG Secours Islamique France à l'utilisation des purificateurs d'eau ORISA

An emergency context: the water challenge at the heart of refugee camps

The Guéréda region in eastern Chad has been hard hit by extreme weather events. Prolonged drought, inadequate boreholes (only 20 functional out of 70), flooding... Local populations and refugees are faced with limited or non-existent access to safe drinking water.

‘We can really see how useful this is for the beneficiaries - the need is urgent,’ says a member of the SIF field team.

The Milé 2 camp, home to thousands of Sudanese refugees, has been identified as a priority area by the SIF teams, due to the inadequacy of local WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) structures and the high health risk.

In response, a simple, robust and appropriate solution: the ORISA® water purifier

In this context, the SIF called on Fonto de vivo to equip a community of Sudanese refugees with 200 ORISA® water purifiers, an ultrafiltration technology that operates without electricity, designed for emergency situations and extreme conditions.

The advantages of the ORISA® water purifier:

  • Autonomous and energy-free
  • Microbiological filtration by ultrafiltration membrane certified 3* by the WHO
  • Easy to use by local communities
  • Distribution possible on a family or community basis

Initially planned for 1 unit per family, the distribution was adapted to 1 ORISA® per 10 households, making it possible to serve a larger number of beneficiaries while ensuring collective use supervised by the SIF teams on site.

  • démonstration du purificateur d'eau ORISA au Tchad par le Secours Islamique France

    ©SIF - ORISA® user training

  • sensibilisation à la filtration d'eau au Tchad par le Secours Islamique France

    ©SIF - Water before / after filtration by ORISA®

  • utilisation du filtre d'eau ORISA au Tchad par le Secours Islamique France

    ©SIF - ORISA® water filtration

Des réfugiés soudanais au Tchad filtrent leur eau avec le purificateur d'eau ORISA

Result: 14,000 Sudanese have access to clean water

Thanks to this approach, the project has enabled more than 14,000 Sudanese refugees to have access to quality water, thereby reducing the risk of water-borne diseases. A local monitoring committee has been set up to ensure maintenance, monitor quality and raise awareness of usage.

However, a number of challenges have been identified:

  • Lack of maintenance kits to replace membranes, which are saturated more quickly than expected due to intensive use (1 purifier for 70 people)

  • Need for more training for certain vulnerable groups

Assessment: An impactful project to be strengthened for future humanitarian emergencies

The deployment of 200 ORISA® purifiers has given more than 14,000 Sudanese refugees access to safe drinking water in the midst of an acute crisis. This initiative demonstrated the effectiveness of a simple, stand-alone solution that can be adapted to humanitarian emergencies. It also highlighted needs that need to be strengthened: spare parts, maintenance kits and support for vulnerable groups, particularly women and children.

To go further, the SIF is developing a new project aimed at facilitating the transport of water, alleviating the daily chore and guaranteeing safe access to this resource. The need remains critical in the camps, but 100 ORISA® filters are still available in emergency stock. This device confirms the relevance of a robust and mobile technology, capable of responding rapidly to vital needs.

The SIF project at Milé 2 is part of a wider drive to deploy ORISA® purifiers. By 2023, 960 ORISA® water filters had been deployed in Burkina Faso and by 2024 a total of 960 filters had been deployed in Chad. In addition, a contingency stock has also been built up in France, enabling purifiers to be sent quickly to Mayotte following the damage caused by cyclone Chido.

Since 2022 in Chad, almost 2,000 ORISA® filters have been distributed by humanitarian organisations such as Solidarités International, the ICRC and Médecins Sans Frontières, benefiting around 20,000 people in refugee camps, health centres and vulnerable households. By pursuing this approach, SIF is confirming the value of alternative filtration solutions such as ORISA® in meeting the challenges of water in crisis situations.

Working in partnership with NGOs on the ground, Fonto de vivo is helping to guarantee dignified and sustainable access to drinking water throughout the world, even in the most fragile environments.

  • utilisation des fitlres à eau ORISA au Tchad par des réfugiés de guerre

    ©SIF - Training session

Expertise born of humanitarian experience

ORISA® was designed on the basis of the field experience of a former humanitarian aid worker, David Monnier, who initially co-founded the company, and developed in response to specifications drawn up with the involvement of major French and international NGOs: Médecins sans Frontières, Croix Rouge Française, Solidarités International, Médecins du Monde, Handicap International, Terres des Hommes Lausanne and Premières Urgences.

‘Adapt and make affordable filtration technologies for everyone's use, to meet the social and ecological challenges of our time.’

Anthony Cailleau, French representative for projects in Colombia, Chairman and co-founder of Fonto de vivo. Contact for development aid and international cooperation.