In 2008, three men on a mission in Africa noticed a lack of clean water and refrigeration in many rural parts of the region. With this important need to be filled, they decided to start a charitable program called Akoona, providing ice and water to those communities in need. They needed a machine that could provide ice and water, but one that could also be maintained easily “in the bush” – thus, the VersaVend barrel was born. The design was so efficient, it caught the attention of national parks in Africa looking to provide vended ice and water for visitors.