Event Description
How do you catalyse businesses that address the sanitation needs in poor communities? BPD and Water For People have been exploring the role of the local private sector in providing sanitation for several years and, together with others, will debate this and other key pro-poor sanitation issues.

Sanitation is often seen as a household responsibility and recently a lot of attention has been paid to why households invest in it, if they do at all. Fewer have asked the important question of who these households deal with when they want sanitation services and how they find them. Recent work by BPD and others has shown that government is in the minority when it comes to providing sanitation services to poor communities. A larger player is the local private sector – numerous diverse entrepreneurs offer a range of sanitation services to communities, often with only limited oversight or support from public bodies, NGOs and others.

In discussion with sanitation entrepreneurs and those who support them, this interactive session will engage participants to debate how best to harness entrepreneurial activities for the public good. The recommendations from it will be taken forward by both BPD and Water For People. Come and join us!

Programme

Chair: Mr. David Schaub-Jones, BPD, South Africa