Safe water and a bright future
Marco studies mechatronics engineering, works 19 hours a week at a hardware store, and repairs and sells small electronics. He works hard because he wants to build a better future for himself and his sister.
“Filling the buckets took time away from me.” ...Eventually the water tanks in Marco’s community ran dry.
In and out of filling buckets of water and doing house chores, Marco needed to study. Water collection took away valuable time.
Critical to achieving his future goals is having lasting access to safe water at home. For years, this was a challenge. In Marco's neighborhood, water stored in tanks was only released to residence during the hours of five o’clock to ten o’clock in the morning. Unfortunately, those were the hours of the day during which Marco commuted to school and had class.
To get the water he needed, Marco had to make a difficult choice—attend school or get water for survival. He explained, “Filling the buckets took time away from me.” Eventually the water tanks in Marco’s community ran dry. When this happened, Marco and his neighbors split the cost of a water delivery truck. This was the only way to keep water flowing in their homes.
Marco greets the loan officer from Water.org's local partner bank who helped him finance a safe water solution.
Without a proper water storage tank to hold the delivered water, the water became murky and dirty. Consuming it caused Marco and his sister to become ill. This is when the young man knew he had to find a lasting safe water solution.
“We no longer have to worry anymore about whether we have water. The tank will have water.”
Through the work of Water.org and our local financial partners, Caja Cusco, Marco learned of an affordable way to get the solution he needed. Marco took out a small loan for a water storage tank. Together with his sister, the siblings split the monthly payments which they find manageable.
Now water is delivered, safely stored, and accessible all hours of the day. Marco is thankful he can come home from work and shower, mop, wash dishes, clean his room. “We no longer have to worry anymore about whether we have water,” he says. “The tank will have water.”
“I should have taken the loan sooner…we would have lived better.”
When asked how he felt about financing the water storage tank Marco did not hesitate saying, “I should have taken the loan sooner…we would have lived better.”
The loan is doing more than provide a water source for the young college student. Every payment builds Marco’s credit history which he will need after he finishes his degree to help him finance other important purchases.
Marco’s story is a reminder that water is life and it improves life. Read more about the power of financing for water to increase access to education and improve economies.
