In celebration of Earth Day 2022 on Friday, 22 April, MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet (MySchool), a South Africa’s community fundraising platform, is placing the spotlight on the need for schools to have access to clean water.
Through its beneficiary, the Woolies Water Fund, MySchool is encouraging its supporters to make every swipe count in order to ensure that schools have access to a sustainable water supply.
In a statement, since its inception four years ago, the Woolies Water Fund has donated R4,5 million to scores of schools in some of the most drought-stricken regions of the country, providing children and teachers with fresh water to drink, wash and flush.
With South Africa being a naturally water scarce country, it is essential for all South Africans to focus on preserving and managing this particular resource.
General Manager at MySchool, Pieter Twine, said Woolworths has always been passionate about conserving water and providing this precious life-giving resource to schools is a high priority on their Good Business Journey commitment in which they aim to positively impact the planet and its people.
“It’s only been four years since Cape Town almost ran dry, or Day Zero, as it is more popularly known, and other parts of the country are still struggling with serious water scarcity concerns. In the midst of all this, it has been incredibly disheartening to know that several schools and communities continue to struggle with sustainable access to clean water. The Woolies Water Fund is our effort to support schools with this challenge,” she said.
Effective water conservation through rainwater harvesting systems
Rainwater harvesting is a sustainable and cost-effective process of collecting, storing, and re-purposing pure rainwater that would otherwise fall back onto the ground or drain away. The water can be used for sanitation, cooking and hydration purposes, as well as for the irrigation of food gardens.
Each rainwater harvesting system is tailor-made according to the specific school’s unique needs, incorporating any existing water infrastructure or installing a sustainable, safe water source from scratch where necessary.
“We are committed to conserving water through implementing sustainable water-saving initiatives as well as by setting up secure infrastructure at schools that desperately need a sustainable water supply in order to function properly,” added Twine.
He further commented that the fund has supplied and installed 132 water tanks in 77 schools across four provinces as well as more than 540 handwashing stations. Local water pipes, gutters and filtration systems have also been upgraded to ensure that schools and their surrounding communities have sustainable access to clean and fresh water.
Shoppers can do their part
Customers can help to raise more funding for water infrastructure in schools by choosing the Woolies Water Fund as their MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet beneficiary.
“Many schools across the country simply do not have reliable access to water, for health and sanitation purposes. Our children need water for their well-being, and we would not be able to have such a positive impact on the provision of water to schools and poor communities if it was not for the commitment of our customers who help us contribute to the fund every time they swipe their MySchool cards in store,” concluded Twine.
IOL