Combating the Global Water Crisis with Water.org
Oxi Fresh Donations Improve Access to Safe Water and Sanitation
In today’s world, it may be hard for some of us to imagine that one in ten—or roughly 771 million people—still lack access to safe water. One in four—about 1.7 billion people—lack consistent access to a toilet.
Without access to safe water and sanitation, an estimated one million humans around the planet die every year from water-, sanitation-, and hygiene-related diseases. Sadly, about every two minutes, a child dies from a water-related condition as well.
Beyond these extreme impacts on human health, this lack of access has an especially large impact on women and girls living in poverty, who are often responsible for collecting water. Every day, women and girls spend 200 million hours retrieving water for their families and even more time searching for a place to go to the bathroom.
That time could otherwise be spent studying, attending school, caring for children and other family, working, running a business, and so much more.
Water.org’s Remarkable Reach
These challenges—collectively known as the Global Water Crisis—represent one of the most serious and substantial issues facing humanity today. Thankfully, since 2009 (with roots going back to 1990), a non-profit organization called Water.org has been having an outsized impact, helping millions of individuals significantly improve their lives by gaining consistent access to safe water and sanitation solutions.
Today, operating on four continents and in eleven countries, Water.org has transformed the lives of more than 58 million people across Asia, Africa, and Latin America—reaching 8.7 million people in 2022 alone.
How They Do It
In many cases, a relatively small amount of money is one of the only things standing between families living in poverty and consistent access to safe water and sanitation. With the funding they receive from donors like us, Water.org supports local financial institutions throughout the developing world, providing training and resources that enable these organizations to offer affordable micro-loans to individuals living in poverty.
With a 98% repayment rate and an average loan size of $363, this approach helps families in need get immediate access to sustainable, long-term solutions like water taps and toilets for their homes.
This consistent access to safe water and sanitation dramatically changes lives, significantly improving health outcomes and freeing up time for work, school, family, and more. With 90% of these loans going to female borrowers who are, once again, mostly responsible for collecting their families’ water, these programs have an especially monumental impact on women and girls around the world.
Oxi Fresh and Water.org
At Oxi Fresh, we’ve pioneered a low-moisture carpet cleaning process that’s helped us save more than 100 million gallons of water to date (compared to traditional steam cleanings).
With water conservation so central to our operations, we were honored to join forces with Water.org in 2015, donating to their cause anytime one of our customers books a carpet or upholstery cleaning through our Online Scheduler.
To date, we’ve donated more than $250,000 to this life-changing cause. As Oxi Fresh Founder and CEO Jonathan Barnett states below, we’re proud to have impacted the lives of so many people around the world:
“These days, 89% of Water.org’s loans go to households living on less than $6.85 a day. I’m delighted to know Oxi Fresh has changed the lives of so many families living in real poverty around the world, and I can’t wait to see what we can do in the future. We’re just thrilled our business has become such a force for good.”
Get Involved!
Anytime you book a cleaning through Oxi Fresh’s Online Scheduler, you can rest assured we’ll send a corresponding donation to Water.org. And if you’re interested in learning or giving more, we’d encourage you to check out Water.org’s website, make your own individual contribution, or even host your own fundraiser.
You could also post this blog on your own social media profiles to share this story with your friends, family, and other followers. Whatever you choose to do, we hope you’ll help Oxi Fresh and Water.org in our mission to improve access to safe water and sanitation around the world.
*The facts, figures, and photos presented in this blog were provided by Water.org.
