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.
Before Vijayalakshmi had a toilet for her family to use at home, she and her children joined the more than 539 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.
Read more
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.
Read more
India is the second most populous country in the world, with more than 1 billion citizens. 539 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.
Read more
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.
Read more
Like 24 million Brazilians, Maria lacked access to adequate sanitation in her home, where she lives and works and helps raise her granddaughter. Read about how a small loan gave this mother and grandmother the resource needed to keep her family healthy.
Read more
When given a choice and an opportunity to pay for water and sanitation improvements over a reasonable period of time, families in need often choose to finance long-term solutions versus pay high prices, or struggle day-to-day, to get that next liter of water. Ariacelle once struggled daily to pay for bottled water and find a safe place to go. A small, affordable loan empowered Ariacelle with the funds needed to pay for the installation of a toilet and sink in her home.
Read more
“When our kids were young, they collected water and they used the outdoors instead of a toilet. It is common for kids here, but they were too young for such a task, and going outdoors isn’t safe. They needed rest, safety, and they needed time for school.” Lumiu did not like this way of life for their kids.
Read more
Water.org made possible for people like Juleha and her husband small, affordable loans to cover the up-front costs associated with connecting to their local water utility’s pipelines. Read Juleha's story.
Read more
With a small, affordable loan Fermin gave his family water, a toilet, and so much more. The few months it will take Fermin to repay his loan will seem like no time compared to the long-term benefits his family will experience by having water and sanitation at home.
Read more
Lelita and her brother John share their childhood home outside of Chiclayo in Peru. Years ago, before their parents passed, the two committed to their mother and father that they would keep the home in the family. Though it is a simple concrete, dirt-floor dwelling, they promised to give future generations the best lives possible in the house their parents built.
Read more
Before her family had a toilet, they used a hole in the ground, and when Liliana needed water, she was forced to either walk a great distance, or ask her neighbors for help. Time consuming and burdensome, Liliana does not miss those days of wasted time and lost income.
Read more
The need for water and toilets was high in Woinshet's village until locals were able to fund the construction of latrines or taps in their homes.
Read moreTogether, we can empower more families with safe water.
Donate