First milestone reached
Unilever’s Waterworks pilot programme – running in Bhopal, India – has achieved its goal of delivering free Pureit water purifiers to 15,000 of the most at-risk poor households: those with pregnant women and young children.
In the eight months since the programme was launched, 75,000 people across 50 villages and 25 urban slums have been given access to safe, clean drinking water.
How Waterworks works
Waterworks is a not-for-profit programme set up by the Unilever Foundation, Population Services International (PSI) and Facebook. Through Facebook, users can make a daily contribution towards communities in dire need of potable water. Their donations enable PSI’s on-the-ground staff – the Waterworkers – to educate people about the importance of clean water and distribute Unilever’s Pureit water filters.
In doing so, the Waterworkers make a positive social impact on their communities and help contribute to their own household income.
To date, 75 women have been trained and equipped with knowledge and products.
To find out more about Waterworks, watch these YouTube videos
Senior leaders visit the area
In February, Unilever’s Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Keith Weed and a number of other senior leaders visited the rural village of Gunga to check on progress for themselves.
After returning from the trip, Keith said: “I’m pleased to see the Waterworks pilot making a difference; improving education about and access to safe drinking water is imperative. We are determined to implement a sustainable and scalable model.”
With the Bhopal pilot proving successful and thousands of Facebook users actively supporting the initiative, the next step is to expand the programme to reach more people in need.
Helping tackle a global crisis
Nearly 800 million people around the world don’t have access to clean drinking water and are affected by water-borne diseases, with the majority of deaths from diarrhoea in children under five years. By distributing Pureit water filters and educating local communities on the importance of clean water, Waterworks is helping to solve this global crisis.
The programme will contribute to the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan goal of reaching 500 million people with safe drinking water.
Support World Water Day
This Friday, get involved and spread the word about Waterworks by mobilising your social networks on Facebook and Twitter. Make a positive impact using the calls to action and image below.
Facebook
750 million people around the world live without safe drinking water. Today, World Water Day, find out how to take four people off that list www.worldwaterday.org/
Twitter
Not just another Friday – it’s #WorldWaterDay. Change the life of someone who doesn’t have safe drinking water www.worldwaterday.org/