Children's Safe Drinking Water

P&G Participates in World Water Day with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Announces a new collaboration with CARE: Reaching the 100th School in Kenya with Clean Water

Today, in celebration of World Water Day, we’re participating in a ceremony convened by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton where we’ll announce a new collaboration between P&G and CARE to provide more than 100 million liters of clean drinking water in rural areas of Kenya and Ethiopia.  P&G and CARE issued a media release describing the effort (Download MR WWD Partnership 3.22.12).

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

“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. 

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.

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.

P&G and Partners Respond to East Africa Famine

P&G and Save the Children released the below media release in response to efforts to help address the drought and starvation in East Africa, which is currently considered the most critical humanitarian crisis in the world.

With a Little Help from My Friends: CARE, CDC, and SWAP Kenya

I’m traveling to Kisumu, Kenya today where we’ve been providing the PUR packets since 2003 prior to the launch of our P&G Children’s Safe Drinking Water (CSDW) in 2004.  At the airport in Nairobi, I’m surprised when Dr Rob Quick of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) wakes me from my blackberry induced coma.  The CDC and P&G have partnered since 1995 on safe water and hygiene with Rob being one of the constants in our collaboration.  He’s a world leader in safe water and one of the most dedicated public health experts in the world.

Guest Blog: Hanneke Faber leads P&G volunteer team to Malawi to Provide Clean Drinking Water

I’m thrilled to introduce Hanneke Faber to the P&G CSDW blog. Hanneke was the P&G senior leader on a recent trip to Malawi that included Allison Tummon Kamphuis, fellow CSDW colleague, and 9 other volunteers who were invited from hundreds of P&G applicants to experience our CSDW program in the field. The trip was some hard work and involved educating remote rural communities in southern Malawi on the importance of safe drinking water and how to properly use the PUR packets.  Hanneke also is the Pantene Global Brand Franchise Leader and both the leader and champion of the “Pantene Healthy Hair for Healthy Water” effort that will raise awareness and funds for the P&G CSDW Program. She was a natural leader for this first P&G Employee Volunteer experience on CSDW and brings a wonderful fresh look at our program. Thank you to Hanneke and to all of the inaugural P&G Employee Volunteer participants.

Rising waters of Namibia Threaten CSDW Launch into our Newest Country

I’m making my first trip to Namibia to launch the Children’s Safe Drinking Water (CSDW) Program into our newest country.  If you’re like me, when you think of Namibia you think of the San people, who used to be known as the Kalahari Bushmen.  One of my favorite movies of all time is “The Gods Must be Crazy”, the story of a San hunter who was hit in the head with a Coke bottle thrown from a plane high above that he couldn’t see.  He thought the Gods delivered this tool, that he soon learned could be both useful and evil, and set-off across the country to return the bottle to the Gods.  His hilarious slap-stick journey is a timeless classic.

 

PSI Launches New CSDW Program in Rwanda

Much of my travels in the past year have been to visit programs that have been underway for a while, and meeting people that have been regular users of PUR.  This is very important to learn what works and what needs improvement in our program, but there’s something very special about meeting people who have never before seen the PUR packets transform filthy water into clean and purified water. 

P&G Children’s Safe Drinking Water Program Provides 3 Billionth Liter in New Country Program in Rwanda with PSI and World Vision

I’m amazed at how quickly we moved from providing the 2nd billionth liter to the 3rd billionth liter of clean drinking water with the PUR packets.  It took us 4 years to provide the first billion liters with our not-for-profit effort.  And, then only 2 more years to reach the 2nd billionth liter last March.  And, in only 10 more months, we’ve reached the 3rd billionth liter. 

In AFAR with CARE Ethiopia battling Cholera

I’m in the Awash region of Ethiopia where the Afar people live.  It’s a long ways from Addis so it’s really “a far”!  Get it, it’s a long ways so it’s “Afar”. I know bad joke.  The Afar people traditionally live as pastoralists moving their homes with their cattle, goats, and camels to where the grazing is good.  They rely mainly on the milk and meat from these animals for their food supply.  These days, the Afar are semi-pastoralists and the men and older boys move the livestock for grazing while the homes generally stay put and the women do a small amount of farming by planting corn.

