Proctor & Gamble (P&G) yesterday announced a partnership with World Vision. This partnership will see P&G invest Ksh.50 million in an initiative to provide clean drinking water to twelve counties across Kenya where World Vision will be the implementing partner.
This will be part of P&G’s Children’s Safe Drinking Water (CDSW) program that has been running in Kenya since 2004. Since 2005, P&G through the CDSW initiative has provided close to a billion liters of clean water to Kenyans. CDSW utilizes P&G purifier of water sachets to purify heavily contaminated water to meet WHO standards for safe drinking water. A 4 gram packet is able to purify about 10 litres of water which is enough for a day’s use in a small household in a few simple steps.
Statistics from UN Habitat/UNEP indicate that up to 50% of hospital beds are filled with patients suffering from water related diseases. Provision of clean water through initiatives such as the one from P&G can reduce the number of diarrheal deaths by up to 34%. Other than sustaining life other benefits of access to clean water include better time management, better productivity, education and economic growth. Given the fact that most of the rural population get their water from dirty rivers and streams the situation is dire.
Counties that will benefit from the program are Makueni, Machakos, Kitui, Kajiado, Taita Taveta, Narok, Kisumu, Isiolo, Marsabit, Elgeyo Marakwet, Baringo and Homa Bay. The program will give close to 75,000 people training on water treatment and storage to improve sanitation and hygiene awareness. The initiative will work with about 120 community health workers who will train beneficiaries on water treatment using P&G Purifier of Water sachets as well as hygiene practices.