Our impact

Clean water, improved hygiene and sanitation transform lives. Watch these videos to see the difference for yourself.


What We Do     |     The Crisis      |     Our Approach     |     Our Impact


Our Impact

We have reached 25 million people worldwide with safe water. Behind this number lie the stories of how individual lives have been transformed in some of the world’s poorest communities.

Videos about our impact

Stories from our work

Water on the way: Progress in Madagascar

August 21st, 2017|0 Comments

In the villages of Tsarafangitra and Marovintsika Fokontanys in Madagascar, families, schools, health centres, have no access to clean water. In Tsarafangitra, the nearest dirty water source is more than 1.5 kilometres away. This central water [...]

We’ve already come so far

Can you imagine the day when everyone, everywhere has access to safe water and a decent toilet? At the current rate of progress, we’re not far off. Every year, 78 million people are turning on a tap or using a pump for the first time. If we can reach just 8% more people a year, together we’ll achieve our ambitious goal.

Water is just the beginning

Lives are transformed when hours spent carrying water are instead spent with family, tending crops, raising livestock or starting a business. Simple access to water, toilets, and hygiene education keeps families healthy, women and girls safe, and children in school. In communities around the world, WaterAid has helped 25 million people gain access to safe water.

Students in Uganda lead the way in making periods affordable and smashing taboos

August 16th, 2017|0 Comments

In the remote region of Karamoja in north-eastern Uganda, an inspiring group of teenagers are working to break the silence around periods and debunk menstruation myths. The children at St Mary’s School used to go [...]

Thank you to some of our younger supporters!

June 15th, 2017|0 Comments

We are always humbled and inspired by the actions and generosity of our supports, especially our younger supporters. We've had a few young Canadians support us recently and we wanted to share their stories! Simon teaches [...]

Water Stories: the global water crisis in pictures

June 12th, 2017|0 Comments

An exhibition by award-winning photographer Mustafah Abdulaziz highlighting the global water crisis launches July 8 in Vancouver, Canada. Water Stories, part of Mustafah’s multiyear project "Water", is the result of collaboration with the HSBC Water Program [...]

  • Rabina, 17, in Nepal

Girls in Nepal challenge menstrual taboos through photos

May 26th, 2017|0 Comments

Teenage girls in a small rural village in Nepal have used the power of photography to help bust the menstrual myths that have imposed many unnecessary restrictions on their lives. Last year, the girls used cameras [...]

The impact of improved sanitation

Chisomo Kaunda, a student from Malawi, shows us the difference having decent, private toilets at school makes.

“Before we had the new latrines us girls had to go to the toilet in the bush. I feel now that my future is bright because…I will know the importance of clean water and of good hygiene and I will take these messages with me and spread them to others.”

The impact of improved hygiene

Monika Nayak, a tea picker from Bangladesh, talks about the impact of good hygiene on her community.

“Before WaterAid’s partner came we had illnesses. We couldn’t save money. But now we’ve become more prosperous. It is getting better for us. I say to people…that they should wash their hands before eating. I educate the community about good practices.”

The impact of influencing

Tika Devi Magar from Nepal speaks about mobilizing her community to make change happen.

“I used to wonder how they could say that they couldn’t provide drinking water for us. I had a kind of anger for that. A single person can’t do anything. We had to go for a collective effort. We got our water by fighting for our rights.”