The PepsiCo Foundation in partnership with WaterAid, a leading NGO, has lrolled out a $1 million programme to bring safe water to families in sub-Saharan Africa.
The safe water programme is an expansion of its 15-year, more than $53million safe water access initiative that has helped more than 59 million people since 2006.
PepsiCo recently announced its ambition to become ‘Net Water Positive’ by 2030 aiming to replenish more water than it uses and deliver safe water access to 100 million people.
The company says that the new investment would place it among the most water-efficient manufacturers operating in high-risk watersheds.
The programme, which will run through the philanthropic arm of food and beverage company PepsiCo, aims to help improve water infrastructure, build new water supply systems and appropriate sanitation facilities, and promote hygiene education.
It will also empower women and girls to become water, sanitation and hygiene stewards in their communities by providing them with the funding and training to maintain water access points and sanitation facilities for years to come.
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“There is no resource more precious to human life and the health of our global ecosystems and economies than water. Making sure that people have access to this vital human right is our top priority to restore essential health, well-being, dignity and economic mobility”, says Bridgitte Backman, vice president for corporate affairs, SSA.
In November last year, the Pepsico Foundation announced its inaugural investment to Sub-Saharan Africa with a more than $400,000 grant to fund water access and sanitation projects in South Africa.
The funding was distributed to four different projects in partnership with non-profit organisations (NPOs).
By supporting the NPOs, PepsiCo says it aims to create greater societal impact by increasing access to clean and safe sanitation to everyone in South Africa, particularly in areas that would otherwise not benefit from such initiatives.
“These four projects will contribute to the 2025 goals with the immediate focus on supporting water distribution, sanitation and hygiene practices,” it said.
