STOCKHOLM--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today at World Water Week in Stockholm, The Coca-Cola Company (TCCC) and Water and Sanitation for the Urban Poor (WSUP) announced the Company’s support of new programs in four African countries - Kenya, Zambia, Madagascar, and Mozambique. The funding, a total of $4.6MM from The Coca-Cola Africa Foundation, will support sustainable solutions to clean water and sanitation service delivery for at least 270,000 people in urban and peri-urban areas. Activities to be supported include the development of water kiosks and storage tanks for local communities, sustainable water supply services and capacity building of local service providers. The Coca-Cola funding will also be matched by WSUP partners, local communities and governments. The programs are to be part of the Company’s Replenish Africa Initiative (RAIN), an effort providing at least 2MM people with clean water access by the end of 2015.

WSUP, a non-profit partnership between the private sector, NGOs and research institutions, focuses on solving global problems of inadequate water and sanitation in low-income urban communities. Highlights of the work to be supported include a range of approaches that offer lasting clean water and sanitation services in partnership with local water utilities, businesses, authorities and the communities they service to support government objectives, including:

• Kenya - At least 45,000 people will benefit from the RAIN-WSUP intervention in the Kiu, Mirera, Karagita, Kamere, Kwa Muhia and Kasarani peri-urban settlements of Naivasha Municipality, next to the internationally renowned Lake Naivasha in the Rift Valley Province. The effort will establish water treatment, storage and distribution networks to provide safe water to local communities affected by dental and skeletal fluorosis, due to the high levels of fluoride in the underground water. Water kiosks and storage tanks will be constructed with a fluoride filtration system. The project will also rehabilitate boreholes, expanding access to clean and affordable water to low-income inhabitants. Sanitation improvement activities will include the rehabilitation of yard latrine units, the development and implementation of a sanitation marketing strategy, and the training of artisans and community based enterprises in production of sanitation products. Local women will take an active role in the project through leadership roles and potential employment in local water and sanitation enterprises.
• Zambia - The RAIN-WSUP project will provide equitable and safe water access to the 63,000 people of Chainda and Bauleni, low income peri-urban communities near Lusaka. The project will support the development of a sustainable water supply service delivery model by Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company (LWSC), the municipal service provider. Activities will include the improvement of the existing water system, the training of LWSC staff and communities in the use of newly introduced innovative pre-paid water dispensers, the mobilization and engagement of the communities, improved sanitation facilities and the establishment of new delegated management structures. In addition, this project will promote women’s empowerment by employing women as water vendors.
• Madagascar - The RAIN-WSUP project will expand service for low income peri-urban communities of Antananarivo by building the capacity of Jiro sy Rano Malagasy (JIRAMA), the local service provider, to support their delivery of water and sanitation services sustainably on a city-wide scale. Specific activities include the construction of 73 water kiosks and eight laundry blocks in the city’s seven Communes, the training of the community in facility management, and the capacity building of JIRAMA’s staff in Non-Revenue Water (NRW) prevention. The project will benefit 142,000 people and contribute to improvements in health, livelihoods, gender equality and reduced poverty. Women in the community will be encouraged to take on leadership roles throughout the development of the project and have the opportunity to generate income through the newly-built laundry blocks.
• Mozambique - The RAIN-WSUP project will scale activities to provide safe and sustainable drinking water to target peri-urban communities of Maputo and build the capacity of Águas da Região de Maputo (AdeM), the water utility. Sanitation interventions will include the development of communal and shared sanitation facilities, the improvement of sanitation in schools and the implementation of drainage improvements to realize the full health impacts of better water and sanitation. An estimated 28,250 people will benefit from the RAIN-WSUP project. Women will be included in all phases of the project and opportunities for women’s employment in water stand-post operations will be provided.

“We value the opportunity to work with a global leader like The Coca-Cola Company to scale up the delivery of affordable and sustainable clean water and sanitation services in Kenya, Zambia, Madagascar and Mozambique. With our strong focus on Africa and the wide footprint of TCCC across the continent, we are very pleased to be working with Coca-Cola in four of the five African countries in which we currently work,” said Sam Parker, CEO of WSUP.

“WSUP is a valued partner in helping us to build sustainable communities through access to clean water and sanitation service delivery. Their focus on building local capacity and bringing the private sector, NGOs and research institutions together to focus on challenges in urban areas is directly in line with Coca-Cola’s community water partnership strategies. We are delighted to expand our impactful partnership with WSUP under the RAIN initiative,” said Dr. Susan Mboya-Kidero, President of The Coca-Cola Africa Foundation.

About Water and Sanitation for the Urban Poor (WSUP)

Water and Sanitation for the Urban Poor (WSUP) is a non-profit partnership between the private sector, NGOs and research institutions focused on solving the global problem of inadequate water and sanitation in low-income urban communities. It brings lasting solutions to low-income areas by working in partnership with service providers including water utilities, local authorities and businesses, and the communities they serve. WSUP strengthens the capacity of service providers to deliver sustainable city-wide water and sanitation services, promote good hygiene and raise the environmental standards of low-income communities.

WSUP is a RAIN partner, implementing projects in Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Uganda and Zambia to improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of individuals and provide communities with clean water and sanitation services.

For more information visit: http://www.wsup.com/

About The Coca-Cola Company

The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world's largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands. Led by Coca-Cola, the world's most valuable brand, our Company's portfolio features 16 billion-dollar brands including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, Georgia and Del Valle. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, ready-to-drink coffees, and juices and juice drinks. Through the world's largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy our beverages at a rate of more than 1.8 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that reduce our environmental footprint, support active, healthy living, create a safe, inclusive work environment for our associates, and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate. Together with our bottling partners, we rank among the world's top 10 private employers with more than 700,000 system associates. For more information, visit Coca-Cola Journey at www.coca-colacompany.com, follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/CocaColaCo or visit our blog, Coca-Cola Unbottled, at www.coca-colablog.com.

About RAIN

In response to the severe water challenges faced by the nearly 300 million Africans living without access to clean water, TCCAF introduced the Replenish Africa Initiative (RAIN) in 2009. RAIN recognizes the water projects that TCCC and its bottling partners have already supported on the continent (since 2005) and highlights TCCC’s new investment of US$30-million over six years (2010 to 2015) to water projects in Africa. RAIN aims to provide over 2 million people in Africa with access to clean water by the end of 2015. RAIN is TCCC’s contribution to helping Africa achieve the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals on clean water and sanitation access. TCCAF will leverage this US$30-million investment and aims to attract dollar-for-dollar match funding through 2015.