More time to study, more opportunity to succeed

Marco has big goals.

He studies mechatronics engineering while working 19 hours a week at a hardware store. In his spare time, he repairs and sells small electronics to earn extra income. It's a demanding schedule, but Marco is determined to create opportunities for himself and his sister.

Every class, every shift, and every paycheck brings him one step closer to the future he wants to build. But despite his hard work, one basic need often stood in the way: access to water at home.

For years, getting water was a daily challenge. In Marco's neighborhood, water stored in community tanks was only released between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m. Unfortunately, those were the same hours Marco spent commuting to school and attending class.

The timing forced him into an impossible choice. He could focus on his education or stay home to collect the water his household needed. "Filling the buckets took time away from me," Marco says.

Instead of concentrating on assignments and exams, he often had to think about whether there would be enough water to get through the day. Something as basic as turning on a tap required careful planning and sacrifice.

Then, one day, the community's water tanks ran dry.

Without another source of water, Marco and his neighbors pooled their money to pay for deliveries from a water truck. It was their only option. But receiving water and safely storing it are not the same thing.

Without a proper water storage tank at home, the delivered water often became murky and dirty. What was meant to solve one problem created another. The unsafe water caused Marco and his sister to become sick.

Families were spending money to access water, yet they still couldn't depend on it to be safe. For Marco, it became clear that temporary solutions were not enough. He needed a reliable way to store water and protect his family's health.

Marco eventually discovered a different option. Through Water.org and local financial partner Caja Los Andes, he learned he could finance a water storage tank through a small, affordable loan. Instead of continuing to spend money on temporary fixes, he could invest in a solution that would improve daily life for years to come.

Marco decided to move forward. Together, he and his sister split the monthly payments, making the loan manageable within their budget. The decision gave them something they had not experienced for a long time: peace of mind. Water could now be delivered, safely stored, and accessed whenever they needed it.

Today, Marco's daily routine looks very different. After a long day of classes and work, he can come home knowing water will be there. He can shower, wash dishes, mop the floor, and take care of everyday tasks without wondering whether the household supply will run out. "We no longer have to worry anymore about whether we have water," Marco says. "The tank will have water."

Looking back, he wishes he had made the investment sooner. "I should have taken the loan sooner," he says. "We would have lived better."

For Marco, the tank provides more than water. It removes a burden that once consumed his time, energy, and attention, allowing him to focus on school, work, and the future he is working so hard to build.