Your gifts in action
Thank you for making bright futures possible
Meet Edileuza and her student, Nailton
In Brazil and around the world, the burden of the water crisis often falls on children to find and collect the water their families need to survive. They walk to and from ponds and rivers carrying heavy vessels of water instead of carrying backpacks and books to school. Thanks to your support, we are working to change this for communities like Bahia, where Edileuza and Nailton live.
“For a child to develop and receive a proper education, they need to be healthy, and safe water plays a crucial role in that.” - Edileuza, head teacher at Manual Mares Rural School
Children like Nailton are thriving because of the connections between education, community support, and access to safe water. Through our work to make small loans for water and sanitation solutions possible for families in this region, Nailton’s family was able to finance a rainwater storage tank that sustains them through the dry seasons. Now, Nailton doesn’t miss school due to a water-related illness or go without safe water – a necessity for staying healthy, focused, and ready to learn from Ms. Edileuza.
Latest impact numbers
Vedika Bhandarkar believes we can solve the water crisis in our lifetime
An article by Vedika Bhandarkar, President and Chief Operating Officer
“Of all the problems the world faces, providing enough water for drinking and sanitation is among the most solvable. Everybody agrees that humans need water. Nobody is morally opposed to providing it. The technology exists to bring water to most places. The earth has enough drinkable water, currently, to meet its needs. And yet about half of the world has to work pretty hard to get water, buying it from trucks, drinking from substandard sources, or sending children or women out to lug it back from a distant supply.”
Vedika shares what we see as the biggest challenge – the financing gap – and what we are doing to help bridge that gap to help solve the global water crisis.
Empowering more people, faster with a 20x multiplier effect
Did you know every dollar donated to Water.org unlocks $20 for water and sanitation solutions for people living in poverty? Through 2024, more than $318 million in donations to Water.org helped mobilize more than $6.4 billion in capital for water and sanitation solutions for people in need. This means every dollar helps unlock $20 for these lifesaving and life-changing solutions.
Turning challenges into choices: How access to safe water empowers women
An article by Rocio Cavazos, Regional Director, Latin America
For women, access to safe water transforms daily life – leading to improved health outcomes and providing the time and stability women need to thrive. Through Francisca’s story, Rocio shares how she’s seen access to safe water turn problems into possibilities for women across Latin America.
“I’ve seen the pride in women’s eyes when they describe how safe water has changed their lives — children attending school regularly, families experiencing improved health, and women having the time to focus on other goals and priorities. These stories are not isolated — they are proof that financial inclusion is not only about access to resources, it is also about access to opportunity to create. These stories are not isolated — they represent what happens when women have the resources they need to shape their futures.”
Financial inclusion and access to safe water offer women like Francisca - shown here with her son, Gabriel - the power to choose and shape their futures.