OUR Journey into ethiopia

The first SATO unit landed in Ethiopia in 2017. Since then, we have been able to distribute nearly a quarter of a million SATO units in nine regions across the country. This has resulted in 9.2 million people benefitting from access to enhanced sanitation through SATO installations during this period.  The impact of SATO in Ethiopia has not only improved access to sanitation but has also contributed to growing the economy. We have trained more than 400 artisans who are able to skillfully install our toilets across the country, enabling them to add to their sources of income. We also have over 170 trade outlets that stock our products making SATO solutions widely accessible in Ethiopia.

we believe in partnership

In Ethiopia, we are focused on bringing our award-winning sanitation and hygiene solutions and provide a better life, every day, for local communities. We achieve this via our strong sales and distribution network thanks to the support of various partners we engage with.

In 2018, PSI through the TWASH project, was key in introducing SATO to the sanitation space in Ethiopia. Through this partnership, PSI helped us to identify gaps and formulate a working strategy that allowed us to build and strengthen SATO in the sanitation market in Ethiopia. In 2020, Liya Shawel joined SATO as the official National Importer for SATO and has continued to make the product available all over the country. In addition, our partnership with UNICEF has tremendously contributed to our success. Ethiopia was one of the initial countries involved in the shared-value  ‘Make a Splash!’ initiative between LIXIL and UNICEF. Working together in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania, the partnership has reached more than 2.9 million people to date.

We are focused on the scale-up of our operations to continue making a difference to the lives of millions of people.  Get in touch and explore a potential partnership with us.

working with local government

In 2021, we contributed more than 165,000 SATO Toilets to the country’s Acting State Minister in the Ministry of Labour, Getachew Bedane, to support its fight against COVID-19. A safe toilet is critical during a pandemic and our toilet solution provides enhanced sanitation facilities for stressed communities, effectively reducing their vulnerability to disease outbreaks. While this helped provide immediate relief in a time of crisis, this also supported Ethiopia’s broader Open Defecation Free ‘Tsedu’ Campaign, which aims to achieve at least sustained basic sanitation facilities by 2024.

Our Local Network and Contacts

If you would like to find out more about our work in Ethiopia, please contact:

Eyerusalem Taye

Leader, SATO Ethiopia

eyerusalem.taye@lixil.com