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Together, we've empowered millions of people with access to safe water and sanitation. We invite you to meet some of them and read their stories.

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Partnerships scale impact in India

Realizing small loans remove the obstacle standing between many of the 163 million people in India needing access to water and sanitation, Water.org’s financial solution known as WaterCredit is scaling. Now a little more than a decade later, 10 million people in India have access to safe water and sanitation at home, plus the hope, health, and possibilities that come with the life-changing solutions. Together with our partner’s at SIDUR in India, Water.org made these small, affordable loans possible for families in Hyderabad.

It's time for school

Water makes time for school possible for kids in Rasulpar and around the world. When kids have access to safe water at home they can walk to school instead of walk to collect water.

Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6

Mechanisms that strategically use donor finance to catalyze private investment – often referred to as “blended finance” – will be critical to filling the financing gap that exists to solve the global water crisis. Water.org is well-poised to help the global community move forward. Learn more from Water.org’s Managing Director, India, Vedika Bhandarkar as she explains how blended finance is a solution to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals for achieving global access to safe water and sanitation.

How our partners in India empower families with safe water

Institutions like Gram-Utthan are the front line in implementing programs and expanding access to affordable financing for water and sanitation where we work in India. Watch as a representative from the bank describes Gram-Utthan's experience with lending for water and sanitation and how these small, affordable loans are changing lives in their communities.

Hamsaveni and Rajesh give their daughters a bright future

India is the second most populous country in the world, with more than 1 billion citizens. Roughly half of India’s population, a staggering 522 million, practice open defecation. Read about how families are using small, affordable loans to end this practice and give their kids bright futures.

Rehana

Homes in Rehana’s village are simple. Made of thatch and mud and concrete, the humble structures offer a haven for rest and play, but rarely do they have water or sanitation connections. While her husband worked and her children went to school, Rehana walked up to six hours a day to get water for cooking, laundry, and baths.

Access to water and sanitation create time and opportunity

Evidence found through Water.org’s programs demonstrates that household access to water and/or sanitation can liberate anywhere from six to 14 hours a week to be reallocated from tending to water and sanitation needs to however an individual chooses. While not every person with access to improved water and/or sanitation ultimately opts to use this extra time to earn additional income, the majority of people empowered through the work of Water.org direct their newly-freed time towards income-generating activities.

The story of WaterCredit

Watch as we share with you how WaterCredit progressed into what is now, a solution that is empowering millions of people in need in India and around the world.

Water.org Co-founder Gary White in India

A better path to water

Gary White, Co-Founder & CEO of Water.org, has been working to improve lives with access to safe water for more than twenty years. These two decades of experience led Gary to realize that the traditional cycle of philanthropy (spend money to provide water, and raise money for the next village) would never solve the water crisis for every person on the planet. There had to be a better path.

How our solutions are working in India

Access to safe water is a conduit to help people achieve their full potential. But, access to safe water can be expensive when you are a family living below the poverty line in India. Families pay 5 to 10 times what others may pay who live above the poverty line. It is in this juxtaposition that we understand why some may be prohibited from achieving much more than survival. And, it is why Water.org is connecting with institutions in India to bring solutions to meet the water and sanitation needs of families.

She changed her world

After learning that small, affordable loans were available from their local bank to fund needed water taps or toilets, Lakshmee wanted to tell her friends and neighbors. She knew this could change all of their lives, and their community. Read more about how access to safe water and sanitation empowers moms to do more for themselves and their families.

Finance for water is an investment in the future

We believe that if we can provide people with small, affordable loans for water connections and toilets, we can transform and empower people to participate in their own solution - allowing them to define their own futures and those of future generations.

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Together, we can empower more families with safe water.

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