Women's empowerment stories

Together, we've empowered millions of people with access to safe water and sanitation. We invite you to meet some of them and read their stories.

All stories
Woinshet in Ethiopia
Woinshet

The need for water and toilets was high in Woinshet's village until locals were able to fund the construction of latrines or taps in their homes.

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Monica and her family in Peru
Monica

Monica is studying to be a cosmetologist, and can’t wait to graduate. The optimism in her eyes and the confidence in her tone demonstrate readiness to see her hard work blossom into a career.

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India - Loan card 2
How small loans empower women to define their futures

We've seen, across many different countries, the crippling cycle of poverty that the lack of access to clean water and sanitation perpetuates. For women, collecting water is a major activity each day. They walk to the local community tap and then spend hours in line waiting to fill their containers. Children—mostly girls—are forced to leave school to spend their time collecting water, their future choices narrowing with every bucket filled. Read more on why access to small affordable loans are a proven, powerful, long-term solution to helping millions solve their water crisis.

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Edita in Peru
Edita

Water.org’s work around the world includes removing the financial barriers that separate women like Edita from access to safe water.

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Maritez Cambodia 2
Maritez

It is with this enthusiasm Maritez spends her days celebrating the transformative power of safe water by educating others in her community on how they too can look forward to healthy, bright futures.

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Elma in the Philippines
Elma

Elma’s courage gave her the strength to choose smiles over tears, to choose love over pain, and to champion safe water for her family, even when the battle seemed impossible.

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Rose in Uganda
Rose

Uganda is the country Rose calls home, and finally, the water-related issues faced by so many in Uganda will no longer affect her family.

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Mitu in Bangladesh
Mitu

A lack of in-house toilets in Bangladesh often jeopardizes health, safety, and dignity. Discover Mitu's story of how she plans to bring an in-house toilet to her family.

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Water for Fitri
Water for Fitri

Sumy wants her daughter to have a good life, one unburdened by the water crisis. Read how something called WaterCredit empowered Sumy and her husband to make that life possible for Fitri.

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Nureni and her son in Indonesia
Nureni

Nureni is a business owner, a wife and a mother. Through our WaterCredit solution, Nureni now has access to a safe water tap in her kitchen. Read more about how this tap has helped her earn an income to put her son through school.

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Bachamma in India
Milk money

Bachamma and her husband live in a thatched-roof home with a covered entry where they keep their dairy cows. In addition to drinking water for her family, she needs to water their cows multiple times a day to keep up their milk production.

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Elenita in the Philippines
Life is so much better now

Elenita is proud she can now spend her days at home, sewing bags and aprons for a living. This was not always the case. Celebrate her story with us.

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Together, we can empower more families with safe water.

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