We work in 15 countries and counting…

We work in 15 countries across 4 continents. In Asia, we work in Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Our work in Africa spans across Botswana, Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Uganda. And in Latin America, we work in Brazil, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, and Peru.

In these countries – in urban communities, in rural villages, in homes and schools – this is where we're transforming lives. We’re scaling impact as we continue to assess new regions and countries where our market-driven, financial approach can help change the lives of people in need.

Our solutions are market-driven

The water crisis looks different in different parts of the world. Our solution – small, affordable loans for water and sanitation – is adaptable to the countries where we work. Choosing those countries requires strategic consideration as we work toward the global goal of safe water and sanitation for all.

We pursue programs based on the following:

  • The need for access to safe water and improved sanitation in the area.
  • The potential effectiveness of a financial approach to solve the water crisis for people in the region.
  • The level of support of the utility infrastructure, economic demographics, and political environment for our work.
Map of 15 countries where Water.org works.
10.5 million people reached
9 partners
863,000 people reached
250,000 loans disbursed by our partners
2 million people reached
452,000 loans disbursed by our partners
29.7 million people reached
25 partners
5.1 million people reached
964,000 loans disbursed by our partners
9.9 million people reached
2.4 million loans disbursed by our partners
219,000 people reached
5 partners
5.5 million people reached
1.4 M loans disbursed by our partners
10.2 million people reached
2.2 million loans disbursed by our partners
420,000 people reached
3 partners
803,000 people reached
48,000 loans disbursed by our partners

Featured story

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From fear and heartache to comfort and pride

For most moms, the health and safety of their children is always top of mind. Even before a mom’s own needs, giving her kids the essential resources needed to protect and save their lives is the priority. For Masura in Bangladesh, not being able to give their kids resources like safe water and a private toilet can be scary and heartbreaking.

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Featured story

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Safe water in the midst of drought

After decades of contending with drought and thirst, a small loan changed everything for Hilberto and Luiza. The couple financed a water well and a storage tank that provide their family and farm animals with safe water and what they refer to as “pure joy” because now they have the water needed to survive and thrive.

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Featured story

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Drinks for their customers and their family

It’s hard to believe that, just past Hai’s display of snacks and refreshing bottled beverages for sale there sits a home, Hai and Hoeun’s home, that once lacked a source of safe water. Read about how this couple gave their family safe water at home.

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Featured story

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Anita's family is safe

Anita wanted to give her girls a safe, healthy place to go but, the thought of paying for a private toilet at home felt financially impossible. How could she save to build a toilet when the costs of living were already too high? Read about how a small loan helped Anita solve her family's sanitation crisis.

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Featured story

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Safe water in Sapdiah's rainforest home

While Indonesia’s rainforests are some of our planet's most biologically rich landscapes, many of the families who call the region home are not so affluent. Families like Sapdiah’s family lack the funds needed to access life's most critical resources, like safe water at home.

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Featured story

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Phoebe shortened the distance between her family and safe water

While she is soft spoken and gentle-hearted, Phoebe’s decision to finance a safe water solution for her family was nothing shy of bold and life-changing. Prior to giving her family a lasting safe water solution at home, Phoebe humbly drew upon every ounce of strength in her body to endure what she refers to as a daily journey to collect water. Then Phoebe's life changed when she was given the opportunity to finance a lasting safe water solution at home.

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Featured story

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Where Sergio and Gloria Grow

Gloria and Sergio live in Mexico where, they now have affordable, lasting access to safe water. Click below to find out how a small loan for water storage cisterns allows this couple to enjoy their retired years tending to their garden and caring for their family.

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Featured story

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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.

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Featured story

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She is not afraid anymore

With no more uncertainty about the quality of their water or where it will come from each day, Carfel confidently shared, “I am not afraid anymore.” Thanks to the support of our generous donors and funders, Carfel’s worries and fears about the water her family needed have turned to gratitude and comfort because now they have lasting access to safe water at home and the health, hope, and life that flow from it.

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Featured story

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Obwiri

When COVID-19 reached Obwiri’s community, she had increasing concerns about her family’s sanitation situation. Read about how a small loan empowered her to solve her family's water and sanitation crisis at a critical time.

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Featured story

Semambo coffee

Semambo Grows

Upon meeting Semambo one discovers she is truly living out the beauty of her dreams. Strong and bold like the coffee she grows, she overcame obstacles that once stood between her and the ability to earn an income to support her family.

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70 million people lack access to safe water
118 million people lack access to a safe toilet
27 million people lack access to safe water
108 million people lack access to a safe toilet
11 million people lack access to safe water
10 million people lack access to a safe toilet
35 million people lack access to safe water
678 million people lack access to a safe toilet
192 million people lack access to safe water
14 million people lack access to a safe toilet
15 million people lack access to safe water
37 million people lack access to a safe toilet
72 M people lack access to safe water
47 million people lack access to a safe toilet
16 million people lack access to safe water
14 million people lack access to a safe toilet
60 million people lack access to safe water
43 million people lack access to a safe toilet
58 million people lack access to safe water
49 million people lack access to a safe toilet
38 million people lack access to safe water
38 million people lack access to a safe toilet
Bangladesh
Brazil
Cambodia
India
Indonesia
Kenya
Mexico
Peru
Philippines
Tanzania
Uganda

Our regional strategies help scale impact

Our regional teams work in Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Latin America. This allows us to:

  • Build a strong presence in priority countries in each region while exploring new areas of impact.
  • Address the diverse financing needs of the water and sanitation sector within each region.
  • Cultivate deep networks across financial institutions, government organizations, water service providers, and other water and sanitation sector partners.
  • Leverage local talent who bring local context and lived experience to our work.
  • Support efficiency in our operational teams, quickly deploying resources across the region.

In each of the regions where we work, we are scaling and diversifying financial partnerships to drive impact through WaterCredit and expanding water and sanitation infrastructure solutions with utility partners by helping increase the capital invested and capital mobilized for water and sanitation solutions. With a focus on improving gender equity and climate resiliency, our regional strategies are helping reach more people in need, faster.

The progress of our programs and expansion varies in each of the countries where we work. From long-standing programs in India to exploring new regions in Latin America, here are some examples of where we've been and where we're headed.

A woman in Bangladesh gives her baby a drink of water.

Millions of lives changed in Bangladesh

Since 2004, Water.org has played a significant role in Bangladesh's progress toward improved water, sanitation and hygiene, changing more than 10.5 million lives with 9 partners through our WaterCredit solution.

A woman in Peru holds yellow flowers at a market.

Rapid growth in Peru

We started working in the Peru in 2014. We now have 3 partners and have changed more than 5.5 million lives with safe water or sanitation here. Our programs continue to grow and we’re currently working with associations of financial institutions to reach even more people.

A woman washes her hands in water flowing from a tap.

New work in Tanzania

As a result of market research, we found opportunity to bring our financial solutions to Tanzania. Our first partner disbursed their first loans for water and sanitation in 2019, and we are now working with 3 partners to scale our impact in this country that has a critical need for safe water and sanitation solutions for families living in poverty.

$25 helps one family get access to safe water.

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