Click below to download our latest white paper about the 3SI project for rural sanitation in Bihar, India.
Watch how PSI partnered with Unilever’s Domestos Toilet Academy to address critical barriers to toilet ownership and increase access quality sanitation in Bihar, India.
Here's how our WASH interventions have provided 672,000 years of healthy life for our clients:
1.6 billion
household water treatment products
400,000
hygienic toilets through private sector actors
12
countries
27 million
liters of fecal sludge in 3 countries
Because providing sanitation for low-income consumers is rarely viewed as a profitable business opportunity, people who want a toilet often can’t get one. PSI engages the private sector to demonstrate the market opportunity and supports businesses to introduce profitable sanitation products and services into their offering. Through demand aggregation and introduction of better products, PSI also works to engage higher capacity, larger business that can bring sanitation to scale. And through helping businesses formalize and improve business practices, we help entrepreneurs grow and reach more customers.
Microfinance institutions rarely develop loan products for families to purchase toilets, as they do not contribute to an income generating activity. Moreover, loans are also usually unavailable for service providers, who are largely small, informal businesses. This lack of access to finance inhibits growth of the supply and demand side of markets. PSI works with customers and entrepreneurs to qualify for loans and with microfinance institutions to develop sanitation loan products.
In some places, even people who have toilets in their homes do not use them. This is particularly true for men, who are often comfortable defecating in the open. PSI develops and executes behavior change campaigns to increase use of toilets by all members of the family.
In most places, the majority of rural consumers have either built their own toilets using local materials or been given a subsidized toilet through a donor or government-funded project. As a result, they are not aware of or have never been offered a desirable toilet that they can afford to buy. Through direct door-to-door sales, PSI increases awareness of new and better toilet solutions and connects them directly to service providers.
While the private sector provides a huge percentage of sanitation services, from toilet solutions to septic tank emptying, the companies are usually informal and not acknowledged by the government as a critical part of the sanitation economy. As a result, there are often policies in place that make it difficult for sanitation entrepreneurs to succeed, such as expensive fees to use treatment facilities. PSI advocates with governments to remove these barriers and proactively engage the private sector as critical partners in solving the sanitation crisis.
PSI has drawn on its global expertise in social franchising and marketing to develop a unique public toilet franchise in Ethiopia. This business offers safer, more convenient and more hygienic toilet and shower facilities than provided by other public toilet operators, including the government. These public toilets provide a critical service to people living in urban areas, without access to household toilets.
Find here a living catalogue of our Transform WASH Project programming, insights and lessons learned – in the form of reports, articles, blogs and videos. Resources from our other projects are coming soon.
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Program Expenses
Management, General, Fundraising Expenses
We increase access to and use of sanitation products and services by addressing supply, demand and systems barriers to access and uptake. Through our work with communities, governments and the private sector, we implement market-based programs to strengthen the sanitation supply chain and incentivize and capacitate businesses to provide safe, affordable and high-quality toilet products.
PSI’s USAID-funded Sanitation Service Delivery (SSD) program in Benin, Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana uses market-based approaches to introduce new affordable and desirable toilet products through the private sector. The project has trained and mentored small businesses to offer quality-assured products and conduct marketing campaigns that connect customers to providers and micro-finance products that allow them to invest in their own safe toilets.
Having a hygienic toilet in the home is a source of pride for families. We center our product designs around consumer needs and preferences and develop service delivery models that make it quick and easy for people to purchase and install a toilet.
PSI’s USAID-funded TRANSFORM WASH program in Ethiopia has worked with MIT’s D-Lab to create inexpensive, reliable and desirable toilets for rural consumers. In one district, where the cost of reinforced steel bars became too high, we developed a toilet slab reinforced with bamboo. We also train masons to sell directly to consumers and bring all the information and materials required to install a low-cost toilet on the spot.
We work with public and private actors to address financial, regulatory and policy barriers to developing sustainable sanitation markets.
