The day everything changed
Umi is a mom of two boys. Before getting affordable access to safe water at home, Umi and her seven-year-old son walked to a stream to collect water. Read about how a small loan changed their lives.
Read moreWomen's empowerment 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
Sok's family has safe water now
Across the country of Cambodia more than 11 million people in need lack access to safe water. Like millions of other women, to get the water Sok’s family needed to survive, she had no choice but to collect it from a nearby river. Read about how Sok got affordable access to safe water.
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Queen of the hills
Joinab introduces herself as the “queen of the hills” and rightfully so as she has conquered her family’s water crisis high in the hills of Chittagong, Bangladesh.
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Obwiri
When COVID-19 reached Obwiri’s community, she had increasing concerns about her family’s sanitation situation. Read about how a small loan empowered her to solve her family's water and sanitation crisis at a critical time.
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Lilis is proud to have safe water at home
As the COVID-19 pandemic made its way to Lilis’ village, the safety and comfort she felt about her home, their access to food and water, and their finances shifted. Lilis had new concerns about her family's ability to survive.
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Anah
Anah lives in rural Indonesia where she grows her family's food and enjoys hosting guests. Until recently she lacked an adequate supply of water to feed her livestock and water her crops. She also did not have a bathroom for her daughter and visitors. She longed to have water and a toilet and thanks to your support, she now has both.
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Leah's family has safe water at home now
Leah lives in a rural village about an hour from Nairobi. She was once one of the millions who rely on unimproved water sources to survive. Read her story.
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For some, access to water at home is a dream come true
For Dona Terezinha, access to water at home is a dream come true. Read about how, when the COVID-19 pandemic reached her community, she was empowered with the safe water and toilet she needed to protect herself and her grandson.
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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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And so she sews
Margaret enthusiastically shared her excitement about having access to water just steps from her home now. For a loan of 50,000 Kenyan Shillings (about $500) Margaret has two rain storage tanks with gutters on her home that can carry water down to the tanks.
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From poverty to possibility: Chumki's story
Water.org's President and Chief Operating Officer, Vedika Bhandarkar, describes how financial inclusion for women and families in need of water can change their lives. Through the story of Chumki who used a small, affordable loan to give her family water, Vedika explains how time spent collecting water can now be used to increase household income.
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Alice saves money and her family
Alice and her family rely on the food her livestock, plants, and trees produce. In the same way, these things rely on Alice to give them water. So how does one living in rural Kenya get enough water to not only provide for their family’s needs but to also keep their plants and animals healthy? For a time, Alice had to piece together water from various sources.
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Together, we can empower more families with safe water.
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