Looking back on 2020, we have some impressive results to share despite the COVID-19 disruptions. In 2020, FINISH Mondial communities have constructed a total of 51,000 additional safely managed toilets. This is equivalent to 408,000 working days in construction alone. Around 255,000 people have benefitted with access to safe sanitation. To achieve these results, households have invested a total of €9.2 million in sanitation improvements and a total of €11 million sanitation loans have been disbursed from our financial partners. 

Additionally, we have also organised several events involving active engagement from all key stakeholders as identified in our approach—the Diamond Model. In March, we planned host the inaugural FINISH Mondial Global Meeting to gather team members from all FINISH countries for the first time ever, to discuss the exciting next phase of scaling up. Due to the rapidly evolving COVID-19 situation, we were forced to cancel all travels, including the conference, and take the event online. You can read more about the event and the ideas that came up here.  

From April to September, we hosted our first Technical Sanitation Challenge with the objective of bringing entrepreneurs together to explore innovative ideas, methods or processes that would reduce costs and improve the quality of three existing sanitation systems that are widely used across the FINISH Mondial countries.  You can read more about the innovations and the winners of the contest here.  

Towards the end of this difficult and uncertain year, FINISH Mondial received some exciting news! Firstly, we were awarded the 2020 Partnership of the Year Award as well as the Sector Winner for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 6 (clean water and sanitation) award. Simultaneously, the Directorate-General for International Cooperation (DGIS) run by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands reaffirmed their support for FINISH, by approving the next phase of grant funding, worth €20 million for the period of 2021-2025. With this funding, FINISH Mondial is on track to become a €440 million circular sanitation programme, making grant contributions exponentially more valuable, whereby grant funding is leveraged locally for improved sanitation at a ratio of 1:10.  

What does this mean in terms of impact? By 2025, at least 10 million people across 6 countries will have gained access to safe sanitation with 2 million safely managed toilets constructed, generating 16 million workdays for locally trained masons in construction alone. However, we will not stop there—we are addressing the entire circular sanitation value chain. This means creating sustainable local markets and containing and recycling at least 175,000 tonnes of human waste for a holistic approach to healthier communities. We look forward to working towards this goal in the coming years!