We proudly announce our newest partnership with Water.org to support a community programme that will empower 10,000 Kenyans in need with access to safe water or sanitation solutions.
Water scarcity in Kenya has been an issue for decades. Only a tiny percentage of the country's land is optimal for agriculture, and the year-round climate is predominantly arid.
Unfortunately, Kenya's limited natural water resources don't provide equitable water delivery to the country's various regions. And this leaves much of the population without any fresh, safe water.
According to Water.org, 15 percent of Kenyans, of 53 million people, rely on unimproved water sources such as ponds, shallow wells, and rivers, while 41 percent of Kenyans lack access to basic sanitation solutions. These challenges are even more prevalent in rural areas, where people are often unable to connect to piped water infrastructure. We can better understand the situation if we consider that the average total cost of coping for an unreliable or remote water source is about $38 a month in Kenya, where 29% of the total population lives on less than $3.20 a day.
Further, the water crisis is personal for women in Kenya who are primarily responsible for household water collection. These women risk their health and well-being to collect water. In addition, they walk many kilometres to reach safe water, sometimes with a baby strapped to her back and also facing many dangers on the way.
So, as a brand working for a healthy planet, it was inevitable for us to become a partner in this project.
Because we have been focusing on healthy living for years, raising awareness and developing products that make healthy living possible and convenient. Our brand mission is ‘healthy living is only possible on a healthy planet’.
Furthermore, at Beko, we are committed to protecting the planet by designing and manufacturing energy-efficient products and investing in resource efficiency in production. And we are fulfilling our responsibility by developing technologies such as FiberCatcher, which protects water health.
Also, for the past three years, as a home appliance brand we have focused on three areas of sustainability: Recycled material use, energy efficiency & carbon footprint and water health/efficiency.
Akın Garzanlı, Chief Marketing Officer, Arçelik (parent company of Beko) sums up our approach to the subject as follows:
“Access to safe water and sanitation is an essential human right, and any barriers to these pose serious threats to well-being and undermine social and economic development. At the heart of many of our innovations and solutions is the recognition that resources like water are incredibly precious. This is true for our global consumers, who we encourage to save water through our technology and ethos, and for those without access to clean, safe water. We are proud to support Water.org and share skills and resources to empower families in need with access to lasting water sources.
Through our partnership…
We will support Water.org, co-founded by Matt Damon and Gary White and its local partner AMFI Kenya, the association of microfinance institutions, to help scale and promote solutions to enable access to safe water in urban slums and rural areas without reliable water sources.
Also, the programme will include the development of learning materials and activities to empower communities with affordable access to loans so they can install wells, water storage tanks, filters, rainwater harvesting systems and sanitation solutions.
As Beko, we will continue to work for a healthier world and establish new partnerships.
Why is there a water crisis in Kenya?
water crisis due to multiple causes, like droughts, forest degradation, a lack of water supply management, the contamination of water, and population growth.
What is the purpose of Water.org?
Water.org is an international non-profit organization that has positively transformed more than 51 million lives worldwide with access to safe water or sanitation—founded by Gary White and Matt Damon, Water.org pioneers market-driven financial solutions to the global water crisis. For 30 years, they’ve provided women hope, children health and families a bright future.
