Latest in creative Water For People partnerships to expand global reach of Everyone Forever model
DENVER, CO (March 12, 2014) – Today, Water For People and TOMS announced a strategic partnership to provide safe drinking water in developing countries. With an estimated 1.8 billion people living without access to safe drinking water, this partnership will help to support sustainable water systems that are locally run, built, and maintained to last for generations.
TOMS, known for its One for One® Shoe and Sight ventures, is now entering the coffee market with TOMS Roasting Co. Under the guidance of Master Roaster Angel Orozco, TOMS Roasting Co. will offer six premium coffee varieties with beans sourced across the globe. For every bag of coffee purchased, TOMS will provide one week of clean water to a person in need. One for One®. TOMS Roasting Co. will work with Water For People to provide sustainable water systems to the countries where the beans are sourced – Rwanda, Honduras, Peru, Guatemala, and Malawi.
Each TOMS Roasting Co. purchase will bring Water For People one step closer to achieving its Everyone Forever model in the districts it serves. Everyone Forever strives to close the gaps that leave communities vulnerable to health issues by bringing together local entrepreneurs, civil society and governments to establish solutions that allow people to build and maintain their own reliable safe water and sanitation systems, independent of outside aid, ensuring long-term sustainability.
“We are thrilled to be TOMS Roasting Co.’s inaugural Giving Partner,” said Water For People CEO Ned Breslin. “Together, Water For People and TOMS can empower communities to build and sustain safe water systems without relying on indefinite international aid.”
“At TOMS it is our mission to use business to improve lives. We are honored to partner with such an innovative organization like Water For People to offer our customers the chance to change lives through providing safe water. We know that each purchase of TOMS Roasting Company will have a long-term impact and help move communities forward through our partnership with Water For People,” shared Blake Mycoskie, TOMS Founder and Chief Shoe Giver.
Today’s announcement comes just weeks after news of Water For People’s partnership with ONE DROP, a Montreal-based non-profit created by Cirque du Soleil Founder Guy Laliberté. The partnership brings together two large players to collaborate beyond the scope of individual programming and eradicate water and sanitation poverty for vulnerable communities in the Sheohar district of India. The partnership, which will impact more than 650,000 people by 2018, focuses on behavior change through social arts; microfinance and the sanitation marketplace; and livelihood and economic sustainability.
ABOUT WATER FOR PEOPLE
Water For People is an international development organization dedicated to providing access to improved water and sanitation systems and services in developing countries. By working with local governments, the private sector, and local non-profit partners, Water For People ensures that everyone in a specific region has these basic needs met forever. This innovative approach reaches every family, every school, and every clinic, catalyzing transformative change for better health and economic development. Learn more at http://www.waterforpeople.org. Join us on Facebook (facebook.com/waterforpeople) and Twitter (twitter.com/waterforpeople).
ABOUT TOMS
In 2006, American traveler Blake Mycoskie befriended children in a village in Argentina and found they had no shoes to protect their feet. Wanting to help, he created TOMS, a company that would match every pair of shoes purchased with a pair of new shoes given to a child in need. One for One.®
Realizing that One for One could serve other global needs, Blake launched TOMS Eyewear in 2011 to help restore sight to people in need with every purchase of TOMS Sunglasses and Optical frames. In 2014, TOMS Roasting Co. launched with the mission to provide clean water to communities in need with the purchase of premium coffee.
TOMS is in business to help improve lives. They identify a global need and create products to help address them. This simple idea is what makes them more than a company – they are a movement that’s continually evolving. Learn more at http://www.toms.com/our-movement/l#how-toms-gives-for-coffee
