Bayissa, a resilient entrepreneur in his early thirties, embodies the extraordinary potential that arises when resilience meets opportunity. As a determined entrepreneur, Bayissa stands as an example of what’s possible among the masons who have received training and entered the sanitation market through the opportunities made available by the USAID Transform WASH activity. His dedication is actively transforming not only his own life but those of his family and community, as well.

Bayissa grew up in the town of Muger in Ethiopia’s Oromia region and has faced numerous hardships since childhood. The weight of poverty forced him to make a tough decision at a young age; he left school to provide for his family. Soon after, he found himself shouldering even greater responsibilities when his wife became pregnant. Bayissa faced the daunting task of supporting his wife and newborn son as a day laborer with a daily income of just 80 ETB ($1.46).

A turning point arrived two years ago when a Transform WASH-trained health extension worker (HEW) named Mestu Dida met with Bayissa and his family. Mestu paid them a visit to teach them about improved sanitation and introduce them to an affordable sanitation product called SATO pan. Although Bayissa couldn’t afford the product, he expressed to Mestu his interest in upgrading his toilet and pursuing masonry work. Recognizing his determination, she recommended that Bayissa be trained as a mason installer under the Transform WASH (T/WASH) activity. This training aimed to provide local masons with technical skills in sanitation products installation, slab manufacturing, and sustainable business development models.

Through such training, T/WASH has been transforming lives and making significant strides in improving WASH outcomes over the past six years, using market-based sanitation (MBS) approaches. MBS is a proven model that empowers communities to effect positive change for improved sanitation by leveraging local resources and business. This is made possible by training business partners, such as mason installers, to conduct effective door-to-door sales activities within their communities, which promote installation of sanitation products.

Read the full article about market-based sanitation by Mekdim Hailu at PSI.