Children's Safe Drinking Water

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.

P&G CSDW Commits to Reach 2 Million People in Horn of Africa Famine and Honors USAID and Target at CGI2011

P&G is participating in our 6th Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) this week.  Each of the last five years, we’ve made big commitments to help scale-up our P&G Children’s Safe Drinking Water Program and this year is no different.   Last year P&G CEO, Bob McDonald, together with President Clinton, announced that P&G committed to, by 2020, save one life every hour in the developing world by providing 2 billion liters of clean water each year with our water purification packets.  Since last year’s commitment, we’ve provided more than 1 BILLION liters of clean drinking water through our partnerships.  This is more than double our previous best effort.  We are on track to surpass the 4 billion liter milestone in 2012.  This was achieved by helping build awareness of the global clean drinking water crisis by delivering more than 750 million media impressions, as well as by expanding our partnerships and entering 4 new countries with our CSDW program.  We are also building a new manufacturing facility in Singapore that will open next year and will be dedicated to the production of P&G’s water purification packets, allowing us to reach our bold goal.

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.

P&G and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and P&G Pampers & UNICEF : Partnering to Save Lives

In these tough economic times, it helps to think beyond yourself.  While we cut-back, tighten our belts, and focus, it’s important that we also help those who need our help the most.   And, you know, this always leads to making us feel and perform better, and as organizations it helps us do better.   It’s really as simple as that. 

For P&G, we’re reaching out to help those most in need through our CSDW program.   The greatest humanitarian crisis in the world is now in East Africa where a long drought is causing starvation on a massive scale.   About 600,000 children are at risk of dying from starvation.  One of the most important treatments for starving people is to give them clean water so that they can absorb nutrients from their food.  So, we’re mounting a massive effort with our partners to respond to the East Africa famine crisis.  I’ll share more soon – but rest assured that P&G and our safe drinking water partners are going to help hundreds of thousands of people in this famine.

Another area where P&G has been helping for a number of years is in the battle against maternal and neonatal tetanus (MNT).   This is a disease that is eliminated in the developed world but still kills a child every nine minutes in the developing world.  It’s a horrible death but can be easily prevented through an MNT vaccine.  So, the P&G’s Pampers brand and UNICEF have teamed up to provide MNT vaccines through a program called 1 pack = 1 vaccine.  Since 2006, Pampers has donated funds for 300 million vaccines that are helping protect 100 million women & their babies.   Last year, I visited Uganda with a team from UNICEF and P&G as the last phases of a vast MNT vaccination program were being completed.  We’ve been waiting for the World Health Organization’s confirmation that the effort was a success and they recently announced that MNT has been eliminated in Uganda.   This is fantastic news!

One of the biggest supporters of vaccines in the world is the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.  P&G has recently started an effort to collaborate with the Gates Foundation and I’m honored to be the leader of this effort that is sponsored by P&G CEO Bob McDonald.    Bob and Melinda Gates met at the Clinton Global Initiative last year when they were on the opening plenary and Bob announced our new CSDW goal to save one life every hour in the developing world with clean water by 2020.   That led to some follow-up discussions and we’ve found that we share the belief that the powerful but limited role of philanthropy needs to be augmented through products and services that improve and save lives and reduce inequity in the world.   We’re exploring a number of areas of collaboration but a clear area of shared interest is in the work of vaccines.

The Gates Foundation leader of our collaboration is Dr Gary Darmstadt.   He suggested that he team up with my friend and colleague Dr Nada Dugas of P&G, who leads the Pampers:UNICEF effort, in order to write a blog about the recent success of the Pampers:UNICEF effort in eliminating MNT in Uganda.   I’m thrilled that the Gates Foundation is helping build awareness of this important collaboration.  And, as Gary and Nada state in their blog, there’s more to come as  “the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Procter and Gamble are teaming up to develop new partnerships with viable business models that will sustain the delivery of other life-saving interventions”.  

I’d encourage you to check out their blog.  Congratulations to P&G Pampers and UNICEF for the elimination of MNT in Uganda!

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.

Guest blog by Victoria Great of P&G Asia: The story behind a simple glass of clean water

I was thrilled to have my friend Victoria Great, P&G External Relations Associate Director in Asia, join me on my recent trip to Cambodia and Singapore.   Victoria has been a champion of the P&G Children's Safe Drinking Water Program for several years- first working with CSDW to help us respond to the cyclone that struck Myanmar two years ago.   She's now working with our P&G regional external relations managers to help launch both the "SKII Clear for Life" and "Pantene Healthy Hair for Healthy Water" efforts that are building awareness of the global water crisis in several countries and will help us expand the CSDW program in several countries.  I asked Victoria to write a guest blog about her impressions and here it is.  Thanks Victoria, you're Great! 

Water is a Women’s Issue in Cambodia

I’m visiting rural Cambodia with World Vision and my P&G colleague, Victoria Great.  We’re expanding the P&G Children’s Safe Drinking Water Program in Asia partly through cause-related marketing programs from P&G and our brands including “Give Health BrandSaver,” “Pantene Healthy Hair for Healthy Water,” and “SKII Clear for Life.” 

