as a provider of mobile, portable restroom sanitation solutions in the US, I commend and congratulate you on your efforts to find sustainable sanitation solutions for those with limited access...we always promote a charitable operation when it comes to providing solutions for NPO's and charitable orgs....

I congratulate you on your success and encourage you in your efforts to provide water and sanitation solutions to those with limited access.

I noticed that 80% of your revenues came from foundations in previous years, and am curious if you intend to decrease this amount with increased business support in the future. If so, how do you intend to transition?

Thank you,
Sarah McRae

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Current Master of International Management Student, Portland State University

I am S.Damodaran, Country Director of WaterPartners International, India. Being the manager of the India projects, WaterPartners International initiated water and sanitation projects without subsidy to the individual families but promoted revolving loan fund and loan assistance from commercial banks with the help of its partner NGOs in India. If we wait for subsidy for our toilets and water connections, we will never achieve self-sufficiency in meeting the demands for water and sanitation in the rural and urban slums. WaterCredit is an innovative approach, field tested successfully in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh our our partner organisations wherein loans are provided to the self-help groups and joint liability groups. The result is excellent where the loans are repaid more than 97% and the people are creating water and sanitation facilities without waiting for subsidy but with their own loan fund. With this approach, we can achieve our goals and dreams in providing access to water and sanitation facilities to the millions of people in the world. I congratulate our team for making this effort more successful.

S.Damodaran
Country Director - India
WaterPartners International India Liaison Office, Tiruchirappalli!

This is an alternative way of funding WASH activities around the world that is gaining momentum . There is a unique attachment to the projects by the beneficiaries. They make sure that the systems are running and take care of any small problem that crops up. This enables schemes to supply the constituents with water all year round with minimal interruptions. the supplies have become more reliable and cheaper in the long run. It is becoming clear that there is better ownership which leads to the sustainability of the projects installed.

In Kenya, the Pilot done from the year 2006 to date has assisted in reviving stalled community water supplies that were erratically serving the communities and could hardly breaking even in their operations. Today they have a different story to tell the world. They are religiously paying back their loan so as to help the next community get their supplies and have enough for O& M purposes.

I would like to congratulate WaterPartners for such a great innovation. Our people are benefiting in a great way.

Adriaan Mol - BushProof
www.bushproof.com

Congratulations with your success! As one of very few market-based iniatives, I've been following you with interest for some time, as I truly believe that the solution to the water crisis does not lie in technology or charitable projects, but innovative business-models.

Our own approach is to lease wells with hand pumps to communities - which in a way is also a from of credit since we invest upfront and get paid back over time by the users. However, as we remain owner of the equipment, we are responsible to maintain it in excellent working condition. This contrasts with the very high failure rates of systems that rely on community-managed maintenance. How does your approach solve technical sustainability?