Together for water and the love of life

ÁGUA POR ÁGUA (ApA) Mozambique

ÁGUA POR ÁGUA (ApA)  is a non-profit organisation based in Maputo, dedicated to improving water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in schools, positively impacting the lives of children and communities. Since 2018, ApA is operating in Mozambique, providing access to water and sanitation for more than 9,000 pupils. 

ApA is an integral part of the WATER FOR WATER (WfW) organism: While we interdepend on our fellow WfW organisations in Zambia and Switzerland to collectively achieve our overarching goals, each part of our organism possesses the autonomy and capability to take ownership of its responsibilities within its unique context. Through collaboration and exchange, we harness our collective strengths to develop context-specific WfW programmes and services tailored to local needs.

Our Programme

WASH in Schools

Access to clean water and gender-equitable and inclusive sanitary facilities is a fundamental human right. Unfortunately, many schools in Maputo lack these essential resources, adversely affecting students’ and teachers’ health, education, and overall well-being.

Through our WASH in schools programme, we are committed to transforming the educational landscape in Maputo. Since 2018, we have been working with the Maputo City Council (CMM) to define key priorities and objectives to improve WASH services in the 101 primary schools of Maputo with a holistic approach. Regarding project implementation, we work closely with partner organisations, establish regular exchanges with the local authorities and apply a participatory, collaborative approach in interacting with school management and local community-based organisations. We do all this to create a quality teaching and learning environment with appropriate WASH conditions to allow pupils to learn and practise healthy hygiene habits in a waste-free school environment.
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Goals

Achievements

"Together, we improve water and sanitation conditions in schools; and so we cultivate an environment where learning always flourishes, health prevails and gender equity is outstanding. For safe education."
Átila Cézar, Partnerships and Communications Manager
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Our Social Business

YAKOKO Soaps - Feel Good, Do Good

With its handmade soap production, YAKOKO is a social business initiative by ÁGUA POR ÁGUA (ApA), driving positive change in Mozambique. YAKOKO soaps are coconut-based, vegetarian, biodegradable, sustainable, and locally produced. They also play a vital role in the WASH in Schools programme, having already distributed over 130,000 soaps to primary schools in Maputo.

But we don't just distribute YAKOKO soaps as part of our programme work; they also sell in shops. Every purchase of YAKOKO soaps contributes directly to our activities, actively improving primary schools’ water access, sanitation facilities, and hygiene conditions. By choosing YAKOKO soaps, customers are investing in high-quality, natural products and supporting a good cause.

Made from 100% natural ingredients, it’s confident knowing that no harsh chemicals or synthetic fragrances will come into contact with precious skin. We prioritise fair working conditions, ensuring our products are made with care and integrity: a lasting impact, one soap at a time.

for a social cause

with local organic ingredients

handmade with love

"YAKOKO is a great contribution to our society because it not only takes care of our skin, but it also improves water access through ÁGUA POR ÁGUA (ApA): each soap at a time we improve hygiene conditions of the kids in Maputo - that's what makes the difference.
Miguel Auzara, Social Business Manager YAKOKO
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Our Team

The ApA Mozambique team consists of motivated and talented people who carry a shared vision into society and thus work for positive change.

Felistas Muhwati

Country Lead Mozambique

Átila Cézar

Partnerships & Communications Manager

Abete Ofinar

P&K Project Support

Maria Venacio Chivambo

Facility Management

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WfW Organism

The non-profit organisation WASSER FÜR WASSER (WfW), German for "water for water", was founded in 2012 in Switzerland and has been active in Mozambique since 2018. It’s working for a fair and sustainable use of water resources - because drinking water must not be a privilege.

Over the past years, WfW has made substantial progress in developing local WfW organisations, resulting in the formation of the overarching WfW organism. This accomplishment underscores WfW's commitment to fostering its involvement with local teams and structures. By further professionalising the organisation in Switzerland and establishing WfW organisations in Mozambique and Zambia, WfW has advanced its mission with context-specific entrepreneurial, social and ecological approaches. That is how the WfW organism pursues the goal of having an impact wherever it is active.

The establishment of ApA in Mozambique was a pivotal milestone in the organisation's journey, underlining the strategic expansion into Mozambique and a significant step toward realising the vision of interdependent, autonomous WfW organisations spanning two continents.

The brothers Lior and Morris Etter, co-founders of WfW, share a profound commitment to leveraging their journeys as catalysts for meaningful social change, particularly in the realm of water accessibility, emphasizing the importance of meaningful and sustainable development wherever the WfW Organism is active.
Lior Etter, Co-Founder
Morris Etter, Co-Founder
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