PSI works as a market facilitator on the PSI India After the Flush project to formalize and professionalize private fecal sludge tank operators. By advocating for regulation of private operators and simultaneously working with municipal governments to open city treatment infrastructure to private tank operators, After the Flush is increasing the safe transport and disposal of fecal sludge, thereby reducing contamination of open water ways.
With overarching commitments to flexibility in our work, and greater wellbeing for our employees, we want to ensure PSI is positioned for success with a global and holistic view of talent. Under our new “work from (almost) anywhere,” or “WFAA” philosophy, we are making the necessary investments to be an employer of record in more than half of U.S. states, and consider the U.S. as one single labor market for salary purposes. Globally, we recognize the need to compete for talent everywhere; we maintain a talent center in Nairobi and a mini-hub in Abidjan. PSI also already works with our Dutch-based European partner, PSI Europe, and we’re creating a virtual talent center in the UK.
PSI is firmly committed to the meaningful engagement of young people in our work. As signatories of the Global Consensus Statement on Meaningful Adolescent & Youth Engagement, PSI affirms that young people have a fundamental right to actively and meaningfully engage in all matters that affect their lives. PSI’s commitments aim to serve and partner with diverse young people from 10-24 years, and we have prioritized ethics and integrity in our approach. Read more about our commitments to the three core principles of respect, justice and Do No Harm in the Commitment to Ethics in Youth-Powered Design. And read more about how we are bringing our words to action in our ICPD+25 commitment, Elevating Youth Voices, Building Youth Skills for Health Design.
PSI works to ensure that its operations and supply chains are free from slavery and human trafficking. Read more about this commitment in our policy statement, endorsed by the PSI Board of Directors.
Since 2017, PSI has been a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact, a commitment to align strategies and operations with universal principles of human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption. Read about PSI’s commitment to the UN Global Compact here.
The health of PSI’s consumers is inextricably linked to the health of our planet. That’s why we’ve joined the Climate Accountability in Development as part of our commitment to reducing our greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent by 2030. Read about our commitment to environmental sustainability.
PSI does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, marital status, genetic information, disability, protected veteran status or any other classification protected by applicable federal, state or local law. Read our full affirmative action and equal employment opportunity policy here.
PSI is committed to establishing and maintaining a work environment that fosters harmonious, productive working relationships and encourages mutual respect among team members. Read our policy against discrimination and harassment here.
PSI is committed to serving all health consumers with respect, and strives for the highest standards of ethical behavior. PSI is dedicated to complying with the letter and spirit of all laws, regulations and contractual obligations to which it is subject, and to ensuring that all funds with which it is entrusted are used to achieve maximum impact on its programs. PSI provides exceptionally strong financial, operational and program management systems to ensure rigorous internal controls are in place to prevent and detect fraud, waste and abuse and ensure compliance with the highest standards. Essential to this commitment is protecting the safety and well-being of our program consumers, including the most vulnerable, such as women and children. PSI maintains zero tolerance for child abuse, sexual abuse, or exploitative acts or threats by our employees, consultants, volunteers or anyone associated with the delivery of our programs and services, and takes seriously all complaints of misconduct brought to our attention.
PSI affirms its commitment to diversity and believes that when people feel respected and included they can be more honest, collaborative and successful. We believe that everyone deserves respect and equal treatment regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, cultural background or religious beliefs. Read our commitment to diversity and inclusion here. Plus, we’ve signed the CREED Pledge for Racial and Ethnic Equity. Learn more.
PSI affirms gender equality is a universal human right and the achievement of it is essential to PSI’s mission. Read about our commitment to gender equality here.
From ministries of health to regulatory bodies and purchasers, we partner with private and public sector players to provide seamless health services to consumers – no matter their entry point to care.
Across 40+ countries, we scale digital solutions that make it easier for people to take ownership of their own health, and health systems to use resources efficiently and increase health impact.
We support health systems in shaping the policy and regulatory environment for self-care interventions and ensuring self-care is included as an essential part of healthcare services.
