WATER EMPOWERS LIVES.

In Zambia, rural-urban disparities in access to water and sanitation in healthcare facilities are considerable. The Joint Monitoring Program (2019) revealed that only half of rural healthcare facilities have access to a basic water source, compared to urban ones which have 100% access. Acqua for Life, with the help of WaterAid, will contribute constructing a water supply system with a capacity of 50,000 litres and over 50 standing taps at the Nteme Rural Health Centre and surrounding communities in Zambia. This will serve 8,000 people with access to safe water and sanitation.

1.8 million people in Bangladesh lack access to safe water, while 36 million people lack access to improved sanitation. Acqua for Life will contribute to Water.org’s interventions throughout Bangladesh, helping 40,000 people with access to safe water and sanitation through affordable financing, such as small loans by end of 2023.

Due to Iack of water supply projects in Chongqing, China, the local population relies on unstable water and sanitation systems. In 2022 Acqua for Life is supporting China Women's Development Foundation, under their Water Cellar For Mothers project, helping 11,300 people having access to clean drinking in Chongqing, China.

Nigeria is the most densely populated country in Africa, with more than 200 million inhabitants. Currently, 3 in 10 people in Nigeria still do not have clean water close to home. Acqua for Life, in partnership with WaterAid, targets 10 water-scarce communities who have only limited access to clean and safe water. 30 handpump boreholes will be constructed to create access to safe water for an estimated 15,000 people. In addition, hygiene promotion activities will be implemented. The local population will also be trained in maintenance and repairs, to ensure the facilities’ sustainability.

Today over 3 million people in South Africa still do not have access to basic water supply services, and only 64% of households have access to a reliable water supply. With the help of its strategic partner WaterAid, Acqua for Life inaugurates a new project in South Africa in 2022. Located in two communities, the Mamburu and Maangane villages, within Makhado Local Municipality in the Vhembe district of Limpopo Province, this project will help 2,800 people.

Within the Mysore district of Karnataka State, Acqua for Life collaborates with WaterAid to deliver improved water, sanitation, and hygiene services in local institutions, covering 10 healthcare facilities, 20 anganwadi centers (pre-school institutions), and 20 schools. The project contributes to the improved health and well-being of nearly 70,000 people including 5,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women, adolescent girls, and 3,000 children, through increased access to water, sanitation, and hygiene services. The Mysore district has an existing and important connection with the brand as the Indian tuberose flower, which is harvested and hand-picked near the same Mysore district, is one of the signature notes of the Giorgio Armani fragrance MY WAY.

Since 2020, Acqua for Life has been supporting an intervention into rural healthcare facilities in Eastern Uganda, in the districts of Tororo and Busia. For the third consecutive year, in partnership with WaterAid, this project contributes to the improved quality of health care in Eastern Uganda by implementing an improvement in access to water, sanitation, and hygiene services in 24 health care facilities. These facilities serve women and children who seek health care services, ultimately reaching more than 131,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women, and children under the age of five.

Tanzania has one of the fastest-growing economies in Africa. However, its economic growth has not benefited all areas of the country equally, with 25 million people lacking access to clean water, and 40 million people lacking access to improved sanitation. Completing a three-year project this year with Water.org, Acqua for Life will transform the lives of 85,000 people in Tanzania with access to safe water and sanitation through affordable financing, such as small loans.

In Malawi, a mere 26% of the population has an adequate toilet to use and only 9% has hygiene facilities to wash their hands. The reality is even starker within healthcare facilities. As many as 63% of healthcare facilities do not have satisfactory toilets and 56% have no hygiene facilities. In the central region of Malawi, Acqua for Life supports the Mndinda and Nthondo healthcare facilities, which provide outpatient and maternity services, improving access to inclusive and sustainable water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities. Via these healthcare facilities, more than 38,000 people will have improved access to safe water and sanitation, which will result in increased infection prevention and sustained hygiene behavior change.

In Madagascar, more than 90% of healthcare centers have no hygiene services, and more than 80% of schools lack access to safe drinking water and handwashing facilities throughout the school day. Acqua for Life is working in two communities, Anjepy and Manjakandriana, which have no access to clean drinking water. In this specific district, Acqua for Life will continue to work with WaterAid to bring a clean water supply and sanitation services to the district’s three schools and its healthcare facilities, helping over 17,000 people. Madagascan vanilla, an ingredient that is found in a number of Giorgio Armani fragrances, is produced and harvested further north of these regions, as part of a sustainable sourcing program to help local communities in the protected area of Loky Manambato.