Why Peru, and what we've built there

Peru has made progress on water, but the gap between national numbers and what families actually experience is wide. Only about 49% of Peruvians use water that's classified as safely managed by UNICEF, and rural communities feel that gap most. In Piura, in the country's northwest, the supply is simply insufficient to meet demand: service disruptions are routine, and salinity in the local groundwater often exceeds safe drinking standards. Families pull water from unsafe sources and pay for it in their children's health — recurring waterborne illness, missed school, missed activities. After visiting Piura in 2024, we partnered with Compassion International and Water Mission to break that cycle in one community.

Our project funds a water treatment plant at Iglesia Casa de Oración La Unidad in the Tambogrande district of Piura, serving 80 children in the Compassion program and another 120 community members. Treatment, rather than a simple borehole, was the right call here: the local groundwater isn't just scarce, it's chemically unsafe due to high salinity, and a treatment system is what turns it into reliably drinkable water. As of early 2026 the structure is built, the submersible pump and piping are installed, and final construction and community training are underway.

"We are very grateful to God and Compassion for this water treatment plant. We are happy that we will have water closer to our home, and my son and the other children are safer and more protected." — Pricilo, a participant's father, Tambogrande

Peru has shown up as one of our coffee origins in the past, specifically one of our featured World Wonders roasts. Keep an eye out for more Peruvian coffee in the future! Until then, every bag we sell from Uganda, Nicaragua, and our World Wonders microlots helps fund work like this.