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Organizations promoting Sanitation and Hygiene in UNSDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

Sanitation and hygiene are incorporated in UNSDG 6 of the United Nations, which has the goal to "ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all" by 2030. Target 6.2 seeks to provide access to proper and equitable sanitation and hygiene and to end, in particular, open defecation, especially for all women and vulnerable members of society. The lack of adequate sanitation defiles health through the spread of diseases such as diarrhea and cholera. This also affects education, dignity, and productivity. (The Global Goals)​ 


This is a well-researched article on organizations that strive toward better global sanitation and hygiene as a part of the overall UNSDG 6. The article gives in-depth details about the contributions, methodologies, and larger exposure of the work of the concerned organizations, which work as invaluable information for the startups and entrepreneurs who would have clear mandates of contributing significantly to working in these critical areas too.


1. WaterAid India


Founder: Marcus Missen (CEO, India)

Founded: 1981

Location: New Delhi, India


Key Projects


WaterAid works toward making lasting changes in access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene. Their work is directed, most importantly, at the poorest and most marginalized communities across India.


Major ongoing projects—


  • Swachh Bharat Mission Support: Providing technical assistance pursuant to the objectives of the mission aimed at a nationwide, open-defecation-free India through community-led initiatives in building and promoting the use of toilets. 


  • Community Toilet Construction: Construction of public and household toilets, especially in slums and rural areas.

  • Hygiene Education: Hygiene health education to focus on handwashing, menstrual hygiene management, and safe water handling practices. Multiple media are utilised, such as workshops, posters, and digital campaigns.


Impact and Achievements


The efforts taken by WaterAid India have definitely drastically reduced open defecation, which now safeguards the spread of diseases. It has touched millions of lives by giving access to sanitation facilities and promoting better hygiene practices. More than that, the organization has proved most effective on the ground in catering to the special needs of women and girls to make sanitation solutions quite inclusive and culturally sensitive.


2. Sulabh International


Founder: Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak

Founded: 1970

Location: Patna, Bihar, India


Key Projects


Sulabh International, besides agitating for social reform, has pioneered low-cost sanitation technologies in India. The organization is probably one of the most well known when it comes to sanitation solutions in the country.


Some of the key initiatives in this regard are as follows-


  • Sulabh Twin-Pit Pour-Flush Toilets: The low-cost toilets in question have been built all over the country in India and provide long-term solutions to the problem of open defecation.

  • Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers: Sulabh engages in alternative livelihoods, education, and social support for those people involved in manual scavenging in order to help them leave behind a most undignified profession.

  • Public Awareness Campaigns: For running educational programs and campaigns, Sulabh is engaged in the area of sanitation and hygiene, thus propagating the participation of the community through inculcation and sensitization.


Impact and Achievements


Sulabh's efforts have resulted in the building of over 1.5 million household toilets and thousands of public sanitation complexes. Quality of life for millions has undergone a paradigm shift, especially for the poor and the downtrodden sections. The Work of the Organization is the lead chapter for social justice and human dignity across the world in general and national typologies in particular.


3. Gramalaya


Founder: Mr. S. Damodaran

Founded: 1987

Location: Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India


Key Projects


Gramalaya functions for rural sanitation and community empowerment. 


The key projects are as follows-


  • Total Sanitation Campaign: Encouragement and building of house toilets through community-wide movements with an objective of eradicating open defecation 

  • Women-Led Sanitation Initiatives: Putting in place self-help groups that are constituted by women to manage sanitation facilities and in the promotion of hygiene practices.

  • School Sanitation Programs: Toilets in schools, handwashing provisions in schools, and personal hygiene education among students


Impact and Achievements


In effect, this has led to a significant reduction in open defecation and improved sanitation coverage in the areas in which Gramalaya operates. Engaging women in the management of sanitation projects has resulted in greater community ownership and, hence, sustainability. School sanitation initiatives have improved hygiene and reduced diseases among children, leading also to better academic performance.


4. Centre for Science and Environment (CSE)


Founder: Anil Agarwal

Founded: 1980

Location: New Delhi, India


Key Projects


CSE works in the area of sustainable environmental practices with innovative approaches to sanitation. 


Their work includes-


  • Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Systems: Popularizing sustainable but cost-effective applications of treating wastewater in towns.

  • Policy Advocacy: Policy workshops work towards influencing both national and local policy-making for the betterment of integrated water management and urban planning for sanitation.

  • Capacity Building: Training, and workshops for governmental officials, town/city planners, and communities on best practices in sanitation and hygiene.


