The Story of WIR
How an idea became a whole movement
A retrospective
A concert for the community
In 2002, Rolf Stahlhofen demonstrated his deep commitment to social causes by organizing a moving benefit concert to aid the flood victims in East Germany. This event not only highlighted his passion for music but also his deeply rooted desire to support people in need. It marked a significant initial step on his journey to becoming a global water activist.
Music and solidarity
2005 was a milestone for Rolf Stahlhofen, as he gathered an All-Star band for the opening of the SAP Arena in Mannheim. The success of the sold-out event, for which he later received the ‘Sold Out Award,’ enabled the construction of solar water stations in Eritrea. This commitment reaffirmed Rolf’s belief that water is a fundamental human right, connecting his musical achievements with his growing role as a humanitarian activist.
A Voice for Water
In 2007, the United Nations recognized Rolf’s passionate commitment to water and appointed him as the first UN-Habitat Water Ambassador ‘Messenger of Truth’ for Europe. This honorable position allowed him to raise awareness of ecological and developmental challenges on a global scale and strengthened his influence as an advocate for access to clean water.
Founding of 'Water Is Right
2011 marked the founding of the ‘Water Is Right’ foundation by Rolf Stahlhofen, an initiative aimed at providing sustainable access to clean drinking water and sanitation facilities. Since then, his foundation has achieved impressive success, having helped over five million people worldwide and implemented 24 projects and 26 institutional activities. This year marked the beginning of a continuous and dedicated effort for water as a human right.
Public launch of the foundation
Public introduction of the foundation in collaboration with UN-Habitat on World Water Day 2011, Cape Town, South Africa. Rolf Stahlhofen writes and performs a song on the theme of water: ‘Water is Life.’ Planning for the future of the Water Is Right Foundation begins. Stahlhofen participates, among other initiatives, in the ‘Support My School’ campaign with NDTV India, Bombay, India. The goal was to raise 1.3 million euros for 400 schools and 50,000 children. Today, the campaign reaches 10,223 schools with 1.9 million children. WIR founder Rolf Stahlhofen travels to India to lend his voice to the campaign.
First participation in global water conferences
Rolf Stahlhofen participates in global water conferences, advocating for actions to provide water at affordable prices for all people.
Kenscoff Children's Village and Day School, Kenscoff, Haiti
In partnership with NPH Haiti, Water Is Right plans and oversees a project to provide clean drinking water for a school in the Haitian highlands.
Of the 800 children attending the schools, approximately 400 are orphans under the continuous care of NPH. Among these 400 children, 33 have significant physical and mental disabilities; some have behavioral disorders, some are living with HIV.
Seawater treatment in collaboration with the government of Yunnan Province, Kunming City, China
Kunming City is a city with over 6 million residents and the capital of Yunnan Province in Southern China. The provincial government needed a technological solution to improve the water quality of surface water bodies affected by eutrophication due to wastewater discharges. Green Lake Park is a recreational area in Kunming City that contained two heavily polluted lakes. These were selected to demonstrate the Lavaris technology. Lavaris and Water Is Right had teamed up to create the water treatment system using Lavaris’ patented treatment chemicals CarbonAdd®, SeDox, AlgoTec Spezial.
Ziwa La’Ngombe Primary School, Mombasa, Kenia
Water Is Right, in partnership with the Udo Lindenberg Foundation, took over the financing of the ongoing operating costs, repairs, and maintenance of the Water Box purification system. Additionally, training for a new water system operator was conducted.
Project Scope: New White House Academy Mission, Voi, Kenya
Together with the Udo Lindenberg Foundation, Water Is Right conducted a project feasibility visit to explore possibilities for improving water procurement for a boarding school intended to serve 200 students from low-income families. Arno Köster from the Udo Lindenberg Foundation and WIR-COO Karun Koernig traveled to Voi, Kenya, to gather information for the planning of the joint project. The school was spending €2,000 per month on truck-delivered drinking water and had the option of either drilling a well or connecting to the municipal water supply. Improving water supply could enhance irrigation and thereby improve food security, but more importantly, it could enable valuable resources to be allocated to educational opportunities.
Maintenance and operation of the water system at Ziwa La Ng’ombe, Mombasa, Kenya
Water Is Right continued to assume responsibility for providing funds for the maintenance, operation, and repair of the drinking water purification system installed in 2014. WIR conducted extensive water quality testing, made filtration changes, and cleaned the main water storage tanks. This ensured that over 1100 students continue to enjoy clean drinking water, wash their hands, and take some drinking water home to their parents. Water Is Right conducted a feasibility study to determine whether additional filtration or solar energy would be a good addition to the system.
Nigeria Sanitation Project, Borno State, Nigeria
After a meeting between Karun Koernig, COO of Water Is Right, and His Excellency Yusuf Tuggar, the Nigerian Ambassador to Germany, it was decided that Water Is Right and the Nigerian government would collaborate to install 500 toilets in the northern state of Borno. The state had been devastated by the terrorist group Boko Haram, and the government was keen on accelerating the development of infrastructure there. The project involved installing 500 toilets donated by a German plastic manufacturer in public facilities such as schools and hospitals in the state of Borno through the Presidential Committee on the Northeast. Rolf Stahlhofen launched a campaign to raise additional funds for the project before it could proceed.
