Lazos de Agua Program to Bring Safe Water Access & Resources to more than 200,000 citizens across Latin America, 3 May 2017

One Drop, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), The Coca-Cola Foundation and FEMSA Foundation, today announced a US$25 million initial investment in Lazos de Agua, an initiative to provide 200,000 citizens with access to safe and affordable water, hygiene and improved sanitation services (WASH) in Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Colombia and Paraguay by 2021...Combined with infrastructure and technical training and access to capital, the program uses The ABC approach that combines three key components:

- Access: Financing infrastructure projects.

- Behavior: Fostering community mobilization and encouraging dialogue around culturally sensitive subjects to increase the awareness and change behaviors of habits on water usage and sanitation.

- Capital: Granting access to technical training and financial support to enable households to benefit from market-based solutions

...Constructing water and sanitation facilities, while critically important, is not enough to transform the lives of the beneficiaries. Most WASH projects typically emphasize infrastructure, and neglect the social or behavioral dimensions that have a significant impact on building awareness and supporting community adoption. This program aims to invest in sustainable, effective long-term solutions for communities to improve health and, in turn, foster community advancement....