A microloan was used to upgrade this water connection from an old handpump to a mechanical pump with a tank in a small town in the Philippines. In this photo, the children are surprised by the water pressure.
Water is life. Divya, in Pillayarkuppam village, India, drinks water from the safe water tap at her house. Women and girls often walk hours per day to secure water for their families leaving little time for education or outside work. With safe water and sanitation accessible at the household level, girls can stay in school and women have time to go to work, build their own businesses, and contribute to the development of their families and communities.
A woman proudly displays the microloan that helped purchase the construction of the household toilet behind her. The greatest barrier to universal access to safe water and sanitation is a lack of affordable financing.
These women are gathering water as a community in India. Access to safe water reduces inequality and promotes economic development. According to a World Health Organization Report, time spent gathering water accounts for an estimated 24 billion USD in lost economic opportunity each year.
To me a good house means having a toilet and a water connection.” In India, Tirotama now has a water connection that gets water twice daily for two hours. The quality of the water is clean and there is enough for cooking and drinking.
