Integrating Savings and Income-Generating Activities into Community Health Clubs for Improved Sanitation

September 2020

In rural Zimbabwe, the Amalima project implemented a project promoting Community Health Clubs (CHC) in collaboration with the Zimbabwe Ministry of Health to facilitate sanitation and hygiene behavior change. The cost of latrines was identified as a barrier to improving sanitation.

Therefore, CHCs were encouraged to diversify into income-generating and village savings and lending activities, although not all decided to pursue this activity. A qualitative study was undertaken to better understand barriers and motivators to latrine construction and how and if the integration of these activities with CHCs improved uptake of latrine construction.

This learning brief shares key study findings along with additional key lessons from implementation, including on engaging with ministry counterparts from the onset of the project design to encourage sustainability, developing a male-engagement strategy, and dedicating time and resources to sufficient capacity building, supervision, and monitoring from the earliest stages of program start-up.

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