Special Prize for Sustainability
Furthermore, in 2020, the German Council of Shopping Places once again recognized innovation and creativity in the retail sector with the European Innovation Prize in Commerce. A special honor was bestowed upon Rolf Stahlhofen, renowned as a co-founder of the Söhne Mannheims and a passionate advocate for clean water. His “Water Is Right” foundation, which established water dispensers in German shopping centers, combines awareness for clean drinking water with sustainable action. For this unique initiative, which touches both the commercial world and charitable efforts, Stahlhofen received the Special Prize for Sustainability on January 22, 2020, at the REBOOT event in Berlin. This recognition underscores the importance of innovative and socially responsible projects in the increasingly interconnected world of commerce.
Expansion of Partnerships in Nigeria
Establishing a Partnership with the Government of Bauchi State, Nigeria
Modernization Project for Hospital Hygiene, Bauchi, Nigeria
In the specialty hospital, as part of the project, 175 toilets, bathrooms, showers, and sinks were modernized or renovated. These facilities would be accessed by 5,250 patients, staff, and families daily. At Kirfi Hospital, Water Is Right succeeded in enhancing 18 toilets, renovating bathrooms, showers, and sinks, rehabilitating 18 others, and improving access to sanitation facilities for 540 people per day. In Gamawa Hospital, over 50 toilets, bathrooms, showers, and sinks were improved, serving over 1,500 people daily. The Bauchi State Government estimated that Water Is Right’s modernization activities enhanced access to critical sanitation infrastructure for 2,660,850 patients, staff, and families. This success was particularly notable as the work was accomplished during the global COVID-19 pandemic under severe conditions and with an extremely modest budget.
Nyota Ng’Arayo Primary School, Mombasa, Kenya
The primary school is established to support children from low-income households and offers a popular football program among the children. The school sponsor, Club Fit for Life, aimed to provide fresh, clean drinking water to the children during school hours and especially after football games. This is particularly important in the oppressive tropical heat of Mombasa. Water Is Right project manager Nancy Shu not only installed a drinking water system for 270 students but also implemented a water disinfection system used for showers, toilets, kitchen, and handwashing. In total, eight toilets and four showers were repaired and modernized, and three handwashing stations and two drinking water points were installed.
Machakos School for the Deaf, Machakos, Kenya
The first water dispensers are moving into offices
The Water Is Right foundation is launching the marketing of water dispensers for offices. Ten percent of the rental income goes directly to the foundation, supporting clean water projects worldwide. In addition to traditional fundraising activities, the rental of WIR water dispensers ensures sustainable and regular funding for WIR projects. This allows corporate partners as well as employees to continuously and visibly identify with #DRINKWATER – GIVEWATER.
Water Is Right's water bar revolutionizes tour catering for artists and crews
The globally unique solution of the WIR water bar supplies crews and catering with fresh drinking water. What sets the water bar apart is its simple installation to any drinking water connection, not only preserving the environment but also enabling significant cost savings. Thousands of plastic bottles are avoided, as well as financial losses from deposit bottles. Moreover, the use of our water bar contributes to reducing CO2 emissions since no refrigerators need to be transported – a handy flight case in the truck is sufficient. So far, the water bar has been on tour with Udo Lindenberg, Herbert Grönemeyer, Seeed, Die Ärzte, and many other artists. Festivals such as Wacken or Rockharz also appreciate the clever and sustainable idea.
The first water dispenser for a school has been put into operation
The Bodelschwing Elementary School has opted for a water dispenser from Water Is Right. As a result, children, teachers, and all school staff have access to free water. The laborious task of carrying crates as well as organizing drinks, transportation, and of course all costs for purchasing water in crates and bottles are eliminated. Ten percent of the rental income for the machine goes directly to water projects in Africa, the original purpose of the ‘Water Is Right’ foundation.
Commissioning of the first AquaPoint
On March 22, 2023, just in time for World Water Day, an AquaPoint by Water Is Right was inaugurated. The event was celebrated with a club concert at the Mayersche Buchhandlung in the heart of the Neumarkt Galerie. As a pioneer, DEKA has committed to providing its customers in the Neumarkt Galerie in Cologne with free purified table water using the ‘Water Is Right’ dispenser. Numerous representatives from politics and business, as well as prominent guests, accepted the invitation to the Neumarkt Galerie in Cologne on World Water Day, joining initiator Rolf Stahlhofen in supporting the foundation’s goals. Ten percent of the rental revenue goes to the Water Is Right foundation for water projects in precarious areas.
Charity Concert and Opening of a Water Is Right Water Dispenser
All visitors to the “Seidnitz-Center” shopping mall in Dresden can now tap into free drinking water. The opening was accompanied by a celebrity charity concert by Water Is Right. Rolf Stahlhofen as the founder of the foundation, with Leonie, Henning Wehland, Andreas Kümmert, Cassandra Steen and many more, raised donations of 10,123 euros with their performance!
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