Keep A Child Alive Client Tells the Seven Wonders of PUR

I learned about the humanitarian group Keep A Child Alive (KCA) several years ago when Marc Pritchard, P&G CMO, introduced me to Leigh Blake, the President and Founder.  Actually, I’d heard a little about KCA before that because of the work of KCA’s celebrity ambassadors Alicia Keys and Iman.  After discussing potential collaboration with Leigh and Iman at two Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) meetings, we agreed to start working together at last year’s CGI.

ChildFund International's Three Year Impact with PUR in Luwero, Uganda

Today I’m visiting the work of ChildFund International in Luwero, Uganda.  We’ve been working with ChildFund for three years in this area and I last visited a little more than two years ago.  There’s been almost a complete change in staff within ChildFund Uganda since my last visit so I’m getting to know new people.  I’m traveling with the country representative, Simba Machingaidze. 

 

Several Years of Helping Vulnerable People in Uganda through the Work of FXB and the Strong Women of Uganda

It’s hard to believe that it’s been almost two years since I visited FXB (Francois Xavier Bagnoud) and their project in the slums of Kampala, Uganda.  After success with our initial efforts in providing 2 million liters of clean water, the P&G Children’s Safe Drinking Water (CSDW) Program provided a follow-up grant so that FXB can now provide more than 5 million liters of purified water with the PUR packets.

Seasons Greetings, a Pilot Partnership with Pampers, and the Obama’s Support of CARE Kenya

I’m in western Kenya today on the last day of my trip that’s part of the Give Health initiative with the photographer Cate Cameron and the winner of the Give Health blog contest Pam Crane with Blood Water Mission. 

The drama of clean drinking water with Aga Khan Foundation in rural Kenya

Today I’m revisiting a program with Aga Khan Foundation in Kenya.  We’ve been working with their Coastal Rural Support Program (CRSP) for a number of years to provide clean drinking water.  It’s good to see Hemed Mwadbudzo and Fred Kasina of CRSP again.

Zeinab Karissa: A Remarkable Transformation in Health with Clean Drinking Water

Today, I’m hosted by World Vision to revisit an area where we started providing the PUR packets about seven months ago.  While it’s fun to launch a new program, I often learn the most by revisiting areas after the work to provide clean drinking water has been underway for a while.

A Day with World Vision in Kenya: The Burden of the Global Clean Drinking Water Crisis on Women

I’m in coastal Kenya for several days to visit our P&G Children’s Safe Drinking Water (CSDW) partners.  Today, I’m hosted by World Vision and we start in Bamba District a couple hours from Mombasa.  This is one of the poorest areas in Kenya and an area with a critical need for clean drinking water.

Pantene adopts CSDW as their cause with Pantene Healthy Hair for Healthy Water

Pantene used the recent Clinton Global Initiative to launch their support of the P&G Children’s Safe Drinking Water (CSDW) program through an effort called the Pantene Healthy Hair for Healthy Water campaign. 

An Amazing Unexpected Experience in Revisiting Arusha with P&G Vice Chair Dimitri Panayotopoulos

Dimitri Panayotopoulos is P&G Vice Chair of Global Household Care.  The first time that I got to know Dimitri was when we shared the podium to launch PUR in Pakistan in 2003.  It was later that I learned that this P&G’s leader of $37 billion in business was born and raised in Tanzania.  In the last few years, I’ve worked with Dimitri more often and, in fact, he was our P&G senior representative at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) in 2009 and represented P&G as we committed to provide 4 billion liters of clean water by 2012.

KIWAKUKI – Strong Tanzanian Women Take Up the Cause of Clean Water

Africa seems full of strong women.  But the group I’m meeting today has claim to some of the strongest.  KIWAKUKI is a Swahili acronym for Women Fighting Against HIV/AIDS in Kilimanjaro Region.  This group started in 1990 as a grass-roots effort.  Unlike many development groups, this one started as a local effort and it began in response to the devastation of the AIDS pandemic. 

WAMATA-Arusha’s Program Delivers 100 Liters of Clean Water for Every $1 Donated and is Providing Amazing Impact

Today I’m visiting the Arusha branch of a Tanzanian organization called WAMATA, which is an acronym for a long Swahili phrase meaning “Those in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Tanzania”.  Carol Parker of Pamoja Project introduced me to WAMATA and they started providing the PUR packets about a year ago.

Saida - the archetypal PUR consumer of South Sudan

It’s been 18 months since my last visit to South Sudan.  This is my third trip in about 4 years and I’m amazed at the amount of change.  There are many more paved roads now and more buildings.  One of the roundabouts now has a great big fountain full of spouting water.  But, alas, the water is dirty brown like most people’s drinking water in South Sudan.

A cultural experience of a life-time with the Karamoja of northern Uganda: UNICEF saving lives through the Pampers:UNICEF tetanus program

I’ve had some fascinating experiences in leading the P&G Children’s Safe Drinking Program, but my recent trip to northern Uganda to visit the Karamoja people was definitely one of the most fascinating.

P&G: Proud Sponsor of “Mama” - How P&G, Its Partners and Some Powerful Women are Improving Lives in Rural Kenya: Guest blog by Jenni Pustinger, P&G Brand

I recently traveled to Africa with Chris Hassall, P&G External Relations Officer, and Jenni Pustinger of the P&G Brand and Global Sustainability.   Jenni agreed to write the below guest blog about her experiences in meeting our partners PSI, CARE, and SWAP in an action packed day in western Kenya.   There’s two parts of this experience that really stood out for me.  The first was the fact that the Children’s Safe Drinking Water (CSDW) program is enabling us to reach people that P&G would not normally reach and we’re doing it in a sustainable way.   For example, the SWAP group is now not only providing PUR for income generation but is also providing Always and Pampers.   Second, it’s clear that the true heroes of the CSDW program are the women who are using PUR as a tool to take charge of the health of their children.   Jenni captures both of these points in her blog.  Thanks Jenni!

Inaugurating a New CSDW Program with World Vision Kenya

I’m in coastal Kenya about an hour drive from Mombasa to help kick-off a program with World Vision to provide safe drinking water to people in the Kaloleni District.  This is an area with very unsafe drinking water sources.  We’re kicking off the program today and then a few days from now I’ll return with Chris Hassall, P&G External Relations Officer, and Jenni Pustinger of the P&G Brand and Global Sustainability.

Follow-up to Aga Khan Foundation and PSI Kenya’s Work Reveals Mama Riziki is a Loyal PUR Consumer

I’m in coastal Kenya about an hour drive from Mombasa to visit a program conducted by Aga Khan Foundation’s Coastal Rural Support Programme (CRSP).  I first met with this Aga Khan Foundation group in 2005 when they conducted a pilot program that showed high acceptance of PUR.  From mid-2007 to mid-2009, P&G funded a program for CRSP to promote PUR in the Kwale and Kilifi districts of coastal Kenya.  And, there’s been some more recent support by PSI funded by USAID, but that also has ended.  I thought it would be worth a visit to see what’s happening following the active funding period.

Feed the Children Providing 3 Million Liters of PUR Water to the Samburu People

Today is a long car journey from Nairobi to the Laikipia District in the Rift Valley Province.  I’m hosted by Ben Mbaya, the emergency relief coordinator of Feed the Children Kenya.  It’s about a 5 hour car ride each way and we start off badly with a flat tire.  But, not to worry as we have it repaired quickly at a road side truck stop.

Clean Water Provides Sustained Impact on School Attendance in Kenya with CARE

I’m in Kisumu, Kenya with CARE.  It was a very long journey this time.  In addition to the long flights from the US, I had two flights in Kenya cancelled and the last 3 hours of my journey ended up taking 13 hours.  So, I’m a day late and eager to get to work.

