When early adopters move first, they create the social proof that allows others to follow. Photo by iDE Zambia
In case you missed it: Read our second blog in this series
In our last post, we explored what it takes to build a sanitation model that can grow under real-world conditions, not just with ideal funding and resources. Now, the next question is just as important: What do communities actually want to invest in?
For iDE Zambia, the answer is emerging through something deceptively simple: listening. Observing how people make decisions. Understanding what shapes where their money goes and when. In Chisekesi, Zambia, that kind of ground-level inquiry is reshaping what the partnership is building and for whom.
A toilet is never just a toilet
What the team found in Chisekesi challenges a common assumption in the sector: that sanitation is a hard sell. It isn’t. Families already understand why sanitation matters. Many are already investing in it, repeatedly rebuilding basic pit latrines when they collapse during the rainy season. A toilet represents far more than hygiene; it represents privacy, safety, dignity, and progress. The demand is there. What’s missing are options worth investing in.
Durability matters to these households precisely because so many have already lost what they built. A durable toilet doesn’t just protect a structure. It protects time, money, labor, and hope. Some households are willing to wait months for an option they believe will hold.
Affordability is about timing, not just price
Understanding what households can afford is only part of the picture. Equally important is understanding when money is available and how people normally pay for things. Income often follows harvest cycles or savings group schedules. School fees and other competing priorities shape spending windows. A product priced right but timed wrong won’t move.
This is where market design meets reality. Payment options that fit how households actually earn and spend are as important as the product itself. The partnership is working with local businesses to develop financing and supply chains that respond to these patterns, rather than assuming a one-size-fits-all transaction.
Start with those already looking
Rather than trying to convince everyone at once, the team is starting with households already seeking better options. These early adopters can test products, provide feedback, and build social proof within their communities. This is smart sequencing, not exclusion, and it reflects a broader principle running through all of this work: meet people where they are, then build outward.
What this means for the model
The lesson from Chisekesi is clarifying: The goal is to build a sanitation market that meets people with options that are durable, affordable, and suited to how they actually live. That’s what makes a model scalable: not just that it can survive lean conditions, but that it’s genuinely worth choosing.
That’s the cactus pilot in full: resilient by design, and rooted in what people actually want.
Read the full blog from iDE: A toilet means more than you think: Rebuilding durable sanitation in Zambia
Landing page for the full CARE blog series: https://www.care.org/case-studies/tag/lean-market-based-sanitation-partnership-blog/