On June 24, 2026, a double earthquake struck northwestern Venezuela, resulting in 6,125 deaths and leaving 17,907 people homeless. Thousands of families lost access to potable water in their own homes, and many more lost it when seeking refuge in neighboring communities that are now hosting them.

In response, the Chamos Foundation activated "Construyo Gota a Gota" (Building Drop by Drop), an expansion of its WASH program—active since 2019 and strengthened in 2023 as an implementer of LifeStraw's Give Back Program, providing water filters to schools and rural communities—to respond to the emergency: restoring access to safe water through community and household filters, water tanks, water purification tablets, and hygiene kits, in shelters and host communities.

Progress to date:

• 100 of the 300 community filters delivered to hospitals, shelters, and community centers.

• All 120 household filters distributed to families affected by the earthquakes.

Next steps:

• Distribution of the remaining 200 community filters to schools when classes resume in September/October.

• Delivery of filters, hygiene kits, and water tanks to communities hosting displaced families.

Program cost: USD 200 funds a 580-liter tank for a household without regular access to water.

Every filter and tank delivered restores safe water to a family.

Join I build drop by drop today.