Your gifts in action
Through our partner bank in Kenya, Phoebe financed water storage tanks and purification filters. Now Phoebe, her husband, and their nine children have access to safe water just steps from their front door rather than miles away from home.
Thank you for making lasting access to safe water possible for women around the world
Meet Phoebe
For years, Phoebe had no choice but to make daily journeys to collect water for her family. Phoebe’s children often joined her to help with the chore. Finally, thanks to your support, Phoebe learned of a way she could affordably give her family lasting access to safe water at home. On that day, she chose to take out a small loan that would forever shorten the distance between her family and the water they need to survive and thrive.
90% of the borrowers who take out small loans for their household water and sanitation needs through our work are women.
Women are primarily responsible for household water collection. They are solving the water crisis for their families.
International Women’s Day is on March 8th and we’re celebrating the power of women to build bright futures for their families – and that starts with access to safe water at home. Your gifts help turn time spent collecting water into time to learn, earn, and create the life they want.
Latest impact numbers
Health flows from safe water
A look at the research from Kiki Tazkiyah, Insights Lead, Southeast Asia
Families around the world experience water and sanitation-related illnesses and health issues at varying degrees. Here are four ways access to safe water and sanitation at home can improve health holistically and protect and save lives.
- Hygiene – With access to safe water and a toilet, hygiene improves. Right now, 2.3 billion people globally don't have access to soap and water to wash their hands. Having the water needed to do this powerful act can help prevent the spread of disease.
- Mental health – With lasting safe water and sanitation solutions at home, people who previously lacked the resources indicate the improvements can provide comfort, pride, and dignity – all solidified by a sense of well-being.
- Menstruation management – When it comes to toilets, aspects of design such as accessibility, privacy, and lighting are important contributors to that sense of comfort and safety – especially for women and girls.
- Safety – The people who lack access to safe water at home risk their safety each day trying to find water from distant sources. Access to safe water at home changes this.
Access to a toilet helps empower families like Anita's with health, privacy and safety.
Women are often responsible for collecting the water their families need to survive. Access to safe water at home can change everything for them.
Helping women living in poverty get access to safe water and so much more
Your support helps deliver gender equity
Women are disproportionately affected by the water crisis, as they are often responsible for collecting water for their families. Women and girls spend 200 million hours every day collecting water. Our proven solutions uniquely empower them. No longer burdened by the water crisis, they can care for their families. They can start small businesses, adding to their household income. They have the time and water to garden and cook food for their families.
Through our work, we’ve seen how access to safe water and sanitation impacts women and girls. As part of our monitoring and evaluation process, we regularly survey people who have taken out loans for water and sanitation solutions through our work. Survey data shows:
- 84% of women find collecting and securing their household’s water easier now that they have safe water access at home.
- 69% of women say it’s now less stressful to manage their household water.
- 87% of women say their wellbeing has improved now that they have safe water or sanitation access at home.
- 86% of women say their pride or dignity has improved now that they have safe water or sanitation access at home.
- 84% of women say their new toilet facility makes it easier to manage menstruation.
- 88% of women say they are satisfied with the security and safety of their new toilet solution.