Cotton On Foundation supports World Water Day

22nd March, 2018

Today, Thursday 22 March, marks World Water Day; an annual day of recognition established by the United Nations in 1992 to draw attention to the immense importance and scarcity of freshwater.

Currently more than 2.1 billion people live without safe drinking water at home, causing detriment to their health, education and livelihoods.

In addition, a staggering 80% of childhood disease is related in some way to unsafe drinking water, inadequate hygiene and poor sanitation.

The Cotton On Group’s philanthropic arm, Cotton On Foundation (the Foundation), has long been prioritising water as part of its global projects in Uganda, South Africa, Thailand and the Northern Territory.

A student’s cognitive function, their ability to concentrate and learn in the classroom, is heavily reliant on adequate hydration, making clean drinking water in schools crucial to the success of the Foundation’s mission: to empower youth through quality education.

Since its launch in 2007, the Foundation has installed 8 x 260,000-litre Rhino Water tanks at its schools across Southern Uganda. Each tank can provide each student with 5 litres of fresh drinking water per day.

With a population of over 41 million people, 65% of Ugandans lack access to safe water, and 75% of diseases in Uganda are caused by a lack of clean water and proper sanitation.

In addition to Rhino tanks the Foundation has funded the construction and maintenance of 14 boreholes and two wells in the region, including most recently a borehole installed prior to the construction of one of its new school projects, Ntebbe Za Ddungu.

Across the globe in Thailand, the focus in on water pumps, with one such pump recently installed at the Foundation’s school in Bwe K’Lar.

The benefits of these rainwater tanks, sustainable catchment methods and filtration mechanisms spread far beyond the school walls, by providing clean and fresh drinking water not only to students but to entire communities.

This year, to drive awareness around the significance of World Water Day, the Cotton On Foundation has released a special edition range of t-shirts, totes and water bottles for sale in select Cotton On and Mega stores and online.

By purchasing a Foundation product, customers are empowered to directly change the lives of communities living in poverty with all proceeds of these transactions going directly to the Foundation’s clean drinking water initiatives.