Access to Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) remains a challenge for 161 million people in Latin America and the Caribbean, where poor water quality, inadequate sanitation facilities, and limited hygiene practices contribute to high disease burdens, reduced productivity, and persistent poverty. Without safe water and proper sanitation, children miss school due to illness, and adults struggle with productivity.

WASH interventions play a crucial role in poverty reduction by mitigating the risk of malnutrition, enteropathy, and infections. They prevent chronic inflammation caused by recurrent infections, which often results in stunted growth and impaired neurodevelopment. They ensure better outcomes for children and their families.

This World Water Day, your gift will be mathed dollar for dollar — up to $200,000 — through March 22, 2026.

Since 2008, Food For The Poor, working with trusted partners such as Water Mission, has installed 2,208 water filtration systems across Latin America and the Caribbean, including a new system completed in Peru in April 2025. In 2024 alone, the organization completed 23 water projects benefiting 84,950 people. Efforts continue to expand access to safe water: as of 2025, 13 additional projects are under construction in Peru, Honduras, and Mexico, including reverse osmosis and solar-powered treatment systems that are expected to serve approximately 213,711 more people once completed.