Children's Safe Drinking Water

A Decision Too Tough To Make Because Everyone Should Have Clean Water: Save the Children in the Horn of Africa

http://www.psi.org“Water is the issue here.  It’s number one, number two, and number 3.”  I listen intently as Mohammed Mamu, the manager of Save the Children’s Moyale office in Ethiopia, explains the situation here in the epicenter of the Horn of Africa famine.  He’s been here for 8 months and will be here for several more to oversee the response to the drought and subsequent famine.

Making A Difference: Responding to the Horn of Africa Famine with PSI and CARE in Ethiopia

I’m eager to get into the field this morning.  I’m a bit groggy after being woken up early for the call to prayer in this predominately Muslim part of Ethiopia.  But what has really tired me out is the 3 days of grueling travel to get to this border of Ethiopia and Kenya near the border of the Somalia region of Ethiopia.

SAFE is new CSDW partner Using World-Class Touring Theater to Educate Communities in Kenya

I’m in coastal rural Kenya with Nick Redding of SAFE which stands for Sponsored Arts For Education (www.sponsoredarts.org).  I met Sophie Bray and Nick Redding of SAFE through an introduction by Leigh Blake of Keep a Child Alive (KCA), another of our P&G Children’s Safe Drinking Water (CSDW) partners.  In fact, we agreed to work with both KCA and SAFE at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) a couple of years ago.  It’s one of our many CSDW partners that we’ve met at CGI.

HOT in Coastal Kenya with Aga Khan Foundation

I’m in rural coastal Kenya with Aga Khan Foundation and their developmental effort called Coastal Rural Support Program (CRSP).  I first visited them in 2003 and we’ve been working with them consistently since 2007 to provide clean drinking water.  This Aga Khan Foundation’s development effort reaches deep into the rural areas of the Kalifi and Kwale Districts of coastal Kenya not far from Mombasa. 

P&G CSDW unveils new website and new Facebook page with “1 Like = 1 Day” of Clean Water

Today we’re relaunching the website for the P&G Children’s Safe Drinking Water Program (LINK) and launching a new CSDW Facebook page (LINK).

New CSDW Partner SOTENI and AIDS Barefoot Doctors in Kenya

Today I’m in a familiar place in Siaya District near Kisumu Kenya. Our P&G Children’s Safe Drinking Water (CSDW) Program has been working in this area since 2003 and I’ve visited our various partners in the area many times. However, today I’m with one of our newest CSDW partners, SOTENI, which happens to be led by Cincinnati-based Dr Victoria Wulsin and Randie Marsh.

Providing the 4th Billionth liter of Clean Water with CSDW in Thailand

It’s very hard for me to believe that today we’re providing the 4 billionth liter of clean drinking water through the P&G Children’s Safe Drinking Water (CSDW) Program.  It seems like only yesterday that we began this journey.  But in reality, it started 10 years ago.  For three years, P&G provide the water purification packets as a for-profit effort and we provided a total of 30 million liters of clean water.  In 2004, in order to expand the effort, we created the not-for-profit P&G CSDW Program as a signature program of P&G’s pro-social investments and we’ve been growing ever since by partnering with on-the-ground humanitarian groups that can reach people who are most vulnerable and have a critical need for safe water.

Reaching Deep into Filipino Communities with World Vision: An Amazing Experience

I travel to many remote places in helping provide clean water through the P&G Children’s Safe Drinking Water Program. Today is one of the most remote visits that I’ve ever made. It took two days to reach the Philippines from my hometown in the US. Then it took a full day of travel from Manila to the island of Siargao in Mindinao. And, this morning, we were up at sunrise to start our travel to the island of Maribojoc. Today, I’m traveling with Keith Kall of World Vision US and Billie Abata, Joy Mariscal, and Joel Pielago of World Vision Philippines.

Start of a New P&G CSDW Program in the Philippines with World Vision

I’m in the Philippines to start a new program to provide clean drinking water as part of a collaboration between the P&G Children’s Safe Drinking Water (CSDW) Program and World Vision.  We’re working near the largest Filipino island of Mindanao in the region of Surigao.  Some of the areas in Mindanao are not safe for us to travel because of armed conflict.  In fact, we changed our plans in the last few days because of new hostilities.  As an alternative to our original plan, we’ve traveled to the island of Siargao as our base for the next few days.

A Bold Step Back to the Future: P&G Steps Up to Put Name on Water Purification Packets and a New Video to Celebrate

I’m thrilled to tell you that P&G has decided to put the name of the company on the water purification packets that are the basis for the P&G Children’s Safe Drinking Water (CSDW) Program.   While this change represents a big vote of confidence by P&G for the CSDW Program, the new packaging has been designed to retain a familiar look to the old packaging.   As you can see below, the “PUR Purifier of Water” packets will change to “P&G Purifier of Water” and we’ve updated and improved the look of the packaging while still keeping it familiar.