Each year on March 22, we join with the international community to celebrate World Water Day—a time to recognize water issues around the world, and to inspire people to take action to make a difference.
Through our partnerships with a global network of NGOs, governments and charitable organizations, our P&G Children's Safe Drinking Water (CSDW) Program has delivered more than 9 billion liters of clean water in over 75 countries.
Our collective efforts to provide clean water in emergencies and community programs have touched the lives of millions of people, along with education on the importance of handwashing with soap and proper sanitation.
When children and families have access to clean water, their lives are transformed. Kids are healthier and able to attend school regularly. Women and girls don't spend hours burdened by collecting water. Parents are able to focus on more productive economic activities for their family.
Two years ago today (World Water Day 2014), we announced a project with our NGO partner World Vision to provide clean water to families in flood-prone areas of Quảng Trị Province in central Vietnam. Home to more than 600,000 people, Quảng Trị is inundated with flood waters every year, putting the health of entire communities at risk.
Recently, we returned to the Quảng Trị Province where families in the community told us how critical the situation becomes when their water source becomes dirty and they are forced to drink murky, contaminated water. Everyone suffers, especially the children.
World Vision has distributed P&G Purifier of Water packets in those communities since 2014, and also provided handwashing education through community volunteers.
One of the local mothers shared her surprise that the small P&G packet could purify so much water. Her husband explained the power of clean water:
Looking Ahead
This World Water Day in Hanoi, we're launching a new partnership with the Vietnam Red Cross Society to provide clean drinking water to more communities at risk for waterborne illnesses in six provinces in Vietnam. Over the next 3 years, we plan to provide more than 90 million liters of clean water during emergencies through the Vietnam Red Cross volunteer network.
Our CSDW Program is also participating in the #Blue4Water World Water Day campaign this year, with a wide network of organizations committed to achieving the new UN Global Goal #6, which is dedicated to providing universal access to safe drinking water and proper sanitation.
Thanks to all of our partners for your dedicated efforts to highlight water and sanitation issues, and for your hard work that's making clean water a reality for children and families around the world. Through innovation and partnerships, P&G will continue to play our part in transforming lives every day with the power of clean drinking water.
