BASIC SERVICES
Problem
Increasingly, low-income communities in Latin America and the Caribbean have some access to basic services such as water and electricity, but the quality and consistent delivery of the service vary widely, making it difficult for these communities to enhance their economic well-being. In addition, due to lack of maintenance and poor management, an enormous loss of infrastructure has affected a large stock of basic services.
Objective:
The MIF aims to develop and test sustainable business models to provide quality basic services to low income populations.
MIF Solutions:
- Adapting the PPP model to encourage cooperation between municipalities and the private sector to deliver services.
- Creating alternative solutions to provide dependable and affordable energy sources.
- Piloting cooperatively-driven childcare centers.
- Implementing community-run integrated waste management systems using local small businesses to collect and recycle solid waste.
- Replicating preventive health kiosks with cloud computing and/or payment through remittances or microfinance products.
Results and Impact:
- Visibility for successful, alternative models for the provision of basic services to low-income communities implemented through MIF projects.
- Increasing the number of micro and small businesses (MSMEs) involved in providing basic services to low-income communities, and experiencing greater job creation due to this increased involvement.
- Improving quality of life for an increased number of low-income communities in Latin America and the Caribbean through access to quality basic services.
- Convening and creating networks of basic-service providers and participants to share models from outside the region and develop best-practices.