For Immediate Release
July 30, 2019
LIXIL Corporation

LIXIL Marks a Year of Partnership with UNICEF, Working Together in Kenya,Ethiopia, Tanzania
Tokyo – LIXIL marks the first anniversary of Make a Splash! Toilets for All, its partnership with UNICEF.
Launched on July 26, 2018, Make a Splash! Toilets for All is the first shared-value partnership for UNICEF
with a Japanese company in the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene space, aiming to contribute to progress
toward Sustainable Development Goal 6.21.

A local reseller in Siaya County introduces SATO products to a customer. UNICEF does not endorse any company, brand, product or service.

Today, open defecation is practiced out of necessity or customs in many parts of the world.
Approximately 800 children2 die every day from preventable diarrhea-related illnesses, due to poor
hygiene, unsafe water and inadequate sanitation. The absence of safe, clean toilets is a particular threat
to women and girls who at times have to walk long distances in the dark to relieve themselves.
Combining UNICEF’s expertise in sanitation behavior change and LIXIL’s in affordable toilet solutions, thepartners have initiated activities in Kenya, Tanzania, and Ethiopia. Over the course of this first year,
progress has been made against the three objectives of the partnership. Highlights include:Market-shaping programs to develop the sanitation economy

Using innovative market-shaping approaches, the partnership focuses on developing open markets
for sanitation products that meet consumer needs and budgets. Together, the partners are working
on the ground to inspire behavioral change and to trigger demand for sanitary products. In Kenya,
16.2: by 2030, achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all, and end open defecation, paying special attention
to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations.
2WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme report, Progress on drinking water, sanitation and hygiene: 2000-2017: Special focus oninequalities

1 | Pagethe partners are focusing on strengthening existing supply chains and have brought together
manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers, NGOs and local governments to review key enabling
factors and deepen collaboration. In Tanzania, the partners are working to support the government’s
National Sanitation Campaign to make products available in order to meet demand for improved
sanitation and assist with monitoring the outcome. In Ethiopia, LIXIL is looking into its supply chains
aimed at contributing to a stronger sanitation economy. In the coming months, the partners will
focus on scaling up their efforts in the three countries and strengthen collaborations in newmarkets.
Fundraising to support the partnership

The partnership has been a source of engagement for employees as well. Under the name “TeamSplash”, employees in Japan and overseas are contributing with their donations to the achievementof the partnership goals.
The support also has extended to the third edition of LIXIL’s own “Toilets for All” campaign3, acampaign in Japan, in which a percentage of the sales of shower toilets sold by LIXIL in Japan will be
donated to Make a Splash! to support the partnership’s activities.
Engaging in joint advocacy efforts

In Tanzania, UNICEF and LIXIL are working with the government’s national sanitation campaign,“Nyumba Ni Choo,” (“a home is only complete with a good toilet”), which is an all-out activation andawareness campaign to make sure everyone in the country has access to a quality toilet by 2025. Asa next step, the partners are planning to encourage other countries to establish similar campaigns
that support greater coordination of both public and private partners’ efforts towards improved
access to sanitation on a large scale. They will also work on identifying policy constraints and build
on drivers in order to accelerate sanitation access.
Jin Montesano, LIXIL Executive Officer and Senior Managing Director overseeing Corporate
Responsibility, commented, “Today, open defecation is still a prevalent practice in many rural andsemi-rural regions of the world, resulting in water and sanitation-related diseases that are among theleading causes of preventable deaths. Jointly, through UNICEF’s expertise in education on improved
sanitation and LIXIL’s expertise in sanitary solutions, we are starting to see results. We are confident that
we can further improve sanitation and contribute to the health and safety of children, as well as thecommunities they live in.”“This has been a very productive year for the partnership. The teams have been collaborating closely on
the ground for a year now, committed to making a difference and learning to work together. We have
now established action plans that will guide our activities for the next year of the partnership, including
rigorous monitoring and tracking. We will also continue providing viable solutions, designed specificallyfor developing markets with our unique brand, SATO. We are proud to be able to support local
economies while generating social value,” said Junichi Goto, CEO, SATO.
3

LIXIL’s third “Toilets for All” campaign takes place from June to November 2019.

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UNICEF and LIXIL are working in communities to drive the demand for better sanitation. Throughlocalized and targeted activities, the partners can deliver to the hardest to reach.
Case study: Rose Ochieng and Jacob Ariek, Kenya
Members of an Anglican church are among the community members ofNduru Village in Kenya who are today using SATO toilets. Rose Ochieng, thearea’s Community Health Volunteer, introduced some SATO products during
a church service, drawing interest from the congregation. Through thesavings the church gets from offerings, it set aside KES 3,000 (US$30) for two
SATO toilet stools and two SATO latrine pans. The ablution block now
features two door latrines and bathrooms segregated by gender.
Jacob Ariek, who is the church’s custodian and a fisherman by day,volunteered to install the SATO products at the church at no cost. The work
he has since done installing SATO at the homes of his congregation’s members has given him analternative avenue of earning a living.
Learn more on: http://www.lixil.com/makeasplash-EndsAbout UNICEF
UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. Across 190
countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone. For more information
about UNICEF and its work for children, visit www.unicef.org. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
About LIXIL
LIXIL makes pioneering water and housing products that solve everyday, real-life challenges, making better homes areality for everyone, everywhere. Drawing on our Japanese heritage, we create world-leading technology and innovate tomake high quality products that transform homes. But the LIXIL difference is how we do this; through meaningful design,an entrepreneurial spirit, a dedication to improving accessibility for all, and responsible business growth. Our approachcomes to life through industry leading brands, including INAX, GROHE, American Standard, and TOSTEM. Over 70,000
colleagues operating in more than 150 countries are proud to make products that touch the lives of more than a billion
people every day.
LIXIL Group Corporation (TSE Code: 5938) is the listed holding company for LIXIL’s portfolio of businesses.

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