LifeWater Filter Kits provide families and communities in the developing world with pure drinking water and kill 99.99% of harmful bacteria without the need to boil, or use chemicals or electricity. They will, on average, produce 10 litres of pure water every hour for more than 12 months.

A £40 investment will purchase one full kit, an additional candle (filter), and deliver safe, clean water for more than 24 months. Links International has sent LifeWater Filter Kits to more than 20 countries and recently sent 108 to India.

Our Indian partners write ' Our villages use hand pumped water for drinking and doing all household chores. And since digging bore wells and deep hand pumps is very expensive in our place so people use shallow dig water pumps which of course give them water but not so clean and uncontaminated. A few years back a team from Links came to our training centre...and they gave the teaching of health and hygiene in which they covered the area of water borne diseases and harmfulness of contaminated water. We found that the people who came as trainees were much enthusiastic and interested to have an option to solve this problem. The water borne disease was taking much of their dear one's life...'

One filter kit recipient writes, 'This is the first time in my life I have seen a Christian organisation come out with a real solution of our problem. People from the different organisation come to us often and teach and conduct awareness program and ask hundred of questions but its solution was either on paper or highly expensive which is beyond our reach or capacity...we learnt many things about the water borne diseases and then didn't teach us only but helped us with the solution by giving us water filter kits. We all are grateful...'

Help us provide more families and communities with clean, safe water. Please give.

Many shanty homes on Tondo Dump in Manila are unsafe, collapse, and are constructed from plastic bags and recycled rubbish. Recent flooding has increased the need for building repair and, in some cases, reconstruction.

The January Links team got their hands dirty building and our partner charity, Philippine Christian Foundation (PCF), employed local carpenters to work alongside them. Thanks to the team and generous Links donors, thirteen families now live in a clean, safe environment.

Erlinda and Edgar Garganera have seven children. Two of their children are are married, three study at the PCF School in Tondo, and two help run their mum's Sari-Sari store.

Elinda's store generates a daily income of 200 pesos (£2.80) and Edgar sells fish and earns an average daily income of 300 pesos (£4.20). Sadly, both Erlinda and Edgar have tuberculosis so cannot always work. They are undergoing treatment but this, in addition to limited income, has made saving for materials to fix their home, virtually impossible.

The family home was originally created out of dilapidated materials and was incredibly small. Reconstruction and an extension means they can now sleep comfortably without fear of rain and flooding. The Garganera family are grateful and see this as a start to a new and better life.