By Woody Collins, Congo Helping Hands
Since late last year, I have been focused on our water numbers provided by our SmartTaps. For four years now, we have been delivering safe drinking water for sale and use at four health care facilities in rural Congo. For the record, we have dispensed 11.9 million liters (or 3.1 million gallons) in four years.
Seth Godin, my favorite and influential American author, entrepreneur, and marketer, emphasizes that measurement should drive action and focus on what is important, not just what is easy to track. He famously advises: “If you measure it, it will improve,” but cautions, “Measurement is fabulous. Unless you’re busy measuring what’s easy to measure as opposed to what’s important.”
My analysis of our water numbers disclosed some weaknesses or problems. Our records were incomplete because we lost some records in 2024 and 2025. That is, our liters dispensed was actually more. BUT, are we measuring what’s important?
The SmartTaps do NOT measure the sicknesses and deaths prevented due to safe drinking water access in the population served by the health care facilities. So holistically, we must talk to our partners, the health care facilities.
That’s another job for my new back-office staff member that’s responsible for accounting and non-infrastructure matters.
