Launched in 2005, WellesleyWeston Magazine is a quarterly publication tailored to Wellesley and Weston residents and edited to enrich the experience of living in two of Massachusetts' most desirable communities.
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business "we are all, in fact, one family" As a result of this business model and talented and dedicated lead- ership, Village Forward is saving lives and creating viable economic opportunity: clean water reduces the spread of germs —water purified through the Aquasif meets the World Health Organization's tough standards for safe drinking water and tastes natural and chemical free—and franchisees retain 100 percent of the profits from the sale of additional Aquasifs. What is more, by fostering these for-profit fran- chises, Village Forward is developing an essential commercial industry, which can be sustained with limited future donor contributions, maxi- mizing Village Forward's scalability and long-term impact. Over 82,000 people are currently using the Aquasif household water treatment system in Nepal and eight micro franchises have been suc- cessfully incubated to date. Having proven the success of the model, over the next year Village Forward will be expanding into India, join- ing forces with an established nonprofit. They will also be introducing a portable version of the Aquasif that will have an even lower price point and be able to be mobilized in emergency situations. "Working with others to improve and empower their lives is a great joy—and a realization that we are all, in fact, one family," explains Elliott. Potters from the pottery-producing village of Thimi, Nepal use machinery to process clay before it can be turned into Aquasif water filters. bottom left: A Village Forward potter in a village near Kapilvastu, Nepal puts finishing touches on the outer cylinder of an Aquasif water filter before firing it in a kiln. bottom right: Detail is added to an Aquasif lid as it is finished using a pottery wheel. 126 Village Forward is part of the social entrepreneurship movement that has gained significant momentum in recent years. Like traditional business entrepreneurs, social entrepreneurs are catalysts and innova- tors. As Bill Drayton, CEO, chair, and founder of Ashoka, a global nonprofit organization dedicated to developing the field of social entrepreneurship explains, "Social entrepreneurs are not content just WellesleyWeston Magazine | winter 2012/2013 PHO TOS COURTESY OF VILLAGE FORWAR D