Strengthening Rural Sanitation Markets through Professional Branding and Promotion
17 March 2026
Following the launch of COWASH IV’s Market-Based Sanitation Centre (MSC) branding initiative, the project team conducted field visits from March 11-12, 2026, to deliver professional visibility materials to pilot centres in Central Ethiopia and the Sidama Region. The delivery represents the latest phase of a collaborative branding process where members of the Roori MSC in Sidama and the Tesfa Zer MSC in Central Ethiopia worked with consultants to define unique brand identities. Moving away from standard templates, custom logos and color schemes were designed for each centre to reflect specific local business goals and community contexts. To support these businesses in professionalizing their community outreach, the project provided a suite of branded assets including professional workwear, such as branded gowns and t-shirts, alongside storefront signboards, roadside posters, and roll-up banners featuring tailored marketing content. During the visit, project teams met with MSC members and Woreda partners to discuss strategies for business sustainability. Members indicated that the combination of technical training and professional branding materials has increased their capacity to build community trust and stimulate demand for sanitation products.
The delivery of these materials builds upon a week-long training programme conducted from January to February 2026, which focused on marketing, sales skills, and brand visibility to help transition the centres from local producers into market-driven businesses. The initial training sessions were held from January 27–29 for the five founding members of Roori MSC, followed by a session for the three members of Tesfa Zer MSC in Hadero Tutno Woreda. Both centres were established by COWASH IV in collaboration with regional governments to improve the accessibility of affordable sanitation supplies.
Beyond the delivery of physical assets, the joint team continues to conduct follow-up visits to assess implementation and provide real-time feedback. These visits ensure that the businesses are operationally equipped for long-term success. The strengthening of rural supply centres remains a core focus of the COWASH IV initiative, aiming to create a sustainable link between water supply and accessible sanitation infrastructure for rural communities.