Waiting a lifetime for water

Uni is unsure of her exact age, she doesn't know what caused her daughter to die, and admittedly, she doesn't know what the next day holds. However, one thing she can be certain of is that soon she will have access to safe water at home. 

Uni is a widow who is raising her four grandchildren in a rural village called Rancalabuh in Indonesia. Her husband died many years ago, and recently her daughter died of an unknown illness. After Uni’s daughter died, her son-in-law fled the village leaving his four children behind. Uni, who believes she is more than 60 years old, is raising them now. 

Uni’s home sits up on a hill, just above a canal. The canal where she gets water for cooking and drinking, where the villagers wash their clothes, where hanging latrines are affixed over the water, and where Uni bathes her grandchildren. 

Uni’s oldest son lives a few homes down from her. He is helping to provide for Uni and the children. The children are often ill, in fact while we visited with Uni, her eight-year-old grandson was running a very high fever and had stomach pains. Uni’s son understands it is important for his family to have safe water to drink, cook and bathe. 

For Uni, her son, and her grandchildren; this is why Water.org created WaterCredit. While families like Uni's are not in a position to pay for a water connection all at once, they are able to pay payments toward making the solution their own. WaterCredit makes small loans possible for these families, bringing safe water to their homes immediately. 

Uni is hopeful the new water point will yield safe, healthy water preventing her and her grandchildren from acquiring any more undesired, water-borne illnesses.

After waiting so long for what turned out to be an accessible and empowering solution, give water credit for improving the living conditions and futures for Uni and her grandchildren.