Water.org, a nonprofit organization based in Kansas City, has reached a new milestone, changing 70 million lives with access to safe water or sanitation. This milestone highlights the efficacy of Water.org’s market-driven financial approach, which has scaled to reach more than nine million people in the past year alone.
“Reaching 70 million people with access to safe water or sanitation shows the strength of our approach,” cofounder Gary White said. “There is urgency in the work ahead, as 2.2 billion people still lack access to safe water. Our financial solutions remove barriers that prevent families from accessing these essential resources. By unlocking capital, we help families to create healthy, sustainable futures.”
Water.org uses donor funds to direct capital where it’s needed most, putting power into the hands of people to fund their own water and sanitation solutions. The result is a sustainable and scalable solution that grows each year, empowering families with access to lasting safe water and sanitation services. Over the years, this approach has accelerated impact, proving the effectiveness of using finance as a tool for change.
“Our work focuses on ensuring that families in need can take control of their futures by gaining access to small loans that allow them to select the water and sanitation solutions that work best for them,” said Vedika Bhandarkar, president and COO of Water.org. “By partnering with local financial institutions around the world, we help make water and sanitation services affordable and accessible, resulting in strong, healthy and climate-resilient communities.”
Designed to meet the global demand for affordable safe water and sanitation, Water.org’s work contributes to solving Sustainable Development Goal 6 — clean water and sanitation for all by 2030. The organization’s approach effectively addresses the significant financing gap between families living in poverty and access to safe water and sanitation by mobilizing capital into the water and sanitation sector. This allows families to access the resources they need to secure lasting solutions to their water and sanitation crisis and improves their health and livelihood.
More information is available at www.water.org.
–Dwight Widaman | Metro Voice