Stone Family Foundation
Jointly developing enterprises and a research agenda
The Stone Family Foundation and WSUP have been working together since 2011 to develop market-based approaches for improved water and sanitation services.
Currently, the Foundation has a four-year strategic partnership with WSUP which supports WSUP’s business plan, from 2016 to 2020.
This partnership has enabled WSUP to strengthen a range of sanitation enterprises, including SWEEP in Bangladesh, Gasia Poa in the Kenyan city of Kisumu, and pit-emptying services in Lusaka, Zambia.
In addition to directly supporting businesses, the partnership aims to improve the operating environment for enterprises – for example through improved regulations, clearer citywide roles and responsibilities, or initiatives that can stimulate consumer demand.
Blog: January 2017 – The invisible public health threat in cities
Report: May 2019 – Triggers for growing a sanitation business aimed at low-income customers
Blog: March 2016 – Water and sanitation investment creates jobs
Report: January 2015 – Introducing safe FSM services in low-income areas: lessons from Lusaka
The Stone Family Foundation believes that enterprises have a critical role to play in the delivery of safe water and sanitation services for low-income communities. The reality is that the public sector, on its own, is extremely unlikely to achieve universal WASH access by 2030.
But financially viable low-income consumer business models are currently few and far between. Our partnership with WSUP is designed to remedy that, addressing both the internal barriers and external constraints to business success.
We’re encouraged that some models which we have supported are now starting to scale, notably pit-emptying services in Lusaka and the SWEEP waste collection model in Bangladesh.
We are excited about the developments still to come in our partnership, and the high-quality services that are being expanded to all low-income residents across multiple cities in Africa and south Asia.