 

Breaking the Cycle of Poor Health by Providing Healthy Water in Cambodian Villages

I’m making my first trip to Cambodia.  We’re growing the P&G Children’s Safe Drinking Water (CSDW) Program in Asia and Cambodia is a key part of this expansion.  Our partner in providing the PUR packets in Cambodia is World Vision. 

A road that’s seen so much death in Haiti

Today is my last day in Haiti and I’m visiting Partners in Health’s effort with the PUR packets in the Central Plateau department.  I’m with Jonathan Lascher, Katharine Mathews, and Joel Maiebranche of Partners in Health (PIH) and Chuck Szymanski of PSI.  Chuck has been a friend for years and I’ve enjoyed working with him as a single professional, to recently married, and now as a very proud father to 3 year old Maya.  Chuck will soon leave his position as the leader of PSI in the Dominican Republic to become the leader of PSI Madagascar.  Hopefully, we can work together there. 

Helping Haitians along the Dominican Republic border with World Vision

I’m in Haiti with World Vision today to explore the need for the PUR packets in parts of Haiti that we haven’t reached yet. 

Would you drink from a stream behind a cholera clinic?

I’m back in Haiti for the first time since my visit immediately after the January 2010 earthquake.  After the quake, I flew from the hike of Mt Kilimanjaro with Summit on the Summit almost directly to Haiti to help with the relief efforts.  I’m back in Haiti now to meet with several of our partners who have been providing PUR for the quake and cholera responses and assess what more we should do together. I’m amazed at how much rebuilding has been done.  There’s still a tremendous amount of damage, but the people of Haiti and humanitarian groups have been busy rebuilding Haiti.

CSDW expands to the mountains of Chiapas, Mexico

Today is my second field visit with P&G Mexico to see the efforts of the not-for-profit group “Un Kilo de Ayuda” or “A Kilo of Help”.  Today I’m traveling with a team from “Un Kilo de Ayuda” including Marcelino Lopez and with Claudia Herreramoro and Ana Ramirez of P&G Mexico.  Our objective today is to introduce PUR to the first communities in the far rural mountains of Chiapas, Mexico.

A Plethora of New Efforts Announced for World Water Day and a Word about Japan

This week we’re celebrating World Water Day, March 22, and there’s a plethora of activities to build awareness of the global clean drinking water crisis.  But, we’re also thinking of Japan and the tragedy of the earthquake, tsunamis, and nuclear reactor crisis.  In addition to the work with the PUR packets, my team helps coordinate P&G’s response to disasters.  Many times this involves the PUR packets, but for Japan relief we’re focused on providing other P&G products that are desperately needed for the response.

CSDW goes to Mexico: Bringing PUR to Puebla with Un Kilo de Ayuda

In the past, the P&G Children’s Safe Drinking Water Program has mostly concentrated in Africa and some parts of Asia where the highest percentages of people consume unsafe drinking water.  However, unclean drinking water is a global issue and so I’m visiting Latin America to focus on building our impact in several Latin American countries.  And, this is fitting since the PUR product that is the focus of our implementation efforts was first tested in Guatemala.  My P&G Latin America colleagues led regionally by Antonio Boadas and German Saenz are working with individual countries to register PUR in most of the countries of Latin and Central America.  Today, I’m visiting Mexico.

The Purpose of “For the Children of Panama”

I’m with Norman Vargas of P&G Central America to visit one of our P&G Children Safe Drinking Water (CSDW) Program partners.  Today Norman and I are picked up at the hotel in Santiago, Panama by some of the ladies who lead “Asociacion Pro Ninez Panamena” or the Association for the Children of Panama.  Kiki Boyd, Angela Aries, and Ana Maria Flores are Board Members of this group of 50 influential and wealthy Panamanian women who have chosen to give back by supporting a program to help under privileged children.

I’ll have the chicken soup and not the iguana at Nutre Hogar in Panama

I’m in Panama, the new headquarters for P&G’s Latin American operations.  As part of our commitment to Panama, P&G has worked with Nutre Hogar (Nutrition Place), the Panama Red Cross, the Asociacion Pro Niñez Panamena (Association for the Children of Panama), UNICEF Panama,  and SINAPROC to reach more than 20,000 people in rural areas that need clean drinking water, as well as people who have been affected by natural disaster.  We’ll expand the effort now to another group, Fundación Los Niños del Darien (Foundation for the Children of Darien), to cover an additional region where more than 3,500 people will benefit.

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. 

P&G’s Prestige Beauty Skin Product, SKII, Launches Support of CSDW with Cate Blanchett

P&G’s skin care brand SKII has launched a program to provide support for the Children’s Safe Drinking Water (CSDW) program.  An event in Beijing brought together hundreds of stakeholders to celebrate the effort called “Live Clear” reflecting SKII’s purpose to bring crystal clear life to women around the world.

