Aqualuz harnesses raw solar radiation to kill bacteria and viruses in captured rainwater, eliminating the need for chemicals or complex filters.
At 15, Beserra, a Salvador student, conceived the system after witnessing families struggle with contaminated cisterns, sparking a lifelong mission.
The prototype, built on a modest budget, now endures up to twenty years and has already served more than ten thousand people in 2023, reaching forty thousand households in 2024 through local technicians trained by Beserra.
Beserra also developed Aquasalina, a solar desalination unit, and Aquafilter, a community‑scale filter for up to one hundred users, diversifying her portfolio of affordable water solutions.
Recognized by UNESCO, MIT, and the UN, she plans to extend Aqualuz to 100,000 homes across Latin America, Africa, and Asia by 2025, while Maria da Silva now drinks safe water daily.