Using consumer financing to accelerate uptake of latrines in rural Cambodia

Financing is emerging as a linchpin for accelerating uptake of sanitary latrines at scale amongst the rural poor of Cambodia. This paper presents the results of a randomized controlled trial that demonstrated that willingness to purchase a latrine at market price increases four-fold when financing is offered. Two subsequent pilots with two microfinance institutions validated the consumer interest in financing, but demonstrated the operational and financial challenges of executing such a program at scale. The objective of this presentation is to share these learnings and stimulate creative discussion on how to overcome these challenges.