Academy for Educational Development

In India, AED is leveraging the power of microfinance to prevent diarrhea caused by unsafe water, a leading cause of death for young children in the developing world. Through public-private partnerships and USAID support, the Point-Of-Use Water Disinfection and Zinc Treatment (POUZN) project makes tabletop water filtration and safe-storage products—requiring no running water or electricity—available and affordable for the region’s poor via micro loans. In collaboration with manufacturers, POUZN promotes tabletop filters to “self-help groups” of women microenterprise owners—women who readily understand the importance of purchasing the devices to prevent illness.