Thy and his wife make their humble, thatch-roofed home in a small village that sits about 30 miles from the Bay of Thailand. While the sea is near, potable drinking water is not. So, as is the custom in many developing countries, finding and collecting water becomes the responsibility of women and girls. Rather than work or attend school on time, they are charged with spending hours each day making sure there is water in the home. Thy viewed this as unfair and unnecessary. He believed his daughters were too smart and capable to spend their time, and risk their safety, collecting water. Despite his limited income as a cattle farmer, Thy was determined to get his family easy access to safe water. 

Water.org created WaterCredit for families like Thy’s. Like so many other hard-working people living on marginal incomes, Thy could afford payments on a water solution, but it would be difficult to come up with all funds needed to pay for a connection or well upfront. By connecting him to affordable financing, Thy was empowered to install a water well and filter.  

Standing with one foot atop the well’s concrete base, Thy proudly explained, “Our water is so clean and healthy! My daughters don’t have to find it, neither does my wife. When my daughters marry I will make sure their husbands understand the importance of having water at home...for my girls.”