Creating Partnerships to Provide Purified Water for Communities in Need
Our Vision:
- To create partnerships with people in areas of the world who do not have a local source of purified water
- To install water purification, bottling and distribution systems that meet the needs of each community
- To teach community health and hygiene education
- To empower women to participate in the project installation, operation of the system and continued education
- To provide opportunities for volunteers to serve
What We Do
Agua Viva International dramatically improves health conditions by providing water purification systems to very poor, remote communities of up to 2,000 people where governments and other humanitarian water organizations do not intervene. Typically, water supplies at these locations are tainted with bacteria, parasites and other contaminants. We form partnerships with these villages, equipping community members to install, maintain and operate the water purification systems long term. We provide on-site health and hygiene education and train local residents to continue this teaching.
Agua Viva also focuses on gender empowerment, providing women in the partner communities with micro-business water purification, bottling and distribution opportunities.
Agua Viva is among the few charitable water organizations that encourage volunteers to join us on trips to install systems in our partner communities. There is no better way to learn about the critical need for purified water or to embrace a compassionate world view than spending time with the people we serve.
Our Core Objectives
Development
Regular access to purified water and health education can lead to improvements in a community, giving people more time at work, at school and with their families. If the community wishes, they also may sell water to generate profits that can be used to pay system operators or complete community projects.
Education
Agua Viva offers communities a universal education program based on two simple concepts: the importance of hand washing and when it is necessary to use purified water. This program is designed to promote health in the community and demonstrate the importance of maintaining their water purification systems.
Empowering Women
Agua Viva’s commitment to centering women can be seen in both the United States and in the countries where we work. Agua Viva is committed to filling 50% of its U.S. positions with women, and we encourage communities we partner with to promote women and mothers as system operators and health educators.
Volunteerism
Agua Viva fosters relationships between U.S. volunteers and in-country partners all over the world. Many who volunteer with Agua Viva find this experience to be life-changing, thanks to the partnerships and friendships they develop during the install.
Respect for Culture
Agua Viva makes every effort to respect, celebrate and embrace the culture of each community in which we work. We partner with communities on their own terms to identify who should be involved and where the Agua Viva system will be able to reach the most people.
Sustainability
When combined, these objectives are designed to create a system of sustainability, where people all over the world value and maintain their Agua Viva water purification systems because they see the benefits every day: improvements in health, increased financial opportunities and stronger communities.
