In Papua New Guinea, only 37% of the population have access to at least a basic water supply. Through this Acqua for Life project, trained coaches helped boost girls' self-confidence and hygiene knowledge. The installation of improved water and sanitation
facilities in schools in the central region has benefited thousands of children. In the upcoming three years, the Acqua for Life initiative will help construct 72 toilets and install 12 rainwater tanks for the benefit of over 3,500 students.
Heinigou Village, located in Yunnan, was the first destination of Acqua for Life in China in 2012, where a reservoir has been built to provide safe water for villagers.
Acqua for Life has contributed to construct water and sanitation facilities at birthing and healthcare centers in Kailali and Bardiya, reducing the incidence of water-borne diseases by 10% and improving hygiene behaviours of new mothers by 60%. In the
next three years, thanks to Acqua for Life’s contribution, approximately 5,523 pregnant women coming to the healthcare facilities for delivery/guardian of a newborn will benefit from hygiene sessions.
Acqua for Life initiative has been operating in both Kolkata and Tamil Nadu state in South India.
In Kolkata, 35% of schools had no access to drinking facilities in 2015. Over the three next years, via Acqua for Life projects, four schools will be equipped and capacitated with water filtration systems, water storage tanks, designated
drinking water stations and taps, new urinals and toilets; helping approximately 2,000 children.
In Tamil Nadu state, in addition to the installation of water systems, emphasis has been put on the sensitization of hundreds of teachers and students regarding preservation and use of water, hygiene and diseases
In the Manjankandriana District of Madagascar, water access is around 58%, with potable water access at 0%. Over the next three years, through the support of Acqua for Life initiative, a long-term impact on the region will be possible, achieving clean
water, decent toilets and good hygiene.
In Kenya 70% of the population in rural areas lack of access to basic sanitation. In the Rift Valley, Acqua for Life is installing water supply systems and about 15,000 community members and school-going children will benefit from it directly.
Acqua for Life has been operating in both Patagonia and the Provincia de Misiones.
In Patagonia a treatment plant was installed using the reverse osmosis technique to produce at least 15,000 liters per day of drinking water. 1000 people will see their drinking water secured and guaranteed.
In the Selva Yriapu reserve, thanks to a water pump, piping system and a storage tank, 100 liters per person and per day will be accessible.
The Acqua for Life project in Brazil is in the State of Sao Paolo, where the access to safe water increases food security and enhances environmental sustainability by improving the access of farmers to appropriate irrigation technologies and practices.
Eight municipalities in Cruceños Valley have declared a state of natural catastrophe due to drought. Cisterns, like the ones installed through Acqua for Life project, provide a reliable supply of water to children and families, and can be restocked with
water brought from elsewhere even if the local supply runs dry.
For the tenth year running, Giorgio Armani beauty, via the Acqua for Life initiative, continues to be a major partner of the UNICEF "Tap project", designed to raise funds to provide safe, clean water to children all over the world.
Four schools in two townships of the state of Morelos benefit from Acqua for Life's commitment to address the issues of clean water, hygiene, and sanitation in the most deprived communities.
Barely half of the population living in rural Ghana enjoys access to water. With the 95 water supply systems built over the last five years, Acqua for Live project initiated a change in these communities.
In the Ranérou-Ferlo district, in three different schools, water supply systems and latrine blocks with hand washing facilities and drinking fountains were installed. Rather than having to fetch water before classes start or, worse, missing out on school
altogether, children can now spend their days in education.
Acqua for Life laid the first stone of a trans-boundary project by drilling a borehole in the village of Dohouan near the Bia River, a natural frontier between the Ivory Coast and Ghana.
“Water is perhaps the element that I feel closest to. For me water represents life and regeneration, but also calmness and serenity. Access to clean water is undoubtedly one of the greatest challenges in the 21st century.”
Acqua for Life was created in 2010 from a philosophy as simple as it is fundamental: that water is one of the most important elements to life, as it creates life and empowers lives. Yet for 1 out of 9 people globally, a clean water supply is difficult to access.
The Acqua for Life initiative focuses on delivering universal access to drinking water in water-scarce regions. Among its principal values are:
A comprehensive approach committed to addressing the issues of clean water, hygiene, and sanitation in the most deprived communities
Activities that include the installation of water points, latrines, and rainwater collection, water filtering, and water purification systems
A sustainable approach to structuring projects, including education for the community about how to maintain the projects and WASH (water, hygiene, and sanitation) behavior, to empower local communities and sustain Acqua for Life projects in the long term
Access to clean water has a positive socio-economic impact on communities’ health and livelihood. Via its projects, Acqua for Life’s mission is to play a role in helping people reclaim their right to drinking water and sanitation.
For the tenth year running, Giorgio Armani’s Acqua for Life campaign continues to help Unicef provide safe, clean drinking water for children.
Since 2010, Giorgio Armani has supported Unicef's Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Programs in Burkina Faso, Nicaragua, Ivory Coast, Guatemala, Haiti, Tanzania, Togo and Vietnam. As part of Acqua for Life's 2019 campaign, funds raised are supporting Unicef's WASH programs in Haiti.
In 2018, Giorgio Armani’s Aqua for Life initiative selected WaterAid to join its existing partners Unicef USA and Green Cross International, in light of WaterAid’s technical expertise in the WASH sector. WaterAid is working to make clean water, decent toilets, and good hygiene normal for everyone, everywhere, within a generation, and is currently working across 28 countries to change the lives of the poorest and most marginalized people. Also, WaterAid has a global presence, collaborative approach, and commitment to finding sustainable solutions to the water crisis around the world.
Between 2018 and 2020, the Acqua for Life initiative is supporting three WaterAid projects focusing on schools and health care facilities in Madagascar, Nepal, and Papua New Guinea.
Since 2011, Acqua for Life helps Green Cross International build wells, latrines, and washbasins to provide hygiene means and protect the immediate environment for the most deprived communities. In addition, Green Cross International conducts awareness campaigns on local water issues and hygiene, especially in schools, so that children understand from an early age the importance of simple actions - such as washing hands with soap - to prevent the spread of germs. Finally, the sustainability of the project also involves training adults in the proper use and maintenance of infrastructure.
Green Cross International has implemented projects for Acqua for Life in Ghana, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Greater China, Sri Lanka, Argentina, Bolivia, Mexico, and Brazil. For 2019, the focus will be in Kenya, India, Greater China, and Argentina.
Acqua for life by Viviane Sassen
For Acqua for Life, Dutch photographer Viviane Sassen visited an Acqua for Life project in Madagascar in April 2018, with the initiative's partner WaterAid. Here, Viviane Sassen created a film and photographs that capture the joy of the journey towards clean water. Viviane Sassen's aesthetic draws on documentary as much as staged photography, and its visual multitude invites myriad interpretations. The work aims to disregard traditional genre boundaries and tackle the often-problematic link between photography, imperialism, and the colonial imagination.
ACQUA FOR LIFE THROUGH AN ARTISTS' LENS
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