IDE Cambodia, Sanergy and Jack Sim nominated for first Sarphati Sanitation Award

Turning shit into gold. Three organisations, IDE Cambodia, Jack Sim and Sanergy, have been nominated for the Sarphati Sanitation Award. The winner will be announced during the International Water Week Amsterdam on 5 November.

It is for the first time the international award will handed out, honoring an outstanding contribution of an individual or organisation to the global sanitation and public health challenge through entrepreneurship.

The winner receives a cash prize of 50.000 euro.

Remarkable business case
The three nominees were selected from 24 excellent candidates, having a remarkable sustainable business case in common. According to the jury the three nominees have shown that it is very well possible to address sanitation and public health issues in developing countries while making profit.

Nominee IDE Cambodia developed a 25-dollar latrine produced and installed by local entrepreneurs.

Nominee Sanergy developed a simple pitch now in use by 130 entrepreneurs in Nairobi, Kenya.

Mr. Jack Sim broke the taboo of sanitation, taking the global stage with a mix of humour and serious facts.

Development of a local market
IDE Cambodia works to stimulate and strengthen local private sector sanitation markets in rural areas.

Improved product options, innovative and effective sales and promotion, finance strategies and selling affordable latrines at a sustainable profit.

Since 2008, in Cambodia alone, IDE has facilitated the sale of over 70,000 latrines benefitting an estimated 350,000 people.

 

Simple plan for a simple pitch
Sanergy has developed a simple business plan for sanitation and an appealing pitch.

In the past two years, Sanergy has built 242 sanitation facilities run by 130 local entrepreneurs from Nairobi's slums.

These entrepreneurs earn a income of 2,000 dollar per year for their families while providing hygienic sanitation to more than 10,000 residents.

 

Mr. Toilet
Jack Sim is the founder of the Restroom Association of Singapore and the World Toilet Organization.

After attaining financial independence at age of 40 as a businessman, he decided to devote the rest of his life to social work.

Jack broke the global taboo of toilet and sanitation by bringing it to the global media centre-stage with his unique mix of humour and serious facts since 2001.

He lobbied successfully for a UN status of the World Toilet Day on 19 November.

 

The first Sarphati Sanitation Award
The Sarphati Sanitation Award aims to boost attention, capacity, innovation and investment to the field of sanitation and public health in order to achieve the MDG targets for 2015

The award is inspired by Dr Samuel Sarphati (1813-1866), general practitioner and town planner in Amsterdam in the mid-19th century. He was appalled by the bad sanitary conditions in the poorer quarters of the city and established a company that collected the human waste of the city dwellers. Faeces and urine were transformed into manure for the agricultural sector.

As a true entrepreneur, Dr Sarphati applied the fertilizer to crops on his estate and brought fruit and vegetables back to Amsterdam for the benefit of his patients. He understood that improving sanitation was key to improving the public health situation. His efforts helped to eradicate cholera from Amsterdam before the end of the 19th century.

The Sarphati Sanitation Award is an initiative of the Municipality of Amsterdam, World Waternet, Aqua for All and the Netherlands Water Partnership, and is endorsed by the Dutch Government.

This news item was originally published on the websites of Aqua for All (in Dutch only) and World Waternet.

Sanitation for All, the Drive to 2015: Making Sustainable Business out of Sanitation!
On occasion of the hand out, a special workshop will be held during the International Water Week Amsterdam.

At the workshop the role of entrepreneurship will be discussed, as a way to scale up sustainable sanitation services in developing countries . Five sanitation business cases from various parts of the world will be pitched

Panel debate with the presenters of the business cases for discussing pro’s and con’s of each case involving the audience.

See the full programme of the International Water Week Amsterdam.

More information
Sarphati Sanitation Award (on Facebook)