4-22-16 | Partnerships Press
E. Chamorro Industrial, Walmart, Fabretto, and P&G executives during the launch of the Children’s Safe Drinking Water Program.
One month ago, we celebrated World Water Day. Today, we continue to reflect on the lack of access to potable water in the lives of so many Nicaraguan children and their families.
This is the reality for many of the families in the rural communities that Fabretto serves in the so-called “dry corridor” of Nicaragua, communities where our little ones, especially girls, have to walk large distances to fetch a little bit of water from community wells. Lack of access to water, let alone clean drinking water, is a latent problem in the dry corridor. The problem has intensified due to the current drought, brought about by deforestation and climate change.
But what does this mean for rural families who don’t have access to clean water?
The water they extract from community wells or stagnant rivers has not been treated and may be contaminated. Drinking unsafe water may lead to diarrhea, parasites, and other fatal illnesses. Common diseases caused by drinking contaminated water mainly affect the health and development of our children, as well as school attendance, retention, and performance.
In fact, 35% of children in Nicaragua’s dry corridor suffer from chronic malnutrition and almost 60% suffer from stunted growth, these being the highest percentages in the country. However, consumption of contaminated water is not only a problem in Nicaragua. Across the world, more than 1,000 children under the age of 5 perish each day from diseases caused by unsafe water.
For this reason, following Father Rafael Maria Fabretto’s legacy, Fabretto continues to implement Education Programs focusing on the areas of Health and Food Security. Our work will be complemented by Procter & Gamble’s Children’s Safe Drinking Water Program, which will allow a group of rural families we serve to access water purification packets, guaranteeing consumption of safe and clean drinking water.
P&G demonstrating the “magic” effect of their Purifier of Water packets.
Three of the communities where Fabretto operates in the dry corridor have been selected for the execution of this pilot program. These communities have no access to potable water. P&G is donating enough packets to purify more than one million liters of water, which will be consumed by approximately 326 families. Fabretto will be in charge of coordinating the distribution of this product to at-risk-families, as well as guaranteeing training in the use of the packets.
We are grateful for the confidence Procter & Gamble has placed in Fabretto and we congratulate P&G for being world leaders and agents of change. Through this project, for the first time ever, Nicaragua will benefit from P&G’s Purifier of Water, an innovative product that many call magical for its amazing ability to remove dirt and bacteria from water in just 30 minutes.
We would also like to thank Walmart Nicaragua and E. Chamorro Industrial, who have committed to strong corporate social responsibility projects that will inspire Nicaraguan consumers to contribute to this project. Starting today, every P&G product purchased at a Walmart Nicaragua store will contribute to the Children’s Safe Drinking Water Project universal fund.
We celebrate this new partnership, which we are convinced will change the lives of the more than 300 rural families who will benefit from the project. Together we can build a better future for our children!
