Ghana’s sanitation entrepreneurs faced significant barriers to growth due to limited business and financial literacy, which hindered their ability to scale sustainable WASH services.
MSC supported the rollout of the “AhoteƐ” WASH loan product. It designed and implemented a training of trainers (ToT) program for WASH SME trainers. The assignment sought to equip trainers with the tools, knowledge, and mindset to deliver practical business management and financial literacy training to sanitation entrepreneurs countrywide. MSC developed a WASH SME training manual, an operator learning diary, and ready-to-use business tools. The ToT sessions were conducted in Accra and Kumasi and were followed by pilot training sessions delivered to actual SME clients.
This engagement enhanced the capacity of 45 branch trainers and equipped Sinapi Aba Trust with large-scale training resources, which are expected to benefit more than 1,000 sanitation entrepreneurs.
Sinapi Aba Savings and Loans commissioned this project.
For years, low-income women in Kenya have struggled to access financial services for improved water and sanitation. Therefore, the Kenya Women Microfinance Bank (KWFT) needed to refine its WASH offerings to serve this segment better.
MSC aligned WASH finance offerings with the needs of low-income women and underserved communities. Our team conducted customer segmentation through focus group discussions and in-depth interviews across four regions—Central Nyanza, Western, Lower Eastern, and Mt. Kenya North. We also mapped the WASH ecosystem and assessed potential partnerships with suppliers, utility providers, and vendors. Based on these insights, we proposed refinements to existing products and developed new product concepts tailored to sanitation and water access. A pilot testing plan and marketing strategy were developed to guide implementation and strengthen market positioning.
This engagement enhanced the institution’s ability to deliver relevant and impactful financial solutions to vulnerable populations in the water and sanitation space.
The KWFT commissioned this project.
Rural households in Tajikistan lacked access to safe drinking water due to limited infrastructure and the absence of financing options tailored to household needs. Microfinance institutions (MFIs) were also unprepared to offer water-specific loan products.
MSC designed microcredit solutions to improve households’ access to safe drinking water in rural and peri-urban areas. We helped MFIs develop water-specific credit products that respond to households’ needs and create willingness among households to invest in household water connections. We conducted a comprehensive financial landscape assessment to identify potential MFI partners and evaluate their readiness for product rollout. A demand-side assessment in five target districts complemented the landscape assessment to capture rural households’ preferences and financial behavior regarding water services.
We then codeveloped three customized microloan products and prepared a detailed capacity development and deployment plan for the selected MFI. We also conducted a stakeholder workshop to validate the findings and cocreate financing strategies. The workshop involved governments, donors, MFIs, and local communities.
The initiative laid the groundwork for the rollout of water microcredit products to improve or expand 12 rural drinking water systems. The products benefited 35,000+ people, schools, and health facilities.
The USAID commissioned this project.
Rwanda’s WASH financing ecosystem had critical gaps, which included the limited participation of financial institutions and low capacity of WASH entrepreneurs. The “Expanding access to commercial financing for the WASH sector,” implemented under the USAID-funded “Isoko y’Ubuzima” program, addresses these critical gaps. The initiative supports the Government of Rwanda’s ambition to achieve universal WASH coverage by 2024 and meet SDG 6 by 2030.
The project addresses critical gaps in the WASH financing ecosystem, particularly the limited participation of financial institutions and low capacity of WASH entrepreneurs.
MSC conducted a nationwide WASH financial landscape study to identify gaps, opportunities, and financial needs across the sector. We also cocreated two digitized loan products to meet the specific needs of households and WASH businesses and piloted these products with a partner financial institution. To ensure long-term adoption, MSC built the capacity of 30 staff from financial institutions and 40 from WASH businesses in financial modeling, marketing, and business planning. We facilitated stakeholder engagement for regulatory alignment and future scale-up of WASH lending. Our engagement included the Development Bank of Rwanda, WASAC, and MINIFRA, Central Bank of Rwanda.
This initiative unlocked commercial capital for WASH, created a blueprint for sustainable financing models, and catalyzed scalable solutions for water, sanitation, and hygiene access in Rwanda.
Water For People and UNICEF commissioned the project.
Sanitation uptake in Iringa, Tanzania, remained low due to weak household demand, limited financing options, and underdeveloped institutional frameworks.
In this context, MSC conducted a qualitative market assessment to understand sanitation needs, behavioral barriers, and households’ willingness to pay for WASH services. We reviewed existing financial products, identified gaps in service delivery and operational models, and proposed tailored sanitation loan products. We also developed a pilot testing plan and a detailed implementation budget to support the deployment of sanitation financing solutions.
This engagement supported a locally driven approach to building a sustainable sanitation market ecosystem in Iringa.
Fondazione ACRA-CCS, in collaboration with Iringa Youth Development and Community (IDYDC), commissioned this project.
Opportunity International Australia (OIA) commissioned MSC to conduct a due diligence on Mitrata Inclusive Financial Services Private Limited, an NBFC-MFI headquartered in Gurugram, India. Through this engagement, we identified operational, internal control, and governance-level deficiencies in Mitrata that could potentially impact the future cash flow of the entity.
We conducted a detailed review of the existing processes, policies, and financial statements, followed by visits to 10 Mitrata branches across five states. We also connected with Mitrata’s leadership team to understand their organizational strategy. MSC submitted the due diligence report to the client based on the qualitative and quantitative insights from the field and the back office.
Based on the findings in the report, OIA was able to plan its investment strategy in the organization. Further, OIA shared the report with Mitrata to work on the highlighted deficiencies and recommendations.
