Since they were young, two Italian brothers,Sandro and Silvano Santilli, were driven by a desire to make the place they called their home, Ethiopia, flourish as it should; they wanted to help eradicate one of Ethiopia’s, and the world’s, most serious issue: impure drinking water. They longed to make sure that cleaning water would be available to the remotest of places, and in so doing, abolish the notion that potable water is possible only to some. With the help of Silvano’s son, Simone Santilli, they were able to start up a company that allowed the realization of this shared dream. When Simone passed away their dream seemed to cease. Simone lived and breathed African air, he loved the Ethiopian land and its people, to honor him, they continued forward, and fought to keep the dream they shared with Simone alive. Sandro and Silvano, since the creation of the Rift Valley Water Technology plc company fiftheen years ago, have dedicated their lives to bring this right, this necessity, to people who would not otherwise have drinkable water.

Rift Valley Water Technology plc. (RVWT) is a young firm coming into being fiftheen years ago with the vision of participating in development activities on the basis of the government plan of action to foster development inputs that could retrieve the country from the clamping hands of long lived poverty. RVWT is based in the town of Bishoftuu (Debre Zeit), East Shoa Zone of Oromia, and currently operates with the requirements of water treatment options as its inaugural and simple introductory operations. RVWT has foreseen the importance of Water and Sanitation activities required by the community at large in order to bring about true development changes. Its Emergency Water Treatment Filter Units are to be utilized by affected rural communities or any area hit by unpredicted water pollution resulting in drinking water shortages. RVWT has a Memorandum of Understanding signed with the Oromia Water Resource Bureau and has been collaborating with the Bureau since the start of the company. RVWT plays a vital part in access to safe drinking water and is part of the task force of the WASH Program along with UNICEF and other NGOs to fight Acute Waterborne Diseases (AWD) in Ethiopia. All refugee camps situated on Ethiopia’s borders, such as Sharkole, Beninshangul, Gambela, Baro River, Dolo Ado, and Humera, are supplied potable water through our Emergency Water Treatment Filters as part of a long-term agreement with UNICEF. Shown in the Gallery Page are a selection of pictures of some of the eld works RVWT has carried out. All Emergency Water Treatment Filter Units are operational to this day and continue to supply drinkable water to their respective areas. Over the years, RVWT has carefully modied its Emergency Water Treatments to be easier to install and assemble, lighter and easier for transportation, and able to supply a larger quantity of potable water.