In El Salvador, regular access to clean water can be rare, namely for residents of rural and peri-urban communities. Twenty percent of residents lack access to piped water, and 40 percent have water access fewer than 12 hours per day or seven days a week. With help from Mercy Partnership Fund investee Azure Source Capital, more than 23,000 families now have access to an improved supply of safe water.
Azure Source Capital, a fund launched by Catholic Relief Services and the IDB Lab, mobilizes capital to help small-scale water service providers improve the quality and reliability of water services. Azure’s blended finance initiative also provides technical assistance to help upgrade water and sanitation systems; 61 water operators in El Salvador now provide better services as a result. Azure’s planned expansion in Latin America already started in Honduras where the program expects to improve water services for 200,000 people over three years. Watch this video for a first-hand account of the impact of Azure’s work.
Azure Source Capital is one of 60 mission-driven organizations in which Mercy Partnership Fund invests. Learn more on our website.