A hand-pump purification trial and a microfinance milestone reflect a decades-long commitment
Nearly two billion people globally cannot reliably access safe water. For communities in West Bengal and Rajasthan, where well water is widely considered unsafe to drink, that statistic has a human face — contaminated sources, persistent illness, and a shortage of affordable treatment options.
A six-month field trial in both Indian states has produced early results that could change that calculus. Researchers at Shinshu University’s Institute of Aqua Regeneration developed a reverse osmosis membrane that operates at less than half the pressure of conventional systems, requiring only a simple hand pump to function. The membrane doubles water permeability compared with many commercial alternatives and cuts manual operating energy by roughly 50 percent, without any need for electricity, batteries, or solar panels. Results were published in Elsevier’s Results in Engineering journal. Community members in both states reported cleaner-tasting water and improved health.
The project was catalyzed by Mohammed Abdul Latif Jameel KBE, founder and chairman of Community Jameel, following a 2023 meeting with Professor Morinobu Edo at Shinshu University’s Nagano campus. Community Jameel and Jameel Corporation provided financial support; Indian nonprofits Seva Mandir and the Rupantaran Foundation assisted with community access in Rajasthan and West Bengal, respectively. The Shinshu team is now exploring commercialization and localization of the membrane for the communities where it will be deployed.
In a separate development closer to the Jameel family’s business roots, Abdul Latif Jameel Finance announced it had crossed SR 3.5 billion in microfinancing through its Bab Rizq Jameel Microfinance product — the first product of its kind to be licensed by the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA). Since the program launched in 2004, over 283,000 people have received funding, 81 percent of them women.
The microfinance program reflects priorities that trace back to the founding of Bab Rizq Jameel, a job creation initiative Mohammed Abdul Latif Jameel established to improve lives across the Middle East and North Africa. A separate partnership announced in late 2025 between Abdul Latif Jameel Finance and Ant International is extending that work into digital finance, aiming to better serve micro, small, and medium enterprises across Saudi Arabia.