Microfinance business model to ensure safe drinking water

Unilever, UNDP partnership to yield health benefits

March 25, 2018 00:00:00

A training session in progress under a microfinance scheme which allowed each recipient to buy a Pureit Classic water purifier, at zero per cent interest and Tk 250 per month for a year. Four villages of Savar and Dhamrai came under the project

FE Desk

Unilever and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have made a partnership to provide pure water to commoners.

Embarking on the partnership launched in February this year, the multinational consumer goods company and the UN body want to channelize the efforts of all relevant stakeholders working towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDG-6), said a statement.

As part of the initiative, Unilever will fund an Innovation Challenge through UNDP's Innovation Hub and run an Innovation Contest in order to invite ideas on the business model for providing safe water to the people, said a statement.

Unilever will also create employment opportunities for UNDP's beneficiaries, which involve empowering women. These women will be trained as "water heroes" of their local communities and earn their living as Pureit Water Agents.

In a different move, Unilever in partnership with Society for Development Initiatives (SDI) came up with a microfinance business model to ensure safe drinking water for people living in the rural areas.

The microfinance scheme will entitle each recipient to buy a Pureit Classic water purifier, at zero per cent interest & Tk 250 per month for a year. To ensure high satisfaction and support for its consumers, Pureit is providing after sales service dedicatedly for its rural operations.

As the project is in action in four villages of Savar and Dhamrai, its impact has already become visible.

Nearly 7000 families were made aware of safe drinking water since the beginning of the partnership pilot in October 2017.

"Unilever, a global advocate for sustainability, considers it as the root of business (not just as part of corporate social responsibility). The company is hopeful of reaching a milestone on the road to sustainable development goals, quite a few of which is relevant to safe drinking water. We are committed to eradicate water-borne diseases for the people of Bangladesh," said Kedar Lele, chief executive officer of Unilever Bangladesh.