Financial Inclusion Improves Sanitation & Health in Kenya (FINISH INK)

Purpose

To foster enabling environments for the scaled-up uptake of sanitation systems through local market-based approaches by sustainably expanding access to and demand for sanitation facilities through financial inclusion.

Activities

Main activities carried out to ensure a complete loop that leads to the increased uptake of sanitation systems includes:
• Demand generation through the sanitation marketing approach
• Sanitation marketing training of community health volunteers, independent youth and other developmental professionals of all cadres (and institutionalisation through Amref University)
• Training for artisans (masons) in permanent yet cost effective sanitation system construction (training of trainers)
• Public-Private Partnerships leverage grant funding through local microfinance institutions for sanitation loans and working with savings and credit cooperatives
• Local entrepreneur training for sanitation business development
• Liaison with local governments
• Pilot on the safe reuse of human waste as a soil conditioner

Images

Image: Mason in Kenya © n/a

Countries of activity

Location of main activity

Objectives

A gap realised within the financial market is that knowledge on developing loan products for sanitation is lacking. Similarly, most financial partners lack the know-how on how to evaluate and appraise sanitation businesses. Key among our interventions has been to support them in the sanitation loan product development and training on what to look out for when appraising sanitation loan clients. This has helped to encourage financial institutions to develop sanitation portfolios as part of their regular business.

Further information

Demand for improved sanitation is stirred up in the market through sanitation marketing. For FINISH INK, this involves the one on one and door to door sanitation marketing campaigns where the households are educated on why they should consider upgrading their sanitation facilities, how they can cost effectively do this and the accruing short term and long-term benefits of doing so.

The sanitation marketer thereafter links the willing household(s) to the trained artisan for construction, the supplier for materials and the financial partner for a sanitation loan where credit facilities are needed. Involvement of the government through the Ministry of Health has been ingrained into the model for purposes of sustainability. As a government function, they are charged with ensuring increased uptake of toilets for better health. The FINISH platform therefore gives them a tool that they can use not only to deliver under the partnership but also to scale up their internal deliverables.

To ensure sustainability, over 100 sanitation enterprises have been assisted through developing their capacities via numerous trainings. They have continued to be linked to the increasing demand for sanitation, providing them with a market for their sanitation products and services. For the growth of these enterprises, linkages to the financial partners has been facilitated. The development of the business side has been instrumental in building platform that will help to ensure the activities will continue after the project was finished.

Partners:
• Amref Health Africa
• Kenyan Ministry of Health
• Sidian Bank
• Family Bank
• Imarika Sacco
• ACTIAM
• Take-A-Stake Fund
• United Nations University MERIT

Impact realised:
• Open Defecation Free (ODF) Busia County
• Cost of sanitation systems reduced by 35%
• Over 840,000 people reached in sanitation awareness efforts
• At least 40,000 households with improved sanitation facilities

FINISH INK stands for Financial Inclusion Improves Sanitation and Health in Kenya

Contact information

Lauren Pope
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Filter tags

Capacity development Dutch government Enabling environment and institutional strengthening International NGO Market development Operation, maintenance and sustainable services Other funding source or unspecified Peri-urban Public awareness, advocacy and civil society engagement Rural Rural areas Specific to one or several countries Sub-Saharan Africa Toilets or urinals (user interface)

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