Micro-finance Loan Cap Increase for Water Filters

To address the issue of water-borne diseases, we suggest taking advantage of the surging popularity of 'microfinance' in slum communities. The idea is for these companies to provide an option whereby families can increase their maximum loan by a small amount to purchase a water filter unit for their household.

To take advantage of the rising popularity of 'Micro-finance' in slum communities (very small loans to stimulate new businesses), we suggest forming a partnership between a micro-finance company and a water filter manufacturer. Within this partnership, high quality water filters would be offered at cost-price to micro-finance customers (generally slum women) in addition to the maximum loan amount they have requested for their business. This would allow the families access to clean drinking water for just a few extra dollars each month.

Water-borne diseases are a leading cause of health problems and even death in overpopulated urban communities. There are many factors that contribute to these problems but namely pollution and lack of sanitation are most responsible for issues within the community leading to the spread of diseases like Cholera, Jaundice and Typhoid. 

This idea has the ability to simultaneously spread awareness of these water-based sicknesses as well as begin the initial stages of a solution that is driven from within the community. The major advantages include its simplicity and its effective profitability to the companies involved. 

The key issue here is the lack of clean drinking water in slum households. In poorer communities, water flows through pipes that are old, cracked and in need of replacement as they run parallel to sewerage and polluted waterways. Along the path, the water is infected with problematic diseases such as cholera, typhoid and jaundice before being distributed to slum communities who drink, cook and clean with it. According to the WHO, approximately 3% of ALL DEATHS are related to water-borne disease, most of which can be attributed to slum communities.

As a small group of Griffith University Students, we took a trip to Mumbai India to visit both Microfinance Organisations and some of the main slum communities. Our surveying of the idea with both the mothers from slum households, as well as health experts from SNEHA had very positive responses. The theory behind its applicability to the community is the lack of need for large capital on startup, its relatively small cost to consumer, and its profitability for the water filter manufacturer and Microfinance companies. 

We believe this solution would give every micro-finance loan taker a high quality water filtration unit within their household, allowing the family to consistently drink from a sanitised water source. Its growing popularity would also spread awareness of water sanitation around the community, a key figure as communication with slums full of illiterate, multilingual communities has often been a large challenge for health groups.

Track sales through micro-finance company - 10,000 loan takers purchase water filter with loan.

'Payment collectors' used in microfinance also survey filter households. - 90% of filter users report better health in family.

Track payment success rate from microfinance company - 98% of filters paid back.

Because it can be an additional feature and create aid from the ever growing micro-finance industry. This idea is bringing together two well established ideas (Microfinance + water filters) to create a large impact.

The technology in our idea has the sole purpose of filtering water to create better heath for each and every household that adopts it.

By pitching the idea to large microfinance companies, who can trial the idea and potentially create a partnership with water filtration companies.

We are a group of multidisciplinary students who undertook a short exchange overseas and came up with the idea. Unfortunately we did not have the time to research and develop the idea in our time.

We are a group of multidisciplinary students studying full time.

We believe our idea is worth further investigation and a trial period to gauge success. We had a lot of positive reception to our idea, however, we ran out of time on our trip to India and we do not have the financial capability or the  relevant contacts as students to pursue this idea.

Griffith University

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