Impact and Achievements


CSE has been one of the pioneering organizations in this field in India for advocating the cause of sustainable sanitation practices. The work-based research and the advocacy of CSE have shaped many policies and strengthened the implementation processes concerning the given practices. They have also achieved considerable success in building capacity amongst stakeholders, as a result of which sanitation solutions are sharp and effective.


5. Banka BioLoo


Founder: Sanjay Banka

Founded: 2012

Location: Hyderabad, India


Key Projects


Banka BioLoo provides eco-friendly bio-digester technology-based sanitation solutions. 


The following are some of the key projects conducted by them-

  • Bio-Toilets Installation: Installation of bio-toilets in schools, railways, public places, and remote areas. These toilets transform the waste into water and gas. Whereas water may be discharged after treating it, and the gas may be transported.

  • Sanitation Services for Schools: Sanitation infrastructure construction and maintenance services in schools. Clean facilities and safe surroundings for students.

  • Corporate Partnerships: Partnering with corporations under their CSR initiatives to add to access to sanitation services in unserved areas.


Impact and Achievements


Banka BioLoo has installed thousands of bio-toilets in different parts across India and has revamped the sanitation scenario of areas where there is no conventional sewage system. Their technology offers a clean solution, not just for hygiene but also for environmental sustainability by reducing waste. The innovative approach has been recognized and supported by different sectors, including government and corporate entities.


6. Eram Scientific Solutions


Founder: Siddeek Ahmed

Founded: 2008

Location: Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India


Key Projects


Eram Scientific Solutions is known for their “eToilet” innovation. 


Key projects include-


  • Installation of eToilets: Installation of automated self-cleaning public toilets in cities; these units are fitted with remote monitoring systems that help in maintenance and management.

  • Hygiene Education: Eram advances hygiene education and awareness among users by the means of its digital interfaces and mobile applications.

  • Collaboration with Municipalities: Work in close collaboration with local governments to integrate eToilets into governing bodies for urban sanitation on every level, from accessibility to maintenance.


Impact and Achievements


Eram's eToilets revolutionized public sanitation. The technology has cleaned, made it efficient, and provided easy access to areas with public facilities. It comes remarkably handy for high-density urban spaces, thereby improving urban sanitation and setting a new standard in public health infrastructure. The model has been replicated in many cities, which is a sheer example of the massive scale of tech-driven solutions possible in sanitation.


7. FINISH Society


Founder: Valentin Post and Vijay Athreye

Founded: 2009

Location: Lucknow, UP, India


Key Projects


FINISH Society works on integrated solutions for sanitation by integrating finance with hygiene. Some of its main programs include-


  • Sanitation Loans: Partnering with microfinance agencies and making available loans for the construction of toilets and other sanitary establishments.

  • Hygiene Promotion: Behavourial change communication campaigns for the community in terms of hygiene practices, with specific emphasis on hand washing and safe water.

  • Waste Management Solutions: Development of a system of human waste safe disposal and treatment, ensuring escape from open defecation practices and adapting environmental fractions safe.


Impact and Achievements


FINISH Society has helped to build thousands of toilets through their innovative financing models. They have successfully bundled together solutions with financial inclusion, thereby empowering investment into infrastructure by the community. In doing so, they have significantly improved the facilities and habits in rural and urban sanitation and hygiene.


8. Sustainable Sanitation Alliance (SuSanA)


Founded: 2007

Location: Global (Network of Organizations)


Key Projects


SuSanA is working to advocate and promote sustainable sanitation. The key projects are -

  • Knowledge Sharing Platform: Making available a self created platform for sharing information, research, and best practices in sanitation.

  • Global Advocacy: Engaging in such advocacy at various international forums in a way that helps bring about the implementation of sustainable sanitation policies and practices.

  • Partnership Building: Facilitating partnerships between governments, NGOs, and private sector companies in providing the means for implementing sustainable sanitation solutions.


Impact and Achievements


SuSanA has been such a force for advocacy globally for sanitation and procedure change. Having organized this network, it is easier to work in conjunction with the various sectors that were, before, hard to access. It is through this that some inventive solutions have been able to be achieved, and the best practices have been disseminated the most effectively. Campaigns by SuSanA have ensured that discussions on sustainable sanitation continue to be a pressing issue on the agenda at the global level.


9. The Toilet Board Coalition


Founded: 2014

Location: Geneva, Switzerland


Key Projects


The Toilet Board Coalition works in market-based sanitation solutions.


Key projects are-


  • Sanitation Economy Accelerator: Mentoring, funding, and market connection for start-ups and SMEs in the sanitation sector.

  • Circular Sanitation Economy: Promote phase business models that change excreta into valuable products, such as fertilizers and energy.

