This clean water project in rural Indonesia shows what CSR can really do

Last Friday, ParagonCorp Wardah and Komodo Water launched a collaborative clean-water programme that is bringing tangible, long-term improvements to two rural villages in East Nusa Tenggara, a region that has endured persistent water shortages since 2020. The Flowing Hope Clean Water Initiative underscores how sustained corporate partnerships can create meaningful social impact, improving daily life while setting the stage for broader economic progress.

Presently, residents of the Poco Dedeng and Wae Tulu villages spend four to six hours each day navigating steep cliffs, rocky paths and dangerous terrain to collect clean water. The burden often falls on women and children, cutting into school hours and income-earning opportunities while exposing them to risk of injury.

To address this, ParagonCorp Wardah partnered with Komodo Water to introduce a reliable water system that brings the resource directly into the community — reversing the arduous journey residents once made. The new infrastructure was designed to be energy-efficient, low-maintenance and community-managed, ensuring the initiative’s long-term sustainability.

The programme incorporates solar-powered pumps, gravity-fed piped networks and water storage tanks, increasing access points throughout the villages. Clean water is now available in homes, schools, prayer houses and health posts.

More than 1,200 residents now benefit from reduced travel time and physical strain. Beyond the immediate improvements, ParagonCorp Wardah expects the initiative to catalyse new local economic opportunities. Jobs related to system maintenance will emerge, providing new income streams from locals. Furthermore, the company projects that the processing of local produce will improve thanks to consistent water supply, which may have a trickle down effect to enhance product quality and market value of their products.

“In many international forums, I always emphasise one point: without water, none of the sustainable development goals can be achieved,” said Retno Marsudi, United Nations Secretary-General Special Envoy on Water. “Water is the gateway to health, education, security, and progress.”

“I have seen in many countries how water crises can trigger tension and conflict. But in Lempe and Wae Tulu, I see something different. Here, water has become a source of unity. Water has become a meeting point for communities, government, the private sector, and local organizations to move together and create a real ecosystem of change.”

With the present geopolitical uncertainty and constant global tension, it can sometimes feel as though meaningful acts of good have lost their place or their power. That’s why tangible, community-level impact like this clean-water initiative stands out as a clear reminder that purposeful action can still make a difference. Hopefully, this initiative will continue to serve the villages long into the future and inspire a ripple effect that far outlasts it.