WATERSHED.ORG
Formerly the Watershed Management Council

The dignity and strength of women around the world is astounding - in celebration of Mother's Day, watch this video and hear the inspiring stories of three mothers who broke the cycle of poverty, and found a path to water.

In Tamil Nadu, community residents are often dependent on remote and unsafe connections for drinking water. Even when a public water tap is nearby, long lines can take up precious time that could be better spent on income generating opportunities.

Mrs. Annakka Ujinikoppa and her sisters wanted to find a way to help their mother-in-law gain closer access to a toilet. They were finding the cost too high but then they discovered a WaterCredit loan.

Wereda Gulo-Mekeda is located on the northern part of the Tigray regional state characterized by mountainous landscape with a limited supply of potable water. People there were suffering from this challenge, which was forcing them travel long distances to collect water.

Galalben Keshubhai Chawda, pictured in red, is 38 years old and lives in Thakkerbapa Nagar, Ahmedabad, India. She has worked incredibly hard to become a successful construction worker and has skills in masonry, plastering, tiling, flooring and stone cutting. Here is her story, in her own words.

It is a known fact that children learn and absorb knowledge better than adults. Because of this, the ASOMI WSH Project, a partner of Water.org’s, initiated the Children Health Club Programme to teach good hygiene practices to rural school children.

[VIDEO] Once her town rallied together, and worked with Water.org to dig a well, everything changed for Jeanne Jacque and her children.

Selvi is 37 years old and lives in Karattai Village in Vannur block, in Tamil Nadu. She and her husband work as agricultural laborers and have two daughters in school.

More and more celebrities are supporting Matt Damon in his toilet strike protesting the lack of access to safe water and adequate sanitation for billions.

A spring is water that reaches the surface from an underground supply, appearing as small water holes or wet spots on hillsides or along river banks. In order to "catch" the water for use, the spring must be capped, allowing the water to pool up into the cement block. In this photo you can see the construction of the spring cap for the town of Ennery, Haiti, which has a population of 10,100 people. Now that the cap has been built, a pipe will be installed, running from the catchment block down the hill to the town, giving them access to safe water.

Christine Mbati has three children and was recently widowed. She is a member of the K’Obonyo self-help group and lives at Ulanda village.

At a press conference in Los Angeles, Water.org co-founder Matt Damon announces his strike to raise awareness for the water crisis.

Children and adults learn about good hygiene practices through a series of street plays, including hand washing and the importance of using a toilet instead of practicing open defecation. They also learn about the connection between water-related illnesses and prevention.

Mrs. Lalitha Patil lives in Gojaga Village. She took a loan for Rs.10,000/- from Water.org's partner, Grameen Koota (GK), and constructed a toilet in her home. Afterwards, she became highly motivated and decided to work with her village to become completely clean and hygienic.

In Assam, access to safe drinking water and sanitation in rural communities and small towns is often unavailable. Community residents are dependent on rain, streams, and rivers for drinking and agricultural water. Additionally, unhygienic practices have contributed to the pollution of available water sources and the soil. Many residents suffer from various water-borne diseases, such as diarrhea, which are preventable with the adoption of critical sanitary and hygienic skills, such as hand washing.

April Rinne, Director of WaterCredit, speaks with The Weather Channel’s Jim Cantore live from The World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Watch the full interview here.