  • Corporate Engagement: Utilize the strengths and mainstreaming potentials of large corporations for integrating sanitation in their CSR activities and business models.


Impact and Achievements


The Toilet Board Coalition, on the other hand, has done well to mobilize the market for sanitation products and services. They have helped entrepreneurs breathe life into innovation and have since developed scalable solutions to respond to the myriad challenges in sanitation. Focus in the circular economy also means environmental sustainability, converting waste into resources.


10. Svadha


Founder: Kumar Anurag Pratap

Founded: 2013

Location: Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India


Key Projects

Svadha is a social enterprise catering to the lack of adequate access to sanitation products in rural India.

Key projects include-


  • Sanitation Product Distribution: Svadha creates a streamlined supply chain to deliver affordable, high-quality sanitation products, such as toilets, handwashing stations, and water purification systems, to rural communities.

  • Entrepreneur Development: The organization trains local entrepreneurs to run sanitation-related businesses, providing them with the necessary tools and support to succeed.

  • Behavior Change Campaigns: Svadha runs education campaigns to increase the knowledge regarding sanitation practices, properly used toilets, handwashing, and menstrual hygiene management.


Impact and Achievements


Svadha's innovative business model has been responsible for mainstreaming access to sanitation products within rural Odisha and several other parts of the country. Besides that, through its attempts of making the local entrepreneurs self-dependent, the organization has been able to create a lot of economic opportunities for them, and at the same time, they are able to meet their critical sanitation needs. Their efforts have brought a significant reduction in open defecation and better hygienic conditions in the areas they serve.


11. Fresh Life (Sanergy)


Founders: David Auerbach, Ani Vallabhaneni, Lindsay Stradley

Founded: 2010

Location: Nairobi, Kenya


Key Projects


Sanergy's Fresh Life project provides sustainable sanitation in urban slums. Its key initiatives are as follows-


  • Fresh Life Toilets: The sanitation systems installed by Fresh Life are container-based, in addition to being inexpensive and hygienic; they franchise local entrepreneurs to operate these.

  • Waste Collection and Conversion: This collected waste is then converted into high-value products—for example, organic fertilizer and animal feed—contributing to the circular economy.

  • Community Engagement: Fresh Life engages with local communities in an effort to popularize safe sanitation practices and creates awareness about the importance of proper waste management.


Impact and Achievements


Fresh Life has installed hundreds of sanitation facilities, offering safe and dignified sanitation solutions to thousands of residents within Nairobi's informal settlements. Their work yields not only sanitation gains but also a potentially viable business model that works for local entrepreneurs and the environment. The project gained international recognition for its sustainable and scalable impact.



Founders: Gary White, Matt DamonFounded: 2009Location: Global (Headquartered in Kansas City, USA)


Key Projects


Water.org has a vision through financing improved means of access to water and sanitation.


The following are the key initiatives-


  • WaterCredit: This is simply a remarkable initiative; it extends small loans to individuals or communities to build water and sanitation structures. The loans are repaid over time, allowing beneficiaries to manage their resources sustainably.

  • Partnerships: water.org collaborates with local financial institutions as well as NGOs, hence achieving the increased access to less costly finance of water and sanitation projects.

  • Community Education: They also invest in community education to sensitize them on having clean water and sanitization, by changing their behaviors for better sustainability.


Impact and Achievements


Water.org empowers people around the world to have access to safe water and sanitation facilities by using the program WaterCredit. They have empowered the people with microfinance for improving basic living conditions that result in good health and economic well-being and thereby improving the quality of life. This has made the model effective and scalable in different countries including India.


Conclusion


The story of these organizations presents very wide-ranging approaches and innovations toward solving the challenges of sanitation and hygiene, aligned to UNSDG 6. From tech-driven solutions like Eram Scientific's eToilets to solutions that are community-based, like the empowerment of women through sanitation at Gramalaya, the organizations ensure safe and equal access to sanitation. This is much more than just an exercise in building infrastructure; it includes behavior change, hygiene promotion, and community empowerment.


In the sanitation sector, there are a myriad of opportunities in which innovation can lead to significant impact by the startups and entrepreneurs, may it either be new technology development, creation of sustainable business models, or social advocacy—all have a key contribution to make towards furthering global sanitation goals. Through the interaction of new ideas and existing organizations, startups are capable of narrowing the existing gap between current situations and ambitious targets placed with the UNSDGs. This concerted effort of governments, NGOs, the private sector, and civil society will bring universal access to clean water and sanitation— catalytic effects—towards improved health, dignity, and economic growth for all.


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