Project Overview

For the first time In history, an entire country that did without now has clean water in even the most remote regions, border-to-border. Being able to reach this humanitarian milestone feels incredible. Thank you for your purchase, which makes this kind of significant, life-changing, history-making giving possible.

The use of Sawyer water filters was able to reduce diarrhea by over 90%.

Measurements include:

  • Diarrhea reduction
  • Work and school days recaptured associated with waterborne sickness
  • Purchased water savings and medical savings associated with waterborne sickness

Getting Clean Water Access To An Entire Country!

The Marshall Islands may be small in terms of land mass, but cover a massive area of the pacific ocean about half way between Hawaii and Australia. To say these islands are remote is an understatement. Traveling to these islands is difficult.

Border-to-Border

Reaching the corners of the rugged, West Africa nation took over a decade of scouting, methodical assessment, and determined ground teams. Discover the challenge and impact through the stories below.

Three children use a Sawyer filter as part of an international project.

Liberia

3.2 Million+ Lives Transformed

On November 12th, history was made. In a multi-charity effort led by The Last Well, the final village in Liberia received Sawyer filters, marking the beginning of basic clean water access, border-to-border, for the entire nation.

Liberia is the first developing country in history to reach this achievement as described by UN Sustainability Goal #6, completely rewriting what’s possible for global humanitarian aid.

To understand the scale of its success, let’s take a look at The Liberia Project by the numbers:
·Years to complete: 12
·Wells drilled:
3,717
·Sawyer Filters donated:
130,000+
·Filter villages:
7,468
·Diarrhea reduction:
90%+
·Estimated lives saved:
150,000+
·Lives impacted:
3,200,000+
Though impressive, these metrics fall short in telling stories of life change. We are unable to quantify the complexity of reaching Liberia’s remote corners, just as it’s impossible to measure the kindled joy found in Liberian communities. For these things, we lean into stories, faces, and moments captured over the past 12 years.

A quality control checkmark vector icon
5
Years to complete
A bucket filter vector icon
42,000
Lives
impacted
A medical science bacteria vector icon
90%+
Diarrhea reduction
A quality control checkmark vector icon
5
Years to complete
A bucket filter vector icon
42,000
Lives
impacted
A medical science bacteria vector icon
90%+
Diarrhea reduction
A quality control checkmark vector icon
$10.50
Avg Savings per month
A bucket filter vector icon
1.13
Extra days of work/month
A medical science bacteria vector icon
$52.90
Money back to familes

with support from

The Liberia Project Recap

Travel to the jungles of West Africa to meet the Liberian communities, understand the critical need of clean water, and see the life-changing solutions at work for the first time.

Water Filters
English
69
2.2K
Sawyer
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7 MIN

Close to Home

Sawyer helps to disperse filters, insect repellent, and sunscreen to impacted communities. When disasters strike, Sawyer filters are often on site within the first 48 hours. This was true for Hurricanes Milton and Helene, which ravaged the Southern Appalachians in 2024. Entire counties were on a boil water notice with no end in sight. 

Being the perfect solution to bacteria-ridden and sediment-filled water, Sawyer donated over 24,000 filters to the region affected by the hurricanes. From empowering individuals to gearing up groups including churches, air drops, and SAR teams, we’re proud of the impact we were able to make together.

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A graphic with very dirty water filtering through a Sawyer bucket on left and a group of villagers on right

Lives Saved, Communities Transformed.

Through new technology, research teams are collecting and processing data from 100,000+ filters, showing restored monetary income and diarrhea reduction by over 90%.

Three water droplets white vector icon

Lives Saved, Communities Transformed.

Through new technology, research teams are collecting and processing data from 100,000+ filters, showing restored monetary income and diarrhea reduction by over 90%.

A graphic with very dirty water filtering through a Sawyer bucket on left and a group of villagers on right

PICARIDIN INSECT REPELLENT

Bottle of Sawyer Picaridin Insect Repellent Spray

Lives Saved, Communities Transformed.

Through new technology, research teams are collecting and processing data from 100,000+ filters, showing restored monetary income and diarrhea reduction by over 90%.

Interview with Elijah Harlie

Elijah Harlie was a project manager and key figure in the Liberia Project. What challenges did he face along the way? What did it look like to have a network of Liberians for the project?

Caption:
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Caption: A woman demonstrating how to assemble a Sawyer bucket water filtration system.

The Process 

  1. Assess- The process begins with a door-to-door census for each community and pathogen testing of the local water sources. This ensures that the Sawyer water filter is an appropriate solution for the area.
  2. Distribute- Once the true scope of clean water scarcity and the effectiveness of the Sawyer filter to treat it, a systematic distribution begins. 
  3. Follow up - The Bucket Ministry team visits every household at least three times to follow up. During these visits the team member ensures the daily maintenance is being performed correctly to achieve its long-term effectiveness.
Caption: “In the beginning, drinking this water often made us sick. I am grateful to The Bucket Ministry for providing us with a bucket filter that purifies our water, now we no longer get sick or suffer from diarrhea. Now we filter clean water and we are healthy.”

Interview with Elijah Harlie

Elijah Harlie was a project manager and key figure in the Liberia Project. What challenges did he face along the way? What did it look like to have a network of Liberians for the project?

Elijah Harlie takes a selfie of himself and the team carrying buckets for clean water

Interview with Elijah Harlie

Elijah Harlie was a project manager and key figure in the Liberia Project. What challenges did he face along the way? What did it look like to have a network of Liberians for the project?

A graphic with very dirty water filtering through a Sawyer bucket on left and a group of villagers on right

PICARIDIN INSECT REPELLENT

Bottle of Sawyer Picaridin Insect Repellent Spray
Tree illustration gray vector icon
Sawyer's Women-Led Charity Partners that Shine

Sawyer's Women-Led Charity Partners that Shine

Read on to learn more about the incredible organizations that are empowering women all over the globe, one filter at a time.

Reaching the Unreached

What does it take to reach every household in Liberia, even the last 20% everyone said was impossible to reach? Everything from long distance treks on foot to jungle bikes, ferries, and Land Cruisers.