Thanks to the tireless efforts of driven volunteers and the generosity of Sawyer Foundation donors, an estimated 1,000,000 million people now have access to clean water. Read on to see the where, how, faces, and stories behind this incredible impact.

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Veterans for Life Foundation

Jamaica & Guatemala

In November 2025, the Veterans for Life Foundation (V4LF), a veteran founded nonprofit helping Canadian veterans find healing through humanitarian service, carried out a clean water activation in Santa María de Jesús, Guatemala. Over 10 days, an eight person veteran team worked alongside local leaders to equip 250 families (about 1,000 people) with safe water solutions and hygiene education. Using Sawyer Best Practices and digital monitoring tools from Sparrow Data Solutions, the project established a model for long term sustainability through local ownership and transparent reporting.

Beyond bringing clean water to families in need, the initiative helped veterans rediscover purpose through service, turning their training into tools for health, hope, and resilience.

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Click here to see the emergency systems in action.

Additionally, V4LF provided much-needed relief to those affected by Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica. Where wells were contaminated and water systems failed, V4LF deployed with 2,000 Sawyer Mini Water Filters to support affected families, as well as hands-on training to recipients to ensure the filters are used correctly and maintained for long-term impact.
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Ethiopia ACT

This September, Ethiopia ACT launched a lifesaving clean water project in the Hanna Mariam community of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In partnership with local health authorities, the nonprofit provided water filters and training to 500 of the most vulnerable families, protecting children, pregnant women, and those already facing health risks. Beyond emergency response, the project strengthens local health workers and equips families with lasting tools for safe water.

The goal is ambitious yet clear: zero new cholera cases in these households during the 2026 and 2027 rainy seasons.

Learn more about Ethiopia ACT and donate to support their mission here.

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Unto

Chimaltenango region, Guatemala

In June 2025, Unto completed a clean water project in the Chimaltenango region of Guatemala, reaching 450 people from the Kaqchikel and Quiche communities. Families in this area often relied on unsafe streams or costly trucked-in water. Over the course of the project, Unto distributed 90 bucket filters, provided training on proper use, and collected surveys to measure impact. Follow-up visits later in the year assessed outcomes, with results showing improved access to safe water and a measurable decrease in diarrhea rates.

Click here to learn more and support Unto's mission.

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“The impact the Sawyer Foundation is making to those in need, and in my small way contributes to that, just feeds my soul.” C. Cormas, donor since 2023

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Change people's lives around the world by making a tax-deductible donation to The Sawyer Foundation. Your gift provides clean water to communities in developing countries through Sawyer's water filters and bucket systems. These are saving lives all over the world by combining our water filters with the tubing and accessories needed to convert a 5-gallon bucket into a low-cost and long-lasting gravity water filtration system.

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Workplace giving campaigns are in full force this season, and the Sawyer Foundation is honored to participate for the first time in the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC). Pledges can be made using CFC #35089 before January 15, 2026.

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From Hurricane Helene to individual impact, read last year's clean water stories at the link below.

Filters to Futures: 2024 in Review