Financing sanitation for the poor: household level financing to address the sanitation gap in India
Evidence from Water.org’s existing programs demonstrates that finance for sanitation is a significant opportunity for the Government of India, donors, financial institutions, and clients. Sanitation lending works and also leverages funding to achieve greater reach than traditional grant based models. By directly integrating financial institutions as part of the strategy for the Clean India Campaign as both demand generators and financiers, and unlocking funding for social infrastructure and priority lending for sanitation, India can better utilize financial institutions as a development partner in reaching sanitation goals. Evidence from Grameen Koota, Hand in Hand, and Guardian illustrate how financial institutions in India are able to work closely with donors, NGOs, and local groups to improve access to sanitation.