Together we can fill the world's cup
Written by Morée Lambeth, Water.org Lead Content Creator
Published June 30, 2026
Since 2013, my work has taken me around the world to document Water.org’s impact. I’ve walked through villages across parts of Africa, Asia, and Latin America – in regions where families face water and sanitation challenges most of us can hardly imagine. No matter where I travel, one truth remains universal – every person needs safe water to survive and thrive.
2.1 billion people – 1 in 4 of us – lack access to safe water.
Along the way, I’ve noticed something else. Despite our differences in language, culture, geography, and circumstance, we are far more alike than we are different. Few things illustrate that better than our shared love of sport, especially the world’s game, soccer.
As the FIFA World Cup captures global attention and fans gather in Kansas City, one of the tournament’s host cities and the home of Water.org, I find myself reflecting on many of the children and families I’ve met around the world. No matter where they live, a shared love of soccer brings the same sense of excitement, joy, and connection.
Moments after meeting families whose lives had changed through safe water access, I came across this joyful game unfolding in the heart of the village.
One memory takes me to a small village in Indonesia. I was walking between homes to interview families who had recently taken out small loans from Water.org's local partner bank to fund safe water solutions. Family after family described what safe water at home had made possible.
Then, as I rounded a street corner, I came across a group of children – ages three to thirteen – passing a soccer ball down the alley. I paused to marvel in their joy – a joy that comes from having the time and health to play the beautiful game.
Elena, Samuel, and Jose at their home in Peru, where safe water is now within reach.
I think, too, of Elena and her family in Peru. Elena, a mother of five, had recently gained access to safe water at home through our work with local financial partners. When I asked her sons, Samuel and Jose, what they want to be when they grow up, their answer was immediate:
“Professional futbol players.”
A soccer match with Elena’s sons and their friends in Peru, who challenged me to score a few goals myself.
Their response wasn’t unusual. I’ve heard the same dream in country after country. Ask a child what they hope to become, and many will tell you a world-famous soccer player.
Mueni, whose passion for soccer can flourish now that safe water is available at home.
That passion also lives in Mueni, a young girl in Kenya who loves playing soccer. For much of her childhood, however, daily life revolved around collecting water from distant and unreliable sources. The task consumed valuable time and energy. After her family gained access to a small loan through our local partner bank, they were able to install a water connection at home. The impact was transformative. With safe water readily available, Mueni and her siblings had more time for school, more time with family, and more time to simply be kids. Like young people everywhere, she could spend more of her days doing what she loved – including playing soccer.
Like a child’s love for play and sport, dreams are universal.
Opportunity is not.
Elena’s own childhood in Peru looked very different from the one her boys experience today. Instead of spending her days playing, learning, and imagining the future, she spent hours carrying water. Access to safe water changed the trajectory for her family. The same is true for the families I met in Indonesia and for families like Mueni’s in Kenya.
Women and girls spend 200 million hours every day collecting water.
I know from first-hand experience, water changes the game. Safe water improves health and it creates opportunity. It gives families time, health, and hope. It allows children to focus on becoming who they were meant to be rather than spending their days collecting water to survive.
Sports change lives. Safe water does too.
For Fabiana, Jose, and Nailton, soccer is more than a game – it’s a source of joy, connection, and play.
Let's change the game for people in need. As the world comes together to celebrate the World Cup, let’s also remember what connects us beyond the pitch. We share a passion for dreams, community, sport, and the opportunity to pursue a bright future.
Most importantly, we all share a need for safe water.
$25 gives a child and their family lasting access to safe water.
This World Cup 2026, I invite you to honor the unity we find through soccer by helping make more health, hope, and dreams possible for kids and families in need. Donate to Water.org. Together, we can help ensure that more children have the chance to spend their days chasing a ball, pursuing an education, and dreaming about the future instead of walking to collect water.
Because every child deserves the opportunity to share in the beauty of play and every family deserves access to the safe water that makes it possible.