From Maurice Okafor,Enugu.
The ‘Wateraid’ organization, an international non profit organization with objective of improving sanitation rate, hygiene and provision of portable water etc, globally has received N284m, an equivalent of €622,000 donation from ‘ß’ Africa Foundation as support to it’s emergency response work in the fight against corona virus disease spread in Nigeria.
The Wateraid Communications and Media Officer in Nigeria, Mr Oluseyi Abdulmarlik, dropped this hints in a press release issued to journalists.
He disclosed that the funds are part of the HEINEKEN Africa Foundation’s generous N547 million (€1.2 million) donation to WaterAid to support the international charity’s water, sanitation and hygiene work in vulnerable communities in Sub-Saharan Africa, including Nigeria, where the work will last for seven months, even as the foundation will give further support to Wateraid’s projects in South Africa,Rwanda and Mozambique.
Abdulmarlik in the press statement ‘Wateraid’ will install more than 1,000 much needed hand washing facilities will be installed in healthcare centers and other busy public places in Nigeria.
His words, ‘Hygiene product packs will be distributed to 12,000 households and 6,000 people with disabilities. A large-scale hygiene campaign will also be carried out on TV, radio and billboards. It is hoped the project will reach millions of people across the country’.
He emphasized that hand washing with soap is the first line of defense against the spread of infectious diseases such as COVID-19. He said that statistics provided by the government shows that more than 160 million Nigerians lack access to basic hand washing facilities with soap and water.
Further in the press statement, Evelyn Mere, Wateraid Nigeