If you can guzzle down a glass of water straight from the tap (or from your favorite water bottle) without worry, consider yourself fortunate. It’s easy to take for granted the convenience of obtaining potable water, yet more than 2.2 billion people around the world still don’t have access to clean and safe drinking water, according to the World Health Organization.
Our partners at Procter & Gamble (P&G) have been committed to helping address the global water crisis for over two decades through The P&G Children’s Safe Drinking Water (CSDW) Program. Together with more than 150 global advocacy and implementing partners, the P&G CSDW Program recently reached an extraordinary milestone — delivering 25 billion liters of clean drinking water to families in more than 100 countries around the world.
Back in 2004, scientists at P&G invented the innovative P&G Purifier of Water Packet that removes dirt, bacteria, and viruses from contaminated water. The technology is simple to use, cost-effective, and highly effective in reducing waterborne illnesses. It only takes 30 minutes, a cloth, a spoon, and a bucket to make 10 liters of contaminated water drinkable — using just one 4-gram water-purifying packet.
This life-changing innovation has successfully reached the people who need it most for over two decades, thanks to the tireless efforts of P&G’s partners: organizations like Americares, CARE, ChildFund International, Save the Children, and World Vision.. These dedicated teams have been on the ground, making sure those P&G Purifier of Water packets get into the hands of families and communities who lack access to clean water.
The packets provide critical support in times of need, serving as a bridge while communities work toward implementing long-term solutions. “Our ultimate goal is to create healthier communities and in turn, better educational and economic opportunities for children and families,” says Claudine Zukowski, senior director of the P&G CSDW Program.
“When mothers and children aren’t getting sick, having to walk long distances for water, and worried about having water to drink on a daily basis, they can focus on building a better future,” adds Zukowski. “It’s something most of us rarely think about, but once the burden of not having a reliable, daily source of clean water is removed, it opens a new world of hope and opportunities.”
To get involved and to learn more about P&G’s Children’s Safe Drinking Water program, please click here.
Video credit: Procter & Gamble and Global Citizen.
