One Drop Foundation and Global Wholesaler METRO to Join Forces – to Provide Safe Water Access and Sanitation for More Than 250,000 People in India

Fundraising efforts begin today in partnership across 22 countries with 22 global suppliers and will be three-year annual effort

MONTREAL--()--Today, on the occasion of World Water Day, international wholesale and food specialist METRO is launching the METRO Water Initiative in partnership with international water foundation One Drop.

As part of the broader METRO Water Initiative, the leading wholesale company will host a two-week in-store campaign in METRO retail stores located in 22 countries across Europe and Asia, where a portion of sales from products of 22 participating suppliers will be used to fund One Drop’s water access projects in India. The campaign aims to raise more than 1.2 million Euros, with One Drop doubling the amount raised in-store, and will be an annual event around World Water Day during the course of the three-year project.

In collaboration with international NGO “Water For People”, local governments, social art partners, civil society organizations, microfinancing institutions, and the private sector, this joint initiative of One Drop and METRO aims to provide permanent access to sustainable and safe water and sanitation to more than a quarter of a million people in India, which is one of the most affected areas in the world by the global water crisis.

Through this partnership, METRO and One Drop strive to support the United Nations' International Decade for Action on Water for Sustainable Development, where one of the goals is to provide clean water and sanitation for all by 2030.

Throughout India, more than 600 million people are exposed to extreme water stress and about 70 percent of available water is classified as contaminated. Specifically, the METRO Water Initiative will support the northern District of Sheohar, in Bihar, India where nearly half of the region does not have safe water coverage.

This project aims to achieve three specific goals in the region:

  1. Increase the use and sustainable management of safe water and sanitation services;
  2. Sustain the adoption of targeted water-related behaviours;
  3. Improve the market system for water-related products and services.

“As part of this effort, it is important to recognize the important role that social behaviour change can have on finding sustainable solutions for communities in need, like Sheohar. Providing access to safe water is just the beginning,” said Marie-Claude Bourgie, Chief Development Officer at One Drop. “Founded by the same creative mind behind Cirque du Soleil, One Drop has developed a unique Social Art for Behaviour Change approach to promote the adoption of healthy behaviours around water, sanitation, and hygiene. Through locally inspired social art programs, One Drop empowers communities to take ownership of their water projects, which ensures both long-term impact and sustainability.”

“This project is a common thread that allows a variety of companies and institutions to join forces to do good. Water is a human right, but it is so unequally distributed around the world that more than 2 billion people still live without safe access to clean water. By partnering for a common goal, we have the power to change the lives of more than a quarter of a million people for the better,” said Heiko Hutmacher, Chief Human Resources Officer and Member of the Management Board of METRO AG responsible for Sustainability

The participating suppliers in this year’s METRO Water initiative are (some with more than one brand): Barilla, Bolton, Campofrio, The Coca-Cola Company, Danone, Diageo, Ecolab, Glaxosmithkline, Henkel, Johnson Diversey, Lavazza, Mars, McCain, Mondelez, PepsiCo, Reckitt Benckiser (RB), SC Johnson, Werner & Mertz Professional.

To learn more about the METRO Water Initiative, visit https://www.onedrop.org/en/events/metro-water/.

About One Drop

One DropTM is an international foundation created by Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté with the vision of a better world, where all have access to living conditions that allow empowerment and development. Our mission is to ensure sustainable access to safe water and sanitation for the most vulnerable communities through innovative partnerships, creativity and the power of art. Together with its partners, One Drop brings its unique Social Art for Behaviour Change™ approach to promote the adoption of healthy practices around water, sanitation and hygiene through locally inspired social art programs, empowering the communities to take ownership of the water projects over time. For this to be possible, One Drop puts together novel fundraising initiatives supported by a visionary community of partners and donors. One Drop counts over 10 years of turning water into action with projects that will soon have transformed the lives of over 1.4 million people around the world. The foundation was recognized by Charity Intelligence as one of the 2018 Top 10 Impact Charities in Canada. To learn more about One Drop, visit www.onedrop.org. Interact with One Drop on Facebook and Twitter at @onedrop, or on Instagram at @1dropwater.

About METRO

METRO is a leading international wholesale company with food and non-food assortments that specialises on serving the needs of hotels, restaurants and caterers (HoReCa) as well as independent traders. Around the world, METRO has some 24 million customers who can choose whether to shop in one of the large-format stores, order online and collect their purchases at the store or have them delivered. METRO in addition also supports the competitiveness of entrepreneurs and own businesses with digital solutions and thereby contributes to cultural diversity in retail and hospitality. Sustainability is a key pillar of METRO’s business. METRO has been the sector leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for the last four years. The company operates in 36 countries and employs more than 150,000 people worldwide. In financial year 2017/18, METRO generated sales of €36.5 billion. In September 2018 METRO AG initiated the divestment process for the food retail chain Real with its 34,000 employees to transform into a pure wholesale company.

Contacts

Rebecca Hood
Edelman, For One Drop
T: 407.452.4906
rebecca.hood@edelman.com

Release Summary

One Drop Foundation and METRO Join Forces to Provide Safe Water Access and Sanitation for more than 250,000 People in India

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Contacts

Rebecca Hood
Edelman, For One Drop
T: 407.452.4906
rebecca.hood@edelman.com