BY KAREN BOSSICK

Jeanne Liston, former director of The Hunger Coalition, will introduce her newest venture with Because International by highlighting the work of an entrepreneur providing clean water to underserved communities in sub-Saharan Africa at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 25.

The program, at Ketchum’s Community Library, will feature Because International, an Idaho-based international nonprofit, which is bringing Nigerian hydrologist and climate activist Ichor Joshua Keghnen to talk about his work improving water access and quality.

Keghnen contracted typhoid, a water-borne disease that nearly killed him, at age 12. To prevent that from happening to other children, he developed innovative technologies that are revolutionizing water infrastructure and management.

Now, just 23 years of age, Keghnen has been honored with several international awards and fellowships, an. He’s presented his water innovations at the United Nations and was chosen one of 25 finalists for the first cohort of the Young Climate Prize in 2023.

His business, Geotek, monitors water quality and checks for needed maintenance of wells in rural Nigeria using hardware sensors installed at water sources that provide alerts when there’s a mechanical fault in order to prevent water contamination.

Sarah Hille, Because entrepreneurship programs manager, will moderate the conversation with Keghnen and Andrew Kroes, CEO of Because international.

Because International was founded by Idahoan Kenton Lee, who created a shoe that can expand to fit the needs of growing children. More than 400,000 pairs of The Shoe That Grows have been distributed to kids in 100-plus countries, alleviating the risk of soil-transmitted diseases and parasites.

To see the program in person, RSVP at https://thecommunitylibrary.libcal.com/event/11692487. The program also will be livestreamed and available to watch later at https://vimeo.com/event/4385939.