Turning on the tap to safe water

Safe water—a child’s most valuable school supply

This year, millions of children will have no option but to drink contaminated water at school, threatening their lives and education.

Safe water saves lives and improves education.

Samaritan Filters provide safe water in schools, giving children in need the opportunity to stay healthy, get a good education, and hear the Good News of Jesus Christ.

The Samaritan Filter uses the same technology—developed in Canada—as the smaller BioSand Water Filters that Samaritan’s Purse installs in homes. Both filters make contaminated water safe to drink through layers of sand and gravel, topped by a “bio layer” of living organisms that kill harmful bacteria and parasites.

Unsafe water is also deadly. One person—often a child—dies every 37 seconds from water-related illnesses.

Samaritan Filters mean students around the world no longer suffer from diseases caused by unsafe water, enabling them to focus on their education.

Installing a Samaritan Filter is just the beginning of our work in schools. We also:

  • Upgrade latrines to make them safe, clean, and dignified places
  • Build handwashing stations
  • Establish student-led health clubs that keep their schools clean and promote healthy habits among students