Women'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
Sariati
Sariati's water crisis is over

For generations, women in Sariati’s family faced an impossible choice when it came to giving their families water - certain death without water, or possible death from consuming unsafe water. For these women in Indonesia and millions of others around the world, collecting water would take up to six hours each day.

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Rose Uganda 1
Rose's story, then and now

Four years ago we shared Rose’s story. At the time she had just taken a small, affordable loan to give her family a toilet and water at home. Since that time, life has only improved for Rose...

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To making a house a home
To making a house a home

Mherindalee’s home is important to her. It’s where her family lives, works, plays, and rests. The water flowing from Mherindalee’s kitchen tap means now she has time - time to care for her home, time to play with her children, and time to make her family’s favorite dishes.

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Rebecca
To generations of safe water

Your donations have empowered millions of women like Rebecca to provide their families with access to safe water - and so much more.

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Joslin
To doubling the graduates

We can remove the obstacles standing between girls and the education they deserve.

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Lelita - Peru
Investing in their home, health, and future

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.

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Liliana - 1
A way for Liliana to make a way

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.

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Water tap
Edna and Sarah

In this video, Edna revisits her previous daily journey to collect water. It is for moms like Edna that Water.org created WaterCredit.

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Woinshet in Ethiopia
Woinshet

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.

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India - Loan card 2
How small loans empower women to define their futures

We've seen, across many different countries, the crippling cycle of poverty that the lack of access to clean water and sanitation perpetuates. For women, collecting water is a major activity each day. They walk to the local community tap and then spend hours in line waiting to fill their containers. Children—mostly girls—are forced to leave school to spend their time collecting water, their future choices narrowing with every bucket filled. Read more on why access to small affordable loans are a proven, powerful, long-term solution to helping millions solve their water crisis.

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Monica and her family in Peru
Monica

Monica is studying to be a cosmetologist, and can’t wait to graduate. The optimism in her eyes and the confidence in her tone demonstrate readiness to see her hard work blossom into a career.

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Elma in the Philippines
Elma

Elma’s courage gave her the strength to choose smiles over tears, to choose love over pain, and to champion safe water for her family, even when the battle seemed impossible.

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Together, we can empower more families with safe water.

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