Data With a Soul
Powering Clean Water Access in Africa with H2ALL
A Shared Struggle: Water and Energy as Human Rights
At Pontem Analytics, we've always stood at the intersection of data, science, and purpose. Our mission to confront energy poverty has been personal—because when over 600 million Africans live without reliable power in a continent bursting with natural resources, it’s not a technical issue. It’s a justice issue.
The same holds true for water.
More than 500 million people in Africa lack access to clean water. It’s not just about thirst—it’s about disease, missed education, stunted economies, and lost futures. When H2ALL reached out to us with their Generation U initiative, it wasn’t just another partnership. It was a calling.
H2ALL: Building the Future, One Drop at a Time
Launched in 2019, Generation U is H2ALL’s bold initiative to bring clean water and hygiene education to the most vulnerable communities on Earth—starting in Uganda. With their “Water is Life” system and holistic hygiene education approach, they’ve already reached over 300,000 people. Their goal? 5.6 million lives in five years.
The scene below reflects the reality that generations of a Ugandan community have lived through. It’s a powerful and moving reminder of why the Generation U initiative matters so deeply.
But big dreams need strong systems. As the scale and ambition of Generation U grows, so does the complexity of tracking, verifying, and sharing their impact—transparently, in real-time, with every supporter.
That’s where we come in.
What Pontem Is Building: The Return-on-Purpose Engine
At Pontem Africa, we're building the Impact Analytics Engine that powers H2ALL’s Return-On-Purpose (ROP) dashboard—the heartbeat of the entire initiative. Our role is to ensure that every drop of effort is visible, measurable, and trusted.
1. Real-Time Data, Rooted in Truth
We’re building a pipeline that ingests data straight from Generation U’s field teams—verifying, cleaning, and structuring it so that no number is just a number. It's a story. It’s trust.
2. Metrics That Matter to Humans, Not Just Systems
From litres of water delivered to school attendance uplift, health outcomes, and community economic boosts—our analytics will translate impact into human meaning, not just dashboards.
3. The Pontem Impact API
All this data will flow into a beautifully simple and secure API that H2ALL’s creative partners, Moxie Sozo, use to craft deeply engaging digital experiences—connecting purpose to people, purchase to impact.
“We spent time with the exceptional team at Pontem Analytics, who are building the data engine behind our ROP (Return on Purpose) Dashboard. These aren’t just skilled data scientists—they are individuals who have lived through the very water crisis we aim to end. Their insights, empathy, and expertise are central to our mission of delivering transparent, verified impact to every H2ALL supporter.”
By Nich Cornwell, Co-Founder of H2ALL and Generation U
Why This Work Matters (To Us, and Hopefully to You)
The first time I met Nich Cornwell (H2ALL and Generation U Co-Founder), I saw more than a water project. I saw empathy wrapped in action. His photos with children in Ugandan villages, with elders and local leaders—it wasn’t PR. It was proof of presence.
This is one child who has benefitted from this initiative. But it doesn’t end there. There are many more.
It is also important when community and government leaders partner with a cause to bring water access to their people. The image below captures the engagement between Nich and Joel (Co-Founders of H2ALL and Generation U) and the local community leaders. That kind of buy-in is essential to enabling Generation U to achieve its purpose.
At Pontem, we don’t treat data like numbers on a spreadsheet. For our Rwandan development team—who have walked in the same shoes as the beneficiaries of H2ALL—this is personal. Every data point tells a story of dignity, of resilience, of hope.
When a child gains access to clean water, they’re healthier. That child can now attend school more often. That education becomes a job, a tax-paying adult, a contributor to GDP. Multiply that by five million children, and you don’t just change lives—you change the destiny of a continent.
This is how small seeds—like clean water—can bloom into forests of opportunity.
The video above captures the drilling of a new water well in Uganda in June 2025. Well, it is a well in motion and Generation U in action, turning hope into hydration with every rotation.
Partnership, Not Patronage
What has truly struck me about H2ALL is that this isn’t charity. It’s collaboration. As I said to Nich during our time together in Kigali:
Nich, this is what happens when the cause and efforts are genuine. People can see the sincerity behind it. I am proud of Gen-U and honored to be associated with the organization. As an African, I commend the way you are approaching this—more like a true partnership with Ugandans rather than mere handouts.
Temitope Solanke, MD Pontem Africa
The Work Ahead
We know the road ahead isn’t easy. But we’re walking it with purpose, clarity, and partners who genuinely care. Together, we’re proving that data—when rooted in empathy and delivered with precision—can transform lives. Below is a draft mock-up (subject to change) of what you’ll see when you scan the QR Impact code on a bottle of H2ALL water purchased anywhere in the United States. For every bottle bought, $0.05 is donated to support clean water access in Africa. Thanks to the Pontem Analytics-powered Return-on-Purpose dashboard, you’ll be able to see exactly how your purchase is making a difference—thousands of miles away, in real time.
One of the most meaningful things Nich and Joel shared with the team before they left was that the key word to define this partnership should be "WE"—a simple word, but a powerful symbol of unity and shared purpose. That really struck a chord with me. It’s a mindset that turns collaborators into one team, and I believe it’s exactly the kind of thinking that will make this project a lasting success.
This isn’t just a project. It’s a movement.
H2ALL and Pontem. Purpose and precision. Africa and its future.
Let’s build it, drop by drop.