P&G Productions and PUR Launch Summit on Summit Kilimanjaro Documentary on MTV on March 14: It’s Awesome

I’ve been in Washington DC and New York this week with my fellow climbers of Summit on the Summit: Kilimanjaro.  We’re continuing with our mission to build awareness of the global clean water crisis.  This is leading up to the documentary that will appear on Sunday, March 14 at 9 pm on MTV.  MTV will also be airing the documentary many additional times, so check your local listings.

Day Seven: Off the Mountain and Completing this phase of Summit on the Summit: Kilimanjaro and Now the Work Begins.

It takes us about 5 hours to hike down the mountain.  We're sore and Alexandra Cousteau voices our pain when she says three or four times, "Did I tell you I don't like down hill".

Day Six of Mt Kilimanjaro: To the top of the world for P&G Children’s Safe Drinking Water

Last night we were treated to a break from the rain. Not only could we see Mt Kilimanjaro but also Mt Meru.  It made us excited and ready to start the hike soon. 

Day Four of the Summit of Mt Kilimanjaro for Children’s Safe Drinking Water : Two Days from the Summit

It’s day four of our climb of Mt. Kilimanjaro to raise awareness of the global water crisis as part of Summit on the Summit: Kilimanjaro. 

Day Three of Hiking Kilimanjaro for Children’s Safe Drinking Water as part of Summit on Summit: Kilimanjaro: Water in all it’s forms

This is day three of our hike of Mt. Kilimanjaro to raise awareness of the global water crisis.  Last night the porters entertained us with some songs and then everyone joined them for dancing.  We continued our discussions on the clean water crisis over dinner and we’re developing some wonderful friendships. 

Day Two of Hiking Kilimanjaro for Children’s Safe Drinking Water as part of Summit on Summit: Kilimanjaro

This is the second day of our hike of Mt. Kilimanjaro to raise awareness of the global water crisis.  Today is a long hike day.  We’re woken at 6 am to start our hike of about 8 hours.  But it’s pouring down rain this morning and we’re socked in with fog.  So, we wait about 30 minutes and the rain slackens up. 

Day One of Hiking Kilimanjaro for Children’s Safe Drinking Water as part of Summit on Summit: Kilimanjaro

After six months of training, finally, I’m actually hiking Mt Kilimanjaro as part of the Summit on Summit Kilimanjaro effort. This climb is to raise awareness of the global water crisis.  We hope to inspire action and raise donations.  Donation from P&G’ers to CSDW (LINK) will be matched up to $5,000 through the P&G matching gift program (LINK).

Visiting CSDW Villages with Jessica Biel, Kenna, Isabel Lucas, Alexandra Cousteau, Emile Hirsch and Summit on Summit: Kilimanjaro Team

I’m in Tanzania today to host a visit of the Summit on Summit Kilimanjaro team to see our Children’s Safe Drinking Water (CSDW) program in action.  We’re all pretty jet-lagged since we got in late last night.  But, we were up early today to head out towards the villages where we’ve been working with the Academy for Educational Development and Selian Hospital, to provide the PUR packets to the Maasai in the village of Mswakini.  I visited the village several times during my last trip and it’s good to be back with the Summit team.

Seasons Greeting Card, New Video with President Clinton, and off to Kilimanjaro

This is my last blog entry for the year. In order to wish you a happy holiday season and to thank you for supporting our efforts, we’ve created a special electronic greeting card. It’s definitely a one of a kind and I’m willing to bet it’s the first you’ve ever seen using flocculation!  Check out the card (LINK TO ELECTRONIC CARD).  I wish you peace this holiday season. 

Getting Ready for Summit on Summit: Kilimanjaro and seeing that Water is a Woman’s Issue

It’s my last day in Tanzania this trip.  I’ll return in early January for Summit on the Summit: Kilimanjaro.  Last night I went for a run in Arusha as part of my training for the hike, and the altitude made it pretty tough to breathe.  Right afterwards, Mt Kilimanjaro peaked out of the clouds.  It was the first time that I’d seen Kili during the week that I was in Arusha and it was only visible for a few minutes before dark.  I used my Flip video camera to record a short video about my initial impressions of seeing the big mountain.  As you can tell, in this hand-held amateur video taken at dusk, I’m a little intimidated with the thoughts of climbing to over 19,300 feet.  (link). 

