Water.org answers: What does Water mean to us
On March 22nd, World Water Day , the theme is asking: What does water mean to you?
To global nonprofit organisation Water.org, water means safety, health, and empowerment. Water means the world. But millions of people across the world don’t have access to the quality and quantity of water they need. By partnering with local communities and organisations, as well as donation contributors, Water.org has changed the lives of 33 million people by providing access to water.
Photo credit: Water.org
Their organisation is allied by their core values of integrity, social justice, creating systemic change from unlikely forces, and the intrinsic power of individuals. The team at Water.org, while made up of numerous ethnic and faith backgrounds, are united by their shared vision of “a world of equity and opportunity.”
Despite their global reach, Water.org is closer to home than you might think. Australians can contribute to the organisation by donating and sharing. Water.org relies on the donations of contributors, whose generosity has helped over 33 million people. Sharing on social media raises awareness about the global water crisis, and can be achieved by the click of a button: Water.org often posts inspiring content ready to share.
Photo credit: Water.org
Your donation goes to families in rural villages, like the one a Water.org spokesperson visited, just outside of Kenya. These families are “hardworking and resourceful,” Morée Lambeth, Senior Content Creator at Water.org remembers.
“Their incomes may not be more than a few dollars a day, but their determination to make a good life for everyone in the village is strong.”
Water access was one of the community’s priority issues, as it would not only improve their health, but also increase their crop production and the number of animals they could feed. Lambeth describes Water.org’s relationship with their in-country partners as “key” to their work: “As local residents and financial professionals, they have a first-hand understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities in their communities.” Water.org has worked extensively across Africa, Asia and Latin America with 154 local banks and other financial institution partners to increase water access through affordable financing. This effective, market-driven initiative is called WaterCredit.
Photo credit: Water.org
One of Water.org’s partners in Kenya, Equity Bank, offers small loans for water and sanitation. The rural community rallied together with their savings and acquired a loan that allowed them to build rain storage tanks on their properties. For low monthly payments, the community now has access to water at their homes.
As Lambeth explains, the people they serve are “change agents capable of transforming their lives and communities. They need a hand up, not a handout, to accomplish this. There are millions of people in need like these families in rural Kenya, who, with access to affordable financing, are willing and able to take a small, affordable loan to solve their own water and sanitation problems immediately.” Even the youth in these communities are empowered to make a difference. Without the need to spend hours of their day collecting water, children are free to attend school, “where they learn, play, and dream.”
Photo credit: Water.org
Water.org’s work is inspiring and life-changing. From the unity of local communities, to the generosity of global support, providing access to clean water is a world-wide effort. This World Water Day, consider donating to Water.org, and take a moment to reflect on what water means to you.
WORDS: BIANCA BREEN, MOORE LAMBETH
PHOTOGRAPHY: WATER.ORG
PHOTOGRAPHY: WATER.ORG
