PepsiCo Foundation has decided to commit a $4.26 million grant to WaterAid, a non-profit entity, to provide safe water access to communities in the southern states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala.
Through its ‘performance with purpose 2025 agenda’, initiated in 2006, PepsiCo has set itself a global goal to provide access to safe water to a total of 25 million people in the world’s most at-risk areas.
This grant is in line with its larger goal.
``Over the next three years, WaterAid in India will focus on implementing solutions that will help increase access to clean water; build community and government capacity to manage water resources, including regular water quality testing, conduct trainings for operation and maintenance and educate community members to adopt sustainable sanitation and hygiene practices,” the foundation said.
These solutions are aimed at helping to improve water security for these communities, and will also promote water conservation and recharge measures, including rainwater harvesting.
“PepsiCo aims to help communities effectively conserve, manage and distribute water. In India, we work on several programmes that focus on water replenishment and livelihood enhancement. PepsiCo Foundation’s partnership with WaterAid supports our goal to improve water security for communities through sustainable access to safe water.” said Ahmed ElSheikh, President & CEO, PepsiCo India.
The grant is build on investments worth over $17 million that the foundation has made in India till date. These grants have been focused on providing safe water and sanitation solutions to under-served communities in water-stressed areas. The programmes include, among others, partnerships with NGOs such as Safe Water Network to set up more than 100 community reverse osmosis (RO) water stations in India and Water.Org to provide access to safe water and sanitation through micro-lending.