Building Markets for Sanitation

12 Aug

MLC VANGUARD | Created by iDE

iDE believes every family deserves a toilet. We use human-centered approaches to build markets for hygienic toilets that are aspirational and affordable for households and can be built and sold profitably by local entrepreneurs.

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1,985,279 Lives Impacted

iDE has tracked the economic impact of our sanitation solutions on our clients since we began work in the area in 1995. Over the past 25 years, we have generated $749 million in economic benefits for rural households. These benefits include increased productivity and reductions in medical expenses and lost work time that result from people and communities gaining access to quality sanitation services. Other impacts that are more difficult to quantify are the improved sense of dignity, pride, and security that clients feel when, for the first time in their lives, their family has an aspirational toilet in their home.

The Innovation

We build sustainable sanitation markets that deliver high-quality products and services to improve customers’ health and dignity, while providing business opportunities for local enterprises. This innovative approach relies on creating demand, bolstering local entrepreneurs’ capacity, and promoting a conducive enabling environment.

Demand: Our primary method for demand generation is helping sales agents to engage directly with customers to communicate critical information about sanitation solutions in markets where information flows may be weak.

Supply: Local enterprises play a central role in meeting the demand for high-quality sanitation solutions. We recruit local entrepreneurs who want to build their business while making a positive impact on their community. We then arm partners with production and service-delivery training, business coaching, and quality control and monitoring.

Enabling Environment: To create sustainable markets, it’s essential to get buy-in from public and private stakeholders, as well as financial and technical support from donors and governments. We build the case for private investment in WASH markets while leveraging our knowledge to inform policy.

About iDE

iDE's mission is to create income and livelihood opportunities for poor rural households. This extends to our sanitation marketing work, which helps households to avert lost income and wellbeing resulting from diarrheal disease by ensuring access to improved household sanitation. iDE believes that every family deserves a toilet, and our vision is to achieve this not only in the countries we work in but globally, whether ourselves or by influencing other actors in the sector. Since iDE emerged in 1982 as one of the first international NGOs dedicated to market-based solutions to end poverty, we have impacted nearly 36 million people with the tools and resources to increase their income and improve their wellbeing.