InM organised an Orientation Meeting of the Water Credit Adaptation (WCAD)-Scale Up Programme at the Lakeshore Hotel in Dhaka on 9 April 2023. With support from Water.org, InM has initiated this one year Scale Up Phase under which eight WCAD partner MFIs will provide water and sanitation credit to the bottom-of-the-pyramid (BOP) poor borrowers of these MFIs. The main objective of the meeting was to initiate the programme, share past experiences and discuss the detailed work plan amongst the MFI partners, InM and Water.org.
Under the WCAD model, MFI partners receive technical assistance from InM/Water.org to implement WaterCredit. The target group is the people earning less than BDT 600 ($6) per capita per day. Depending on MFIs, the average loan ticket size is BDT 25,000 to BDT 30,000. WaterCredit is similar to other loan products in the MFI portfolio.
Service charge of WaterCredit is based on existing policy of the MFIs. Depending on MFIs’ internal policies, the duration of the product is generally one year. Over time, WaterCredit has emerged as a proven microfinance solution to impact in the WASH sector through water and sanitation loans.
The meeting was attended by representatives from BASA Foundation, Development Initiatives for Social Advancement (DISA), Integrated Development Foundation (IDF), Padakhep Manabik Unnayan Kendra (PMUK), Shakti Foundation for Disadvantaged Women (SFDW), Society Development Committee (SDC), Gram Unnayan Karma (GUK) and SDS (Shariatpur Development Society). Among others, the meeting was addressed by Dr. Farhana Nargis and Ms. Nahid Akhter of InM and Mr. Abu Aslam of Water.org.
