India stories

She gave her family health, hope, and possibility

Her family’s survival depended on the water she collected each day. See how affordable, lasting access to safe water at home has changed Chenamma’s life.

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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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Investing in water is an investment in women

Investing in water is investing in potential. With access to safe water at home, Sunita and her family spend less time collecting water and can spend more time pursuing income generating activities like raising her cattle.

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Access to sanitation during the COVID-19 pandemic

Now more than ever access to safe water and toilets are critical to the health of families around the world. That's why we're committed to continuing our work to empower people like Jeyalakshmi with access to both and the health and hope they bring.

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From poverty to possibility: Chumki's story

Water.org's Chief Operating Officer, Vedika Bhandarkar, describes how financial inclusion for women and families in need of water can change their lives. Through the story of Chumki who used a small, affordable loan to give her family water, Vedika explains how time spent collecting water can now be used to increase household income.

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Usha

In a small community outside of Hyderabad, India, Usha is one of many women who used small, affordable loans to construct a water tap or toilet at home.

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Darshana

In a village in Western India lives a woman named Darshana. Darshana and her husband have a humble home on a small piece of land. Together with their two children, the family works hard to make enough to pay for their living expenses however, they often struggle to accomplish this. They lack access to a toilet and this poses an issue to their health and safety.

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Toilets are the beginning of bright futures

Before Vijayalakshmi had a toilet for her family to use at home, she and her children joined the more than 200 million others in India who went outdoors. Unsafe and unhealthy, Vijayalakshmi had to find an affordable, sustainable way to give her family a sanitation solution at home. Through Water.org's partners in India, she did. Read her story.

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Safe water and sanitation brings smiles and playtime

When you increase access to affordable financing, you increase smiles. This is because women like Rosalyn can finally afford to give their families some of life's most basic necessities. Read Rosalyn's story.

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It's time for school

Water makes time for school possible for kids in Rasulpur and around the world. When kids have access to safe water at home they can walk to school instead of walk to collect water.

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Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6

Mechanisms that strategically use donor finance to catalyze private investment – often referred to as “blended finance” – will be critical to filling the financing gap that exists to solve the global water crisis. Water.org is well-poised to help the global community move forward. Learn more from Water.org’s Chief Operating Officer, Vedika Bhandarkar as she explains how blended finance is a solution to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals for achieving global access to safe water and sanitation.

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Hamsaveni and Rajesh give their daughters a bright future

India is the second most populous country in the world, with more than 1 billion citizens. A staggering 229 million of India's population practice open defecation. Read about how families are using small, affordable loans to end this practice and give their kids bright futures.

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