What Saha Global does

Saha Global is a US-registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit (founded 2008 as Community Water Solutions, rebranded 2014; HQ in New York; operations headquartered in Tamale, Ghana) that delivers safe, affordable drinking water to last-mile rural communities in Ghana's Northern, Savannah, Oti, North East, and Ahafo Regions. Its core operating model partners with women recruited from the villages served, training them — over 1,260 to date — to launch and operate community water treatment centers that treat contaminated surface water (dugouts and streams) using low-tech alum coagulation-flocculation followed by chlorine disinfection, with Safe Storage Containers distributed to households to prevent recontamination. As of 2025, the organization runs 464 water treatment centers serving approximately 138,816 people across 464 villages, plus 28 solar charging businesses (built on Burro-supplied 100W solar panels and Gensets) serving roughly 10,662 people with rechargeable lanterns and phone charging.

The business model is donation- and grant-funded rather than commercial. Revenue comes primarily from individual donations (preset tiers of $15-$150 via Humanitru), major foundation grants (most notably a $5M five-year grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation awarded September 2024, targeting 400,000+ people), corporate partnerships (e.g., AAK via its Kolo Nafaso program), and ancillary consumer channels (Water from Wine, Cars2Charities). End-customer water pricing is set by women entrepreneurs and kept affordable — most recently lowered under the Rural Water Utility (RWU) model launched in June 2025, which places formal contracts, KPIs, allowances, and performance bonuses on operators (now called "operators" rather than entrepreneurs) and situates treatment centers inside the communities served. A prior three-week volunteer Field Representative pipeline (Global Leadership Program, founded 2010, ended 2020) generated a modest program fee (~$3,500) at cost-recovery and has been replaced by an all-Ghanaian implementation team of approximately 50+ staff out of 61 total.

Name

Saha Global

Legal name

Saha Global

Website

https://sahaglobal.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Saha Global is a US-registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit that partners with rural Ghanaian women to launch and operate community water treatment centers, delivering safe, affordable drinking water to last-mile villages across five regions of Ghana using low-tech alum and chlorine treatment.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rural Water and Sanitation Services

NAICS

Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (221310)

SIC

Water Supply (4941)

akta.pro primary industry

Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) (BPAGABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) Solutions (BPAGALAI), WASH (Water, Sanitation & Hygiene) Organizations (HLAJAKAI)

Keywords

• Rural water access
• Community water treatment
• Safe drinking water
• Solar charging services
• Women entrepreneurship training

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: Saha Global is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Revenue comes primarily from donations, car donations via Cars2Charities, and major foundation grants (e.g., $5M Conrad N. Hilton Foundation grant, Osprey Foundation). Donations are tax-exempt to the extent allowed by law.
2. Conrad N. Hilton Foundation Grant: Received a $5 million grant over five years to expand safe water access in rural Ghana, targeting over 400,000 people. This is a major institutional funding stream supporting expansion.
3. Global Leadership Program Fees: The GLP charged a program fee (~$3,500) covering in-country expenses including travel, lodging, food, project materials, water quality tests, translator salaries, and long-term monitoring costs. This was a cost-recovery model rather than profit-generating. Program ended in 2020.
4. Water Business Revenue: Women entrepreneurs sell treated water at affordable prices to community members, generating income for entrepreneurs while providing revenue to sustain operations. Solar entrepreneurs rent rechargeable batteries and charge cell phones for a small fee.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Saha Global is a Ghana-based nonprofit that partners with women living in last-mile villages to launch and operate community water treatment centers, using locally sourced alum and chlorine to treat contaminated surface water into safe, affordable drinking water. The organization also operates solar charging businesses that provide electricity access through rechargeable battery rentals and cell phone charging. Saha has evolved its approach to a Rural Water Utility (RWU) model featuring formal operator contracts, KPI monitoring, performance bonuses, and in-community water access at reduced prices.

Product overview

Saha Global is a Ghana-based nonprofit offering a portfolio of water and energy access solutions for rural communities. Its core offerings include Water Treatment Centers (community-based businesses where women treat contaminated surface water using alum and chlorine) and Solar Charging Businesses (providing electricity via solar panels with battery rentals for lanterns and phone charging). The organization runs a Global Leadership Program that trains volunteers to implement these businesses. In 2025, Saha introduced the Rural Water Utility (RWU) Model, an upgraded utility approach with formal operator contracts, reduced pricing, and in-community water access. Key product components include Safe Storage Containers for household water collection. The organization operates across Ghana's Northern, Savannah, Oti, North East, and Ahafo Regions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Rural Water Utility (RWU) Model: Upgraded utility model where safe water is sold at reduced rates with water treatment centers located inside communities
• Global Leadership Program
• Water Treatment Centers
• Solar Businesses

Products and services

• Water Treatment Centers Community-based water treatment centers where women entrepreneurs treat contaminated surface water (from dugouts and streams) using locally sourced alum for coagulation-flocculation and chlorine for disinfection, then sell the treated water at affordable prices directly to households in rural Ghanaian villages.
• Solar Charging Businesses Solar charging centers operated by women entrepreneurs that provide electricity access to rural households by renting rechargeable batteries to power lanterns and offering paid cell phone charging services, using Burro Genset systems powered by 100W solar panels.
• Rural Water Utility (RWU) Model An upgraded water service model where safe water is sold at highly reduced rates with treatment centers located inside communities. Female water entrepreneurs serve as operators under formal contracts with allowances, KPIs, performance plans, and bonuses for top performers; households can fetch water directly into their own Safe Storage Containers.
• Global Leadership Program A three-week volunteer training program (with ~3-month total commitment) that recruited Field Representatives to help launch women-owned water and solar businesses in rural Ghanaian communities; participants fundraised program fees (~$3,500) to cover in-country expenses including travel, lodging, food, project materials, and translator salaries.

Quantifiable outcome

• 138,816 people provided with safe drinking water access across 464 villages
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Water from WineminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWater from Wine partnership allows consumers to support Saha Global by purchasing wine, with proceeds directly supporting Saha's mission to bring affordable, safe water to the last mile. Featured on Saha's website.
• BurrocoreTechnology or IntegrationBurro is a social business located in Koforidua, Ghana that supplies all equipment for Saha solar charging centers. Equipment includes 100-Watt solar panels and Burro Gensets (charge controller, 1,200 Wh battery, 600 W inverter). This is a local Ghanaian supplier partnership.
• AAK (Aakers AB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAAK, headquartered in Malmö, Sweden, is a multinational company specializing in plant-based oils and one of the largest shea buyers in West Africa. AAK partners with Saha to provide safe drinking water in northern Ghana through their Kolo Nafaso women's empowerment program. AAK supported the Emergency Coronavirus Water Fund and sponsored the first AAK-sponsored water business in Bachado (April 2021). AAK works with approximately 321,443 women across West Africa through its Kolo Nafaso program, many in the same communities Saha serves.
• Cars2CharitiesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCars2Charities partnership allows donors to donate cars to Saha Global. Featured on the Get Involved page of Saha's website as a giving option.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• WSUP (Water & Sanitation for the Urban Poor): Nonprofit focused on water and sanitation services for low-income urban communities in developing countries. Comparable WASH mission, donor-funded operating model, and developing-country geographic focus.
• WaterAid: Global WASH-focused NGO operating in multiple low-income countries including Ghana. Directly comparable as a peer nonprofit addressing safe water access through community-based programming in similar last-mile geographies.
• Water.org: Global nonprofit (founded by Matt Damon and Gary White) focused on water access and sanitation through market-driven financing. Operates in multiple countries including Ghana with similar WASH mission and donor-funded model.
• Emory WaterHub / Safe Water Network: Nonprofit developing sustainable community-owned safe water enterprises in Ghana, India, and other countries. Closely comparable operating model with locally-owned treatment centers serving rural communities.
• charity: water: US-based nonprofit funding clean water access projects in developing countries. Comparable mission, donor-supported funding model, and focus on rural water infrastructure in sub-Saharan Africa.
• WaterMission: Christian nonprofit engineering and deploying water treatment systems in developing countries. Comparable as a peer providing technical water solutions in rural communities with donor-supported funding.
• Water for People: International WASH nonprofit working to ensure access to clean water and sanitation. Operates in multiple countries with community-based programming comparable to Saha's model.

Broad incumbents

• Concern Worldwide: Large international humanitarian NGO with WASH as one of multiple program areas. Operates in Ghana and other developing countries with broader programming but overlapping water and sanitation mission.

Emerging players

• Waterlines: Social enterprise developing water purification technologies for underserved communities. Comparable focus on affordable, community-appropriate water treatment solutions in developing markets.
• SOIL Haiti: Social enterprise operating in Haiti with a community-based sanitation service model. Comparable nonprofit social enterprise structure serving low-income communities, though focused on sanitation rather than drinking water.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sahaglobal
• Facebookfacebook.com/sahagloballeadership

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Saha Global