CommunicationPublished on 30 September 2022

«We want to bring sustainable clean drinking water to poorer countries»

Today two billion people throughout the world are still without access to clean drinking water. The start-up enterprise Openversum, winner of the Community Award of the Youth and Future Prize ‹Together we’re better›, wants to change this: a locally produced drinking water filter would grant affected populations access to clean drinking water. Olivier Gröninger and Julián Salazar's team have now presented their project in New York at the Hult Prize finals – the ‹Nobel prize for students›.

Two pilot projects have already been implemented in Colombia and Ecuador – providing 400 people with access to clean drinking water. — © Openversum

Many young people in Switzerland are becoming involved in projects far beyond the country's borders. To lend visibility to this commitment, the SDC launched the SDC's Youth and Future Prize. Within the framework of the International Cooperation Forum, participants were able to present their project, learn from one another and extend their networks. Discussions with the President of the Swiss Confederation were an emotional highlight, encouraging participants to continue with their commitment to a fairer world.

Geneviève Federspiel Singh, project leader of the SDC's ‹Together we're better›