En Route International has today announced the funding of 25 clean water pumps in Malawi through its collaboration with Thirsty Planet water and the Pump Aid Charity.
The company, which provides on-board catering solutions to domestic and international carriers across five continents, has purchased over 15 million Thirsty Planet water cuplets. This has allowed Thirsty Planet to donate to Pump Aid, a British charity that helps rural communities in remote sub-Saharan Africa by funding the water pumps.
The partnership facilitates a constant source of safe, clean, drinkable water by installing specialised water pumps.
En Route’s contribution to Pump Aid enables around 3,000 people to have access to safe and sustainable water supplies.
Access to safe water is a life-or-death challenge for millions of people living in extreme poverty in rural Malawi. Diarrhoea is the fifth leading cause of death among adults in the country with unsafe water, sanitation and hygiene the main causes of the condition.
Since its launch by Harrogate Water in 2007, Thirsty Planet has raised £2m for independent Pump Aid, which today is responsible for supplying more than 10% of the rural clean water supply in Malawi and Zimbabwe.
Robert Dalboth, managing director at En Route, said: “We are delighted by the results of our partnership with Thirsty Planet. As a responsible business, we are constantly looking at how we can contribute more to communities across the globe, finding novel and creative ways of supporting positive environmental initiatives. We are very proud to support Pump Aid.”
Thirsty Planet brand manager Nicky Cain said: “Thirsty Planet is all about inspiring and encouraging positive action and our partnership with En Route is a great example of this. The new pumps will have a transformative impact on communities in Malawi.”
