Insights from a conversation with Nazava co-founder Lieselotte “Lisa” Heederik

Clean drinking water is a human right. It’s also one of the clearest and most urgent Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 6 — Clean Water and Sanitation.

And yet, we are not on track.

In a recent episode of the podcast Walk, Talk, Listen, Nazava co-founder and director Lieselotte “Lisa” Heederik joined host Malik for an honest conversation about what is holding the world back from reaching SDG 6 — and why practical, affordable solutions are more important than ever. 

🎧 Watch/listen to the full podcast episode here:
Making Safe Water Accessible: Social Innovation with Purpose with Lieselotte Heederik – Walk Talk Li

 

From a “simple household problem” to a global mission

Nazava didn’t start in a boardroom. It started with a daily frustration.

When Lisa and her husband moved to Indonesia, they lived in a home without a reliable piped water connection. Like millions of households, they depended on well water and refill stations — and regularly read news reports warning that this water was contaminated.

Coming from the Netherlands, where safe tap water is taken for granted, the contrast was shocking.

So they asked a simple question:

Why not use a water filter?

But at the time, there were no affordable household filters widely available in Indonesia. Lisa’s husband brought back ceramic filter elements from Brazil, and together they assembled a basic gravity-based system at home.

Soon, friends and neighbours started asking for the same solution.

That moment became the beginning of Nazava Water Filters.

🌍 Learn more about Nazava’s mission and products:
https://global.nazava.com

 

Why SDG 6 is “way behind”

During the podcast, Lisa shared a clear view of the challenge:

SDG 6 is way behind. We’re not going to reach it. It’s totally underfunded.

One of the biggest barriers is that SDG 6 is still largely framed around a single “default solution”:

The world still assumes piped water is the answer

Piped water utilities work well in many high-income countries. But in many parts of the Global South, piped systems face serious obstacles:

  • weak management capacity
  • corruption risks
  • poor maintenance
  • water losses through leaks
  • inconsistent supply
  • unsafe water quality
  • limited coverage in rural and peri-urban areas

Lisa gave one striking example:

Only 9% of Indonesians use piped water daily

Indonesia is the world’s fourth most populous country and a fast-growing middle-income economy — yet only around 9% of people rely on piped water utilities day-to-day.

Most households instead depend on “self-supply”: boreholes, wells, and small community sources.

But there’s a catch.

In dense communities without proper sewerage systems, groundwater sources are easily contaminated. Many families are, in effect, unknowingly pumping water influenced by nearby septic tanks.

 

The role of the private sector — and why it matters

Water is a public responsibility. But public systems cannot solve SDG 6 alone.

Lisa’s message is practical and direct:

We need multiple approaches — and more collaboration

In energy, decentralised solutions like solar power became mainstream. Water is different — but the lesson still applies:

To close the SDG 6 gap, we need affordable household-level solutions alongside infrastructure investments.

This is where market-based solutions can play a role.

 

Why Nazava chose a market-based model

Lisa explained that before starting Nazava, she worked in the NGO sector. She learned a lot — but she also felt something was missing:

I missed tangible change on the ground.

Nazava’s model is built around a key idea:

When people pay (even in small instalments), they own the solution

Nazava sells its household water filters to families — often through partnerships with microfinance institutions, allowing customers to pay over 6–12 months.

This makes the product accessible to rural households while also creating sustainability for long-term impact.

How Nazava filters work (in simple terms)

Nazava’s core products are gravity-based household water filters, designed for daily use without electricity.

They use a three-stage system:

  • Ceramic filtration to block bacteria
  • Silver to kill bacteria
  • Activated carbon to reduce chemicals and improve taste

This allows households to purify:

  • well water
  • river water
  • rainwater
  • other non-salty sources

➡️ Explore Nazava household water filters:   https://global.nazava.com/how-do-nazava-water-purifiers-work/ see our products
https://global.nazava.com/product/product-households/

 

A growing impact — across Indonesia, Kenya, and beyond

Nazava is an Indonesian company, and today also operates in Kenya. Globally, the organisation employs around 100 people, working to make safe water more accessible and affordable for lower-income households.

Nazava is also expanding to the Netherlands — where emergency preparedness discussions (72-hour readiness) have renewed attention to household water resilience.

https://global.nazava.com/about-us/company-profile-nazava-water-filters/

Why safe drinking water in schools matters

When asked what cause she would walk (or run) 100 miles for, Lisa didn’t hesitate.

Safe drinking water in schools

Many schools in Indonesia and Kenya still do not provide safe drinking water for students. The consequences are real:

  • children buy sugary drinks instead
  • dehydration affects concentration
  • academic performance suffers
  • long-term health outcomes worsen

Lisa made a simple but powerful point:

Solutions exist. And it’s a loss if children can’t perform at their fullest potential simply because they are thirsty.

Nazava school program
https://global.nazava.com/safe-drinking-water-for-schools-program/

Donate for schools!
https://global.nazava.com/drinking-water-for-school-programs/buy-a-water-filter-for-a-school-in-rural-indonesia-or-kenya/

Watch the podcast episode

If you want to hear the full conversation with Lisa — including her reflections on the Inner Development Goals, the role of the private sector, and what it takes to scale impact — you can watch the episode here:

🎧 Walk, Talk, Listen — featuring Lieselotte “Lisa” Heederik (Nazava Water Filters)
Making Safe Water Accessible: Social Innovation with Purpose with Lieselotte Heederik – Walk Talk Li

A final reflection: what would you do if your water wasn’t safe?

Lisa ended the conversation with a question she wants more people to sit with:

What would you do if you knew your water was full of bacteria?

In countries like the Netherlands and the US, many people don’t think about safe water because it’s always there.

But for hundreds of millions of families, safe drinking water is still something you must actively secure — every day.

Learn more about Nazava

Nazava designs and manufactures gravity-based household water filters that help families purify well water, rainwater, and other non-salty sources — without electricity.

🌍 Learn more: https://global.nazava.com