Bangladeshi entrepreneurs create market for latrines

iDE’s most ambitious sanitation program to date aims to provide toilets for more than 1 million households

“At first, I thought iDE might purchase products from me like other NGOs,” says Mubeen, “But after participating in the training, I understood. They were here to show me how to grow my business.”

Sylhet’s Resilient Market Ecosystem

Bangladeshi Region Characterized by Sufi Shrines and a Changing Climate

This Sylhet market ecosystem map shows the location of more than 2,360 iDE-powered touchpoints – local business advisors, livestock service providers, agricultural collection points, sales agents, entrepreneurs and latrine producers – all engaging with market actors, communities, and individuals – spread across Sylhet.

Nutrition Boosted By Income Generation in Bangladesh

Most households receiving training on poultry farming

Farhana Yeasmin, 24, remembers what it was like when her husband was the family’s sole earner. Because he was a day laborer and made little money, they struggled to even pay for basics. And if he couldn’t find work, the family sometimes skipped meals.

Resource-smart technology

Bridging the design gap between the developed and developing worlds

Understanding that small-scale farming families have severe resource limitations, iDE works to help minimize the pressure on labor, income, water, and energy by identifying and re-designing technologies existing at the intersection of these four resources, which can have a life-changing impact on struggling farmers.

We’re making big waves

Celebrating a milestone: 200,000 toilets sold in just 18 months

Microentrepreneurs have sold 200,000 toilets in just 18 months. This is a major milestone—for iDE’s WASH team and for our partners, who dedicated two years to lay the foundation for this market system, and then a year and a half to catalyze sales.

We can work it out

ENTREPRENEUR PROFILE: Rethinking subsidy options in Bangladesh

Intelligent use of subsidies can make a real difference for the lives of the very poor without distorting the market. But it takes an understanding of the context to get it right.

From treadle to solar

STAFF PROFILE: Badrul Alam is leading the next wave of innovation in agricultural technology

“The solar pump is very interesting to me. So far, all of the pumps I have seen and known have been powered by man, animal, wind, diesel, or electricity, and they rely on many fast-moving parts. This pump is different because it has no moving parts, and the source of energy is the sun.”

We’d like to thank...

iDE’s excellence in combating poverty through building markets is recognized by the global community

In recent years, iDE’s work has been recognized by the global community for its excellence and commitment to innovation in building markets for poor, rural households.

A system solution for sanitation

Building a winning team of donors in Bangladesh

By using a portfolio approach, iDE demonstrates and delivers effective solutions that meet the goals of multiple partners and stakeholders, such as improved sanitary latrine coverage in populous Bangladesh.

Drip+ Alliance

Affordable drip irrigation plus a comprehensive set of tools

What if one million farmers could grow more food with less water?

iDE Ex Bangladesh Key Agriculture Project

Seeding the market with the right agricultural technologies

Increasing crop yields through dynamic private sector partnerships.

Axial flow pumps, power-tiller operated seeders, and mechanical reapers have the potential to transform farming practices by increasing precision and conserving resources. iDE works with local entrepreneurs who can ensure farmers have access to these machines.

Building a business case for improved toilets

Private sector engagement in Bangladesh

In rural Bangladesh, about 40 million people live without access to adequate toilets. But RFL Plastics Ltd., a regional plastics manufacturer, hadn’t identified these households as a potential customer base until they formed a partnership with iDE.

Every family deserves a toilet

For the 40 percent of the people on the planet who do not have a toilet, acquiring one would mean keeping your one-year-old child from developing diarrhea and possibly dying from it.

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