All stories

Leah's family has safe water at home now

Leah lives in a rural village about an hour from Nairobi. She was once one of the millions who rely on unimproved water sources to survive. Read her story.

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How Sarah and Steve gave their family safe water

An inspiring story from Kenya, watch as Sarah explains how she and her husband, Steve, were empowered with a small, affordable loan to give their family access to safe water at home.

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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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Glaucia's sanitation crisis solved

For Glaucia, paying a small amount each month to pay off a loan for a bathroom at home was both affordable and practical. She no longer had to worry about her family’s health and the medical expenses that came with poor hygiene issues. Glaucia gave her family a bathroom much sooner than she’d ever thought imaginable.

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Our partners in Kenya share first-hand the power of lending for water and sanitation

The financial institutions with whom we partner share our vision of safe water and sanitation for all. They share it because our partner financial institutions have seen firsthand how when they lend to their customers for household water and sanitation solutions, these families experience improved health, time for education, income generation and other socio-economic opportunities. Read more about this through the testimonies of our partners in Kenya.

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Time to play

When kids have access to safe water, there is more time to play. After a day at school, summer, holidays—these are times for fun and play. Yet, for the millions of kids who don't have access to safe water at home, such carefree joys are a world away. Instead of play, or even time to go to school, millions of children share with their mothers the burden of water collection.

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Stefanos believes in safe water and his children

Imagine a teacher who couldn’t see his own kids to school each day because instead, they were off finding water, or worse, because they were sick from drinking unsafe water. A simple, powerful solution empowered Stefanos to change these realities that millions of people around the world face today.

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And so she sews

Margaret enthusiastically shared her excitement about having access to water just steps from her home now. For a loan of 50,000 Kenyan Shillings (about $500) Margaret has two rain storage tanks with gutters on her home that can carry water down to the tanks.

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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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Alice saves money and her family

Alice and her family rely on the food her livestock, plants, and trees produce. In the same way, these things rely on Alice to give them water. So how does one living in rural Kenya get enough water to not only provide for their family’s needs but to also keep their plants and animals healthy? For a time, Alice had to piece together water from various sources.

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Safe water, healthy babies

Access to safe water is critical to the health of women and their babies during pregnancy and after. Walking to collect water and carrying heavy vessels of water can be dangerous for a pregnant woman. Affordable access to safe water is why we celebrate the healthy pregnancies of women like Sophon, Grace, and Anita.

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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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