Historically, MFIs and WASH experts have lived in separate worlds.  Although MFIs typically understand the importance and value of water and sanitation to their clients’ lives and livelihoods, they often perceive various risks to investment in water and sanitation solutions.  Although no investment sector is risk-free, most of the concerns about WASH investment result from lack of information about the WASH sector.  Similarly, few WASH organizations know about – much less tap into – the microfinance community as a means to secure water and sanitation access in innovative, sustainable ways.

WaterCredit exists to correct this information gap and create a new market for MFIs and WASH stakeholders.  MFIs stand to develop a new and complementary range of loan and savings products focused on the water and sanitation needs of their clients.  This can help bolster their clients’ quality of life in ways that directly affect their productive capacity, family well-being, income-producing potential and therefore credit-worthiness.  In addition, WaterCredit can serve to increase an MFI’s book value and overall visibility as a progressive, socially-minded organization, thereby attracting additional clientele.