Dear all,

Today, I am introducing another grant which stems from a partnership that USAID has with the Gates Foundation. It was funded via the Development Innovation Ventures (DIV) competition, which I have explained further here: forum.susana.org/forum/categories/95-cal...from-the-wash-sector

The information shown here was provided to me by MC Dinh, WASH Portfolio Manager and I also took some from the project's website.

Title of grant: Household Handwashing Device - Commercial Scale-Up in Vietnam

• Name of lead organization: WaterSHED-Cambodia
• Primary contact at lead organization: Mr. Mesa Lang (Cambodia) WaterSHED This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and Mr. Nguyen Van Quy (Vietnam) WaterSHED This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• Grantee location: Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam
• Developing country where the research is being tested: Vietnam
• Start and end date: 1 September 2013 – 31 August 2016
• Grant type: Collaboration between BMGF and USAID Development Innovations Ventures (DIV)
• Grant size: USD 650,915

Short description of the project:

In Vietnam alone, the health impact of poor sanitation costs an estimated $262 million each year. Handwashing is one of the most cost-effective tools for alleviating this tremendous disease burden, borne especially by children under five. WaterSHED's HappyTap device brings together soap and water in an affordable, purpose-built, and attractive handwashing station that makes hygienic behavior convenient and easy, helping to overcome key barriers to consistent handwashing.

The concept of the HappyTap device, originally conceived through the World Bank Water & Sanitation Programme’s Global Handwashing Initiative, is to bring together soap and water in an affordable, purpose-built, and attractive handwashing station that makes hygienic behavior convenient and easy. Developed through a rigorous design and iterative testing phase through 2010, the HappyTap product reflects the right mix of aesthetic appeal, functionality, durability and affordability.

See here a video about the HappyTap device:



Goal:

After successfully piloting the HappyTap at Stage 1 (time period: April 2012 to April 2013, with USD 100,000 from DIV plus other sources of funding), WaterSHED re-competed and won DIV Stage 2 funding to improve, disseminate, and rigorously evaluate the HappyTap in Vietnam.

Objectives: Not provided

Research or implementation partners: Vietnam Ministry of Health and the Women’s Union, Unilever, the local private sector in the Mekong Delta Region of Vietnam

Links, further readings – results to date:

• Project description on website of WaterSHED: www.watershedasia.org/happytap-div2-annoucement/
• Short project description on USAID's DIV portfolio page: www.usaid.gov/div/watershed

Current state of affairs: Not available

Biggest successes so far: Not available

Main challenges / frustration: Not available

My next step will be to contact the researchers and ask them for more up to date information. If you have questions for them about this grant, please put them into this thread.

Regards,
Elisabeth