As part of its week-long celebration of World Water Day , the Coca-Cola Foundation (TCCF), through its Replenish Africa Initiative (RAIN) has announced that it has provided over 580,000 people in Kenya and over 6 million people across Africa with access to clean water and sanitation.
RAIN is The Coca-Cola Foundation’s flagship African community program contributing to helping Africa achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals on clean water and sanitation access. The program is managed by the Global Environment &Technology Foundation(GETF) which was established in 1988.
Since 2009 RAIN has been working on improving the lives of the people living in the African continent through Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) programs and other water-based initiatives. To mark World Water Day 2021, RAIN partners gathered virtually for a panel discussion to mark the achievements and share best practices for the program.
In Kenya, RAIN has so far implemented 11 projects across the country. Among them was the partnership with Water and Sanitation for the Urban Poor (WSUP), a non-profit company that worked with local authorities to impact more than 580,000 urban residents across five cities and towns – Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, and Naivasha with improved access to clean water and sanitation and empowerment activities. In Nairobi, a total of 549 sewer connections each serving 30 households and 1,920 plot connections each serving 20 people in Nakuru were installed. This has enabled communities in the served areas to live in dignity.
Over the past decade, RAIN has achieved various key achievements which include, providing over 6 million people with improved access to WASH, 120 programs supported in 41 countries, 17 urban utilities strengthened, enabled the empowerment of over 480,000 women and girls, 1,200 schools with improved WASH access, and supported over 350,000 people during the COVID pandemic with WASH, personal protective equipment (PPE), handwashing stations, and hygiene supplies.
Francis Ndungu, Chairman Kaptagat Kangemi Resident Association, one of the areas that has benefitted from RAIN, had this to say, “We have been having the problem of sewerage line in this area. We are grateful to Coca-Cola and WSUP for giving us a sewer line that is flowing and doesn’t clog, this is a lifeline for the people of this community.”
Bea Perez, Chair and President, The Coca-Cola Foundation, had this to say, “Working with our partners, RAIN’s transformative impact can be felt today in 4,000 African communities. This program drives impact for the Sustainable Development Goals and our focus on People, Communities, and the Environment.”