The Coca-Cola Africa foundation (TCCAF), an entity funded through Coca-Cola and which implements community development programmes throughout Africa, together with Amref Health Africa, have entered into a partnership that focuses on enabling the economic empowerment as well as improving the health of over 500,000 people living in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Ethiopia.
This partnership comes as a part of TCCAF’s project, Replenish Africa Initiative (RAIN), that has a mission to reach at least 6 million people in Africa with improved and sustainable access to safe water by the year 2020. As of now, the initiative has been able to reach more than 2.6 million people with improved water access across 37 countries.
However, there are still many who remain vulnerable. For example, in early 2017, the United Nations reported that more than 17 million people face food insecurity due to the drought in East Africa. This in turn has increased disruptions in social, economic and environmental systems.
As a result, TCCAF together with Amref Health Africa will focus on addressing the gap to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) such as increasing access to safe sanitation, increasing access to safe water and empowering empowerment through income generating opportunities especially among women and youth.
Dr Susan Mboya, President of TCCAF said, “In sub-Saharan Africa, and here in East Africa, drought impacts many of our communities, making access to safe water for drinking and water for productive uses such as agriculture, a constant worry for many people. We recognise the urgency of these issues and that is why The Coca-Cola Africa Foundation has taken this step through the RAIN programme to contribute to achieve the SDGs and ensure access to safe drinking water for all.”
Amref, with a funding of more than $4.2 million from TCCAF, in conjunction with local and national governments will work towards the adaptation of a systems wide approach to implement major projects activities. These activities include community-led total sanitation, multiple-use water services, better waste management and opportunities to help women and youth to generate income such as horticulture.
“Development needs a big shift in thinking, from just building infrastructure to creating and strengthening institutions through innovation and entrepreneurship. We know that the lasting health and economic benefits of water, sanitation and hygiene are optimised under conditions of full and sustainable access to these services,” added Dr Githinji Gitahi, Group CEO, Amref Health Africa.
