Tech for Social Transformation: The Role of Non-Profits in Rural Bangladesh

Abstract

This case study explores how one grassroots social enterprise in Bangladesh, Footsteps Bangladesh, uses hard technology to tackle the pressing issue of clean water access in flood-prone rural areas, simultaneously advancing women’s empowerment. Due to climate-related disasters and arsenic contamination, numerous water-scarce areas face immense water insecurity. Women and girls particularly bear the brunt of the health and social impacts. The case outlines the development of Dreamwater, an inexpensive portable water filter that simplifies the conversion of floodwater into drinkable water without the need for electricity. Instead of socially distributing filters, Footsteps pursued a transformative social change approach by providing filters to economically disadvantaged women, particularly minorities, who are trained to become “water entrepreneurs.” By start selling clean water within their communities, these women for the first time, are able to earn income, gain autonomy, and are changing gender norms in these conservative regions. This project integrates sustainable business practices with profound community involvement, placing technology at the core of both subsistence and social innovation. Dreamwater diapproves the conventional charity model by embodying gender equity, local stewardship, and sustainable impact. It also demonstrates the power of technology, designed with the local culture in mind, to enact systemic change in fragile areas.