SKII will make an initial donation to provide 30 million liters of clean drinking water through the CSDW program and focus their efforts in Asia where SKII was born and where the most SKII consumers reside.

I think the connection between SKII and our work to provide clean drinking water with the PUR packets is a great fit.  Asian women call SKII “miracle water” because of the impact the skin care product has on their skin.  And, of course, what the PUR packets can do to transform dirty water into crystal clear water is a miracle for people forced to drink contaminated water in the developing world.

Academy award-winning actress and SK-II global ambassador Cate Blanchett was a special guest at the launch and did a PUR demonstration, including drinking the water at the end of the demonstration.  Ms. Blanchett has graciously agreed to allow me to post her PUR demonstration on this blog (LINK).

I’m thankful to Dr Steve Luby of CDC and ICDDR,B for attending the launch event and speaking about the global clean water crisis. 

Thank you SKII for helping us help women and their families in Asia to have clean drinking water.

New Video from Clinton Global Initiative, Responding to Haiti Cholera Crisis, and Partnership with the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill

This year’s Clinton Global Initiative was our biggest ever when Bob McDonald, P&G CEO and Chairman, announced with President Clinton our goal to scale-up the Children’s Safe Drinking Water (CSDW) Program to save one life every hour.  The announcement was widely covered and generated over 100 million media impressions.  Many of our safe drinking water partners attended an event in New York City to help us make this new commitment.  I’d encourage you to watch this short video in order to hear and see the excitement behind our new commitment (VIDEO).

Committing to Save One Life Every Hour – Bob McDonald and President Bill Clinton at the Clinton Global Initiative

I had a dream. Well it actually started as a day dream while zoning out one day mowing my lawn in 2001. I started thinking about the potential impact of providing the PUR packets in the developing world. I was excited about my new assignment on a project that might literally allow P&G and our partners to save lives. At that point, we had provided less than 1 million PUR packets. In each of the next three years, we would provide about 1 million PUR packets a year. This was a good start for a new project but not enough to make any big difference.

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.

Response to Pakistan Floods

We’ve been working non-stop to respond to the current crisis in Pakistan.  This is a huge disaster –impacting more people than the Haiti earthquake, south East Asia tsunami, and 2005 Pakistan quake combined. With our new plant capacity, we’re in good shape to respond. We also have many great partners with experience in Pakistan.  We’re working with PSI/Greenstar, World Vision, Save the Children, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), HOPE and Read Foundation. 

P&G Pakistan Triples Capacity to Make More PUR Packets and Save More Lives

I'm in Pakistan hosted by our P&G Pakistan team. Today I'm riding with Yassin Attas our External Relations leader for Middle East, the Arabian Peninsula, and Pakistan. This is my fourth country visit with Yassin and he's asked me to present our Children's Safe Drinking Water (CSDW) story to our P&G colleagues in Beirut, Cairo, Dubai, and Karachi.

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.

In Chile to Celebrate 2 Billion Liters of Clean Drinking Water Provided by P&G's CSDW

I spent last week in Chile as part of the P&G response to the earthquake.  P&G Chile has really stepped up like so many in Chile to help respond to the suffering caused by the devastating 8.8 Richter scale earthquake that hit on February 27.  This week will also be a huge milestone for the P&G Children’s Safe Drinking Water (CSDW) Program since we’ll provide the 200 millionth PUR packet representing 2 billion liters of clean drinking water.

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.

Clean is Beautiful with Dania Ramirez, CoverGirl Clean Make-up for Clean Water Ambassador

I wrote this blog in Santo Domingo in September. We waited a while to post it since we were keeping this effort a surprise. Today, we’re with Dania Ramirez in San Jose de Ocoa about 2 hours from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.  We’re here as part of the CoverGirl Clean Make-up for Clean Water campaign that contributes to the P&G Children’s Safe Drinking Water Program so we can provide PUR packets to people in need in the developing world.

March 7 P&G BrandSaver “GIVE PUR WATER” gives 1 day of clean water for each coupon: Samantha Sakemiller Makes a Difference

On Sunday, March 7, about 55 million households in the United States will receive a booklet of money-saving coupons in their Sunday newspaper. These coupons are for P&G products like Tide, Gillette, and Pantene and the booklet is called BrandSaver. The reason this is relevant to this blog is that for each and every coupon that is redeemed by a consumer, P&G brands will make a contribution to the P&G Children’s Safe Drinking Water (CSDW) Fund so that we can provide water for a child in the developing world for a day.

Dania Ramirez, CoverGirl’s Clean Make-up Ambassador Gives Clean Water

I wrote this blog in Santo Domingo in September 2009 before the Haiti earthquake.  We waited a while to post it since we were keeping this effort a surprise.  P&G’s CoverGirl brand has decided to contribute to our Children’s Safe Drinking Water Program.  This is the idea of Vince Hudson, CoverGirl Marketing Director.  I’ve known Vince for years since we both worked in P&G Health Care, and it’s great to be working with him again.