Meeting "God's blessing" and wondering about random connections

Do you sometimes wonder how random events and connections seem to lead you to the place that you’re supposed to go?  Well they seem to happen all the time to me in my job leading the Children’s Safe Drinking Water (CSDW) Program.  I’m learning to go with the flow.  That’s the subject of this blog and my current visit to two groups in Arusha, Tanzania.  So, if you don’t want to hear about this, just skip this blog and come back for the next one.  I’ll understand.

From Despair to Hope among the Maasai

I’m back  with the Maasai prior to the Summit on the Summit Kilimanjaro.  Our work here will continue long after the climb of Mt Kilimanjaro has come and gone, but it will be great to help put a focus on the global water crisis and the practical and cost-effective solutions to address the crisis by bringing Jessica Biel, Kenna, Alexandra Cousteau, Isabel Lucas, Kick Kennedy, and the other climbers to this village.

The Maasai of Tanzania

I’m in Tanzania visiting several new programs in the shadow of Mt. Kilimanjaro.  I'll be returning to Tanzania with Jessica Biel, Kenna, Alexandra Cousteau, Isabel Lucas, Kick Kennedy and the rest of the Summit on the Summit climbers  in January.

Food for the Hungry’s Good Water Program in Maru, Kenya and Budding Romance

I leave Nairobi early in the morning to travel to Meru, Kenya.  We crawl through traffic in downtown Nairobi in the morning rush hour and then past the industrial area of Thika.  The countryside opens up after about an hour to reveal the farm lands.  Then we drop down a plateau to a low lying area that’s full of luscious green rice fields for as far as the eye can see.  After another hour, we can see majestic Mt Kenya in the distance.  By about five hours, we reach our destination of Meru, in the shadow of Mt Kenya.

Mama Juliana, Mzungu, and an Elder Water Giver

I’m in coastal Kenya with World Vision to help kick-off a program to provide the PUR packets in schools and communities in four of World Vision’s area development programs (ADPs).  We’ve had success with World Vision in providing PUR to school children in Malawi and now are expanding that work to Kenya.  Of course, we’ve also had success with World Vision in responding to emergencies in Asia and Africa.  We’re providing PUR now in Indonesia with World Vision in response to the earthquake.  And, we responded to save lives in Zimbabwe during the cholera outbreak.  World Vision recently ran an article on their home page to talk about our partnership.  To view the World Vision article about the P&G collaboration follow the link to their website, click on “World Vision News” and then “A Partnership to Fight Cholera”.  World Vision also shared the attached video to thank P&G for our partnership following my visit to Zimbabwe.(link to video)

PSI and FHI Providing Safe Drinking Water for Families with HIV/AIDS

We’ve learned that safe drinking water is critical for people who have HIV/AIDS because they are prone to opportunistic infections from contaminated water that can make them persistently sick and can be fatal.  When an adult is sick or dies from HIV/AIDS, it takes a horrible toll on the children who are more likely to not attend school, more likely to be sick, and even more likely to die. 

PUR where it’s really needed in Ethiopia

I’m in eastern Ethiopia with Henock Gazahegn of PSI.  PSI is doing a great job here in providing safe drinking water with the PUR packets.  We recognized PSI at the Clinton Global Initiative with the Live, Learn and Thrive Partnership Award for providing more than 200 million liters of clean drinking water in Ethiopia and thereby preventing millions of days of diarrheal illness and saving thousands of lives.

Climbing a Mountain to Focus Attention on the Global Water Crisis: PUR Water Filtration Partners with Summit on the Summit:Kilimanjaro and CSDW

Twitter:  @DrGregAllgood

I often feel that I’m climbing a metaphorical mountain in leading our Children’s Safe Drinking Water (CSDW) Program.  We’ve provided 1.6 billion liters of safe drinking water since 2004 and estimate that this has prevented more than 66 million days of diarrhea illness and saved more than 9,000 lives.  But there’s so much more to be done because 4,000 children die every day.  So, while we’re working really hard – it’s a big mountain to climb.  One thing is for sure, we can’t do it alone.