A Million Reasons to Turn the Tide in Latin America — An open invitation to be part of the change

Latin America is home to the world’s largest freshwater reserve. Yet millions of people across the region still face daily challenges in accessing safe and sustainable water. In response to this reality, a powerful alliance was born: the Lazos de Agua Program, a multi-stakeholder initiative that has shown that when solutions are built with people, not just for them, change becomes real, sustainable, and lasting.

Since its inception, Lazos de Agua has embraced a deeply human-centered approach. It’s not just about delivering water—it’s about co-creating lasting solutions alongside communities. Each water connection, newly built toilet, or family now safely storing water represents more than just a technical improvement: it’s a chance to grow, learn, and thrive.

Thanks to the collaboration of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), The Coca-Cola Foundation, FEMSA Foundation, One Drop Foundation, and numerous local partners, over 235,000 people in 412 communities across five Latin American countries now have access to sustainable water, sanitation, and hygiene services.

At the heart of this program is an innovative approach: Social Art for Behaviour Change™, developed by One Drop. This methodology transforms artistic expressions—like theatre, muralism, music, circus arts, and more—into living tools that raise awareness, educate, and mobilize communities around key practices such as handwashing, water care, and fee payment.

When a community comes together to paint a mural or stage a play about the importance of handwashing, they’re doing more than sharing knowledge. They spark dialogue, strengthen identity, and cultivate habits that last. Most importantly, people begin to see themselves as active agents of change.

Communities don’t just receive services—they manage, maintain, and improve them. Women, youth, and local leaders are the driving force of change from within, working hand in hand with institutions, businesses, social organizations, and governments. Each actor plays their part, weaving a genuine fabric of collaboration—where water becomes not just a resource, but a symbol of unity.

Every clean water tank, every girl who can now confidently attend school, every community that contributes to water system upkeep, is a tangible victory. And behind every visible achievement, there are countless invisible reasons to keep moving forward.

With art as a bridge, participation as a driving force, and sustainability as the goal, Lazos de Agua is setting its sights on growth: expanding to new countries, bringing in new partners, and multiplying its impact. The objective is clear: to reach more than 1 million people in Latin America with access to sustainable water, sanitation, and hygiene by 2030.

With that goal in mind, we extend this open invitation to join forces and work together for a fairer, healthier, and more dignified future for thousands of communities. In this new chapter, new partners have joined the initiative: Fundación Avina as program manager, and as local partners: Fundación FEPP in Ecuador, Fundación Plan in Colombia, Fundación Pronatura in Mexico, and Fundación Moisés Bertoni in Paraguay.