Water.org, WaterAid, and AWS collaborate to provide safe water

AWS’s collaboration with nonprofits provides clean water to more than 250,000 people in India.

In 2021, Manga, a widowed mother of two teenage daughters from the Batasingaram village outside of Hyderabad, India, did not have a toilet or clean water connection in her home. She would walk about a mile each day, and even at night, to her sister’s home, to use the bathroom and fill containers with water for cooking and drinking. With the support from global nonprofit Water.org, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and a local partner, Manga received a microloan to install a toilet and water tap in her home. This saves her time which enables her to earn more income for her family, ensures the safety of her daughters at night, and allows her to proudly provide an important resource for her family.

Manga is one of more than 250,000 people across India who have benefited from programs by Water.org and WaterAid in collaboration with AWS to support access to water and sanitation in local communities where AWS operates. Water community projects like these are especially important in India, which has a population of 1.38 billion people. More than 6% of India’s population lacks access to safe water according to Water.org. In addition, about 15% of India’s population also lacks household water connections and toilets, which contributes to waterborne illnesses, malnourishment, and death. To compound matters, millions continue to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, which makes access to safe water even more critical for families’ health in India.

“These projects provide 500 million liters of water annually to people who previously lacked consistent access to clean water. With reliable access to water, health is improved, kids stay in school, income increases, and opportunities for women and girls expand," said Michael Mayernik, Water.org head of corporate partnerships. "Water is the way to break the cycle of poverty, to protect and save lives, and to make a more equitable future possible."

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