The Affordable Fix No One Told You About

 

How a simple kitchen frustration in Banda Aceh became a clean-water solution used by millions

Sometimes the ideas with the biggest impact don’t start in a boardroom. They start at home—when something basic doesn’t work.

For Lieselotte “Lisa” Heederik, Nazava began in Banda Aceh. She had moved to Indonesia in 2007, and the house she lived in had no reliable piped water connection. The water available came from a well in the yard, and it wasn’t safe to drink.

So every day looked like a workaround: boiling, buying refill water, and still not being fully confident the water was safe.

That everyday frustration led to a simple question:

“Why isn’t there an easier, affordable way to purify water?”

Watch the episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFiMukohvUk

A Two-Bucket Prototype—and a Bigger Realization

The first “Nazava” filter wasn’t a sleek product. It was a practical prototype: Lisa’s husband brought filter parts from Brazil, and they assembled a basic gravity system using two buckets—dirty water on top, filtered water collected below.

Then something happened that many entrepreneurs miss: other people asked for it.

Friends and neighbors said they had the same issue—no reliable piped connection, dirty water, doubts about what they were buying.

That was the moment Lisa realized this wasn’t just “their” problem. It was a massive, everyday challenge across Indonesia.

The Problem Isn’t Only Water—It’s Time, Cost, and Health

Unsafe water isn’t always a dramatic headline. Often it’s a quiet daily burden:

    • time spent boiling and waiting
    • money spent on refilling water or bottled water
    • health risks (especially for children)

Lisa describes how the burden is often heaviest on lower-income rural mothers, who may need to gather fuelwood, build fires, and still see children get sick.

Nazava exists because safe drinking water shouldn’t require a daily routine of stress.

Learn more about Nazava’s mission:
https://global.nazava.com/safe-water-for-all-nazava-water-filters-mission-and-vision/

The Unexpected Lesson: Dignity Matters

Nazava’s earliest products worked technically—but the team learned something critical: people won’t use a solution they don’t feel proud to own.

In the early days, Nazava tried to make the cheapest possible product. It worked, but it was unattractive. When women came to buy a filter, they didn’t choose the cheapest one. They chose the one that looked good in their home—even if it required more effort to afford.

That insight reshaped everything.

Nazava began designing with real users, focusing on dignity and aesthetics alongside performance.

See household product options:
https://global.nazava.com/product/product-households/

From Prototype to Product: Design + Partnerships

Nazava’s growth wasn’t just about technology. It was about building a complete system that makes safe water accessible.

Lisa shares how design partnerships helped improve the product—moving beyond “two buckets” into a filter families could proudly display.

But there was another reality: even at an affordable price, many households can’t pay upfront.

So Nazava partnered with microfinance institutions (MFIs), enabling families to buy now and pay in installments over time. That is what affordability really means: not only price, but access.

Explore Nazava impact:
https://global.nazava.com/our-impact/

A Simple Fix, Built to Scale

Piped water infrastructure matters—but it takes time, money, and effective management.

Household filtration isn’t a replacement for infrastructure. It’s a practical solution for families who need safe water now—especially where systems are unreliable.

And it can also become critical during emergencies, when water sources are disrupted.

Nazava in disaster relief:
https://global.nazava.com/disaster-relief/

Watch the Episode

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFiMukohvUk