Empowering Access to Improved Sanitation: Project Evaluation Report for Movimiento Manuela Ramos

This case study summarizes the findings from an assessment of a program undertaken by Freedom from Hunger and Movimiento Manuela Ramos, a Peruvian microfinance service provider, to pilot a water and sanitation program. The program sought to integrate a group-based education program with financial services, provide clients access to loan products to facilitate household’s access to sanitation products, and market and link clients to a full lavatory product. The case study focuses on the changes in client knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors as a result of this program. Some of the key findings include:

• Clients experienced improvements in knowledge as to how they could ensure the safety of their drinking water;
• Post the assessment of the program, more clients felt obligated at the post-test to consume treated water;
• Around 60% of the households in the assessed sample used wooden-box latrines prior to program. Later, only four people among the 60 made an improvement in their household facility and only two purchased the sanitation products provided by Manuela Ramos;
• Changes in knowledge because of the program resulted in behavior changes in hand-washing.