Bright Spot: WaterAid America

Despite the incredible challenges of the past year, the response from our community has been truly awe-inspiring. In addition to our core work delivering clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene, WaterAid launched the #TeamWater campaign in August 2025, the largest viral fundraising initiative of its kind. #TeamWater was a creator-led, global crowdfunding effort spearheaded by top YouTube creators MrBeast and Mark Rober, along with the largest group of content creators ever assembled.

Born of listening to the voices of young people, #TeamWater raised over $40 million in just 31 days to bring clean water to 2 million people for decades to come. It was an ambitious goal, and the result will be lasting change that will multiply in the months and years to come. That means healthier families, more children in school, more women in work and whole communities changing their lives for the better. Because of the people featured, and the many thousands more who supported the campaign, project work is already underway in communities around the world.

Meet Mary from Malawi.

Before #TeamWater. Mary’s life and business have been transformed thanks to the #TeamWater project. For years, Mary and the women of Dyetse in Malawi found joy and strength on the netball court. But at home, Mary and her family relied on unsafe water. Children got sick, and cholera was a serious risk. Mary had a small business, cooking food such as banana fritters and donuts. However, she felt the lack of clean water discouraged people from buying her produce, which held the business back.

After #TeamWater. Now, five new wells have been drilled in Malawis’ Ntchisi district, including a new hand pump in Mary’s community, six project sites in total. This means more than 6,000 people across six Malawi communities now have clean water available 24 hours a day. Mary no longer has to rely on unclean water, and her family is healthier. She can now focus on playing netball, running her business and enjoying daily life without the constant risk of illness.

“Now with this water things can change.” – Mary