Water Is Essential
I first learned about the global water crisis in college. It was the first time I truly saw how access to clean water—something we often take for granted in the U.S.—can shape entire communities.
Years later, I entered the coffee industry, and that awareness deepened. Coffee starts in communities that are rich in culture, knowledge, and care—but too often lacking in basic infrastructure, like clean water. As Project Waterfall puts it:
“While we enjoy the purest filtered water in our coffee, the communities at the end of its supply chain face a water crisis.”
Why One Village Coffee Supports Project Waterfall
That’s why One Village Coffee is proud to support Project Waterfall, a nonprofit uniting the coffee industry and coffee lovers to invest in clean water, sanitation, and hygiene in coffee-growing regions.
Today, 703 million people around the world lack access to clean water. Most of them live in rural, remote communities—many of the same places where our coffee is grown.
The Impact of Clean Water
Access to clean water improves health, increases school attendance, and empowers women and children. Waterborne diseases claim 1.6 million lives each year, and children are especially vulnerable. Clean water and hygiene education can prevent much of this.
In many communities, women and girls spend up to 8 hours each day walking to collect water that weighs over 40 pounds. This can lead to spinal and pelvic deformities, miscarriages and chronic fatigue, and prevents girls from attending school. Clean and accessible water sets communities up for success, creating time, energy and opportunity - and has a ripple effect on education, income, and food security.
Featured Project: Bugesera, Rwanda
Project Waterfall works to equip communities with the tools, training, and infrastructure to thrive. This year, One Village Coffee contributed to Project Waterfall’s work in Bugesera, Rwanda, where the goal is to bring clean water to 46,845 people by year’s end. As of the first-quarter update, 90% of the new water distribution system is already complete. Two reservoirs and a water pump station are now operational, 250 households have improved their sanitation, and 1,200 women have received financial and IT training to help sustain the project for the long term.
Looking Ahead
Clean water is a human right—recognized by the UN as Sustainable Development Goal 6. At One Village Coffee, we’re committed to supporting the people who make coffee possible, and that means investing in clean water and healthy communities.
