World Water Day: Nestle, IFRC provides water, sanitary facilities for rural communities

Clean Water and Sanitation are key to everyday life and the development of people irrespective of their location. While the world’s population rapidly grows, availability of water and sanitation presents a different story, more significantly in rural communities.

The 2017 Joint Monitoring Program report by the World Health Organization and the UNICEF indicates that about 2.1 billion people lack access to safe drinking water at home, while 4.5 billion people lack safely managed sanitation. In Ghana, just 27% of the population have access to safely managed water. According to water.org, about 18 million of the population still lack safely managed sanitation.

In order to bridge the gap, a collective effort is needed to help raise the standard of access to clean water and sanitation.

Helping achieve the United Nation’s Development Goal 6 to “ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all”, Nestlé in partnership with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has provided water and sanitary facilities to some 17,355 people dwelling in rural communities in the Eastern and the Ashanti Regions of Ghana. The project has provided 41 water points and 110 latrines in various communities.

Mr. Sampson Awuah, Assemblyman of Katapei, a farming community in the Ashanti Region sharing how the project has benefited his people said “ The stream we depended on was not clean but we had no other option than to rely on it as our source of drinking water. The saddest part of the situation was that, the stream dries up every harmattan season and this means the whole community is hit by serious shortage of Water. I would use this medium to thank Nestlé and Ghana Red Cross for coming to our aid”. Mr. Awuah urged other organizations to support deprived communities.

“Water is a human right and every individual is entitled to it. As we are marking World Water Day, we at Nestlé reflect on the fulfillment of our purpose of enhancing quality of life and contributing to a healthier future through stewarding resources for future generations by providing access to clean water and sanitation for communities directly connected to our business”, said Mrs. Freda Duplan, Managing Director of Nestlé Ghana.

In as much as providing access to clean water is critical, conservation is equally important. In June 2016, Nestlé invested CHF 1.5 million in a Waste Water Treatment Plant at its Factory in Tema. The facility has reduced water usage by 10% while 30% of recycled water is used for non-core activities. Also, effluents discharged into the environment meets standards and are not harmful to the environment. The facility is gearing towards Nestlé’s 2030 ambition to “Go for Zero Environmental Impact in its operations”.