Sanitation 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.

All stories
Sarah and Steve
How Sarah and Steve gave their family safe water

An inspiring story from Kenya, watch as Sarah explains how she and her husband, Steve, were empowered with a small, affordable loan to give their family access to safe water at home.

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Access to sanitation during the COVID-19 pandemic

Now more than ever access to safe water and toilets are critical to the health of families around the world. That's why we're committed to continuing our work to empower people like Jeyalakshmi with access to both and the health and hope they bring.

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Glaucia
Glaucia's sanitation crisis solved

For Glaucia, paying a small amount each month to pay off a loan for a bathroom at home was both affordable and practical. She no longer had to worry about her family’s health and the medical expenses that came with poor hygiene issues. Glaucia gave her family a bathroom much sooner than she’d ever thought imaginable.

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Usha

In a small community outside of Hyderabad, India, Usha is one of many women who used small, affordable loans to construct a water tap or toilet at home.

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Darshana

In a village in Western India lives a woman named Darshana. Darshana and her husband have a humble home on a small piece of land. Together with their two children, the family works hard to make enough to pay for their living expenses however, they often struggle to accomplish this. They lack access to a toilet and this poses an issue to their health and safety.

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Hang and Phat have much to celebrate

Hang and Phat live in a rural Cambodian village. Their son recently announced his engagement to be married. It is traditional to host the celebration at the groom’s family home but Hang and Phat did not have a toilet. Read about how Water.org's work in Cambodia changed their story.

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The power of supporting one another

The people we serve are change agents capable of transforming their lives and communities. Journey with us to a village in rural Kenya where a small group of people worked together to make a big difference for themselves and their neighbors.

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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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Toilets are the beginning of bright futures

Before Vijayalakshmi had a toilet for her family to use at home, she and her children joined the more than 678 million others in India who lacked access to a safe toilet. Unsafe and unhealthy, Vijayalakshmi had to find an affordable, sustainable way to give her family a sanitation solution at home. Through Water.org's partners in India, she did. Read her story.

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Ladreo and his family in Peru
Ladreo ended his family's water crisis

Through our partner, Mi Banco, Ladreo took out a small loan to fund the construction of a bathroom and a water storage tank that connects to a shower and a faucet. Now Ladreo’s family home is complete. Read Ladreo's story.

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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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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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Together, we can empower more families with safe water.

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