All 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
Patricia-small-2.jpg
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.

Read more
48872099327_ec78f3368d_k.jpg
Empowering families in Kenya with access to water

Beautiful and lively, Kenya boasts a culture of tradition and hospitality, yet it continues to struggle with one of the world’s greatest challenges—access to water for all. Meet some of the families whose lives have been changed through our smart solutions.

Read more
Grace and Josh
For her farm and family

Grace is wise and driven. She is a mother of four children, a grandmother to eight, and she is recognized by many in her community, and across Kenya, as an exemplary farmer and businesswoman. Grace credits her success to financing and the opportunities small, affordable loans make possible - like safe water for her farm and family.

Read more
8573468164_b06aa820ea_k.jpg
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.

Read more
Varsat.jpg
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.

Read more
bakari-1.jpg
Water for his family and his village

Bakari is a young man who lives in rural Tanzania south of Dar es Salaam with his parents and siblings. Growing up in this region Bakari is all too familiar with the water crisis. Read more about how Bakari solved his family's water crisis and that of many in his village.

Read more
40098294534_0730c58937_k.jpg
She can move mountains

Yolanda is a hopeful, determined woman. We know this because every day she works to provide water for her family. Her home sits above the city of Cusco in the Andes Mountain range at more than 2,000 feet from the center of town. Yolanda purchases buckets of water from residents in town. At least every other morning, she makes her way down the steep, rocky road from her house to buy as much water as she can carry back up the more than one mile vertical trek.

Read more
48001155096_d11476f7f6_k.jpg
The power of water for Tamenech's family

The power of water ended Tamenech and Joseph’s water crisis. Not only did Tamenech want to prevent her children from walking to rivers or ponds to find water like she did as a child, but her role as a nurse gave her the insight to know how unhealthy that water is. Read Tamenech's story.

Read more
32377891207_96aab772a6_k.jpg
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.

Read more
39912752905_ec07278e71_k.jpg
Nelly's heart

Water is a smart investment. The best investment the world can make to reduce disease, increase income, keep kids in school, and change lives. Nelly believed this to be true, and now she knows it for a fact. Thanks to Water.org’s smart solution known as WaterCredit, the hardworking, loving, single mom who wanted to give her family safe water and a better life was able to do it.

Read more
26368699190_1501577aaa_k.jpg
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.

Read more
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.

Read more

Together, we can empower more families with safe water.

Donate