A social business model for the provision of household ecological sanitation services in urban Haiti

Traditional sanitation alternatives like pit latrines or sewerage systems are often unsafe, economically infeasible or inappropriate for low-income populations living in urban areas characterized by lack of infrastructure, high population density, a high groundwater table, and a subsequent lack of waste treatment. Since 2012, SOIL has launched a household ecological sanitation service, called EkoLakay, in several urban areas in Haiti. This program is showing promising results in providing a sustainable, attractive, and affordable sanitation solution for urban households. Customers pay a monthly fee of $4-$5 that covers the installation of the toilet and the weekly waste collection. Waste containers are brought to a SOIL composting waste treatment facility where the wastes are safely treated and transformed into a nutrient-rich compost. As of March 2016, Ekolakay serves 721 households, or 4000 users, in Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haïtien, and demand for the service continues to grow.