3/23/2021

Valuing Clean Water — A Story of Inspiration from Honduras

The P&G Children’s Safe Drinking Water Program Provides Clean Water Solutions After Hurricane Eta
Five-year-old Mahia experienced a safe drinking water shortage after Hurricane Eta hit Honduras in November 2020

Imagine what life would be like if clean water was not readily available. How would you shower, wash your dishes and rehydrate your body? These simple, everyday tasks are hard to accomplish without access to clean water.

After devastating hurricanes wreaked havoc across Honduras late last year, Leda and her three daughters, Estefany, Genesis and Karla and her five-year-old granddaughter Mahia needed clean, safe drinking water. The only way they could access clean water was to send someone by boat to another area to buy it — a costly and logistically complicated solution.

Using P&G Purifier of Water packets delivered through the Children’s Safe Drinking Water Program by our partner Water Mission, Leda’s family was able to turn dirty, potential deadly water into clean, drinkable water.

In December 2020, Water Mission came to Leda’s community bringing the P&G Purifier of Water packets. Each packet acts as a mini-water treatment plant packed into a 4-gram tea-sized sachet and can clean 10 liters of dirty water in just 30 minutes.

Using water from the Ulua River, Water Mission educated Leda on how to use the packets to clean this dirty river water so Estefany, Genesis, Karla and Mahia wouldn’t have to drink the contaminated water.

“It’s very important to have clean water because we can prevent many sicknesses and have a better, healthier life,” said Leda. “After two hurricanes destroyed our community, we did not have a facility to access safe water, the cost for getting it was high and complicated. Water Mission came and made our lives easier by giving us these P&G Purifier of Water packets. Now we have an easier way to get clean water to cook and to drink.”

We’re observing World Water Day by recognizing the importance of clean water, sanitation and hygiene. This year’s theme from the United Nations, “Valuing Water”, reinforces the difference clean water can make in communities where access to this precious resource can be a struggle.

Leda is seated with her granddaughter Mahia after Hurricane Eta impacted their community in Honduras in November 2020.

Leda and her family represent the 18 billionth liter of water delivered through our Children’s Safe Drinking Water Program. Started in 2004, CSDW uses a technology invented by a P&G laundry scientist to help people like Leda and her family throughout the world. It’s one of the many ways P&G is stepping forward to Lead with Love.

Learn more about the Children’s Safe Drinking Water Program by visiting www.csdw.org or check out our social posts on Twitter at @ProcterGamble or Instagram at proctergamble.