In many of the communities where we work, the women are responsible for cooking, cleaning, taking care of the children and often even growing the food that their families eat. With our alternative income projects, women gain access to resources to generate a sustainable income and even start their own business. Empowering women in this way fights gender inequality and benefits the whole family.

Children around the world have big ambitions. However, 121 million primary-school-aged children are not in school. 774 million adults are illiterate, preventing them from so many opportunities we take for granted. Our education projects provide communities with schools, supplies like books and desks, and teacher training, making education accessible to thousands of children who now have the chance to improve their lives.

Common illnesses like malaria, diarrhea, and influenza keep millions of children from school every day and even threaten their lives. Annually, 9.2 million children under five die from preventable diseases. Our health projects provide basic medical supplies, mobile clinics, student lunch programs, awareness workshops, and more. Healthy children are then able to focus on more than just staying alive; they can pursue their future.

In the developing world, roughly 80 percent of illnesses are related to poor water and sanitation conditions. Roughly 1 in every 8 people worldwide has no access to safe drinking water, and 1 in 3 has inadequate sanitation. Adopt a Village responds to this need, which keeps so many children from school, by helping communities build up local clean water sources and sanitation practices with wells, latrines, hygiene workshops, and more.