India stories

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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Safe water and sanitation brings smiles and playtime

When you increase access to affordable financing, you increase smiles. This is because women like Rosalyn can finally afford to give their families some of life's most basic necessities. Read Rosalyn's story.

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It's time for school

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

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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 President and Chief Operating Officer, 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.

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Toilet
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. 678 million people living in India lack access to a safe toilet. Read about how families are using small, affordable loans to end this practice and give their kids bright futures.

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Rehana
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.

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Padma's story
Access to water and sanitation creates 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.

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Loan repayment
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.

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A Better Path
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.

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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 living in poverty often pay up to 15% of their household income for water services. 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.

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Lakshmee
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.

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Children in India go to school
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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Give water credit for time at school

A lack of access to safe water at home disproportionately impacts children. Their health and their opportunity for education can suffer.

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Together, we can empower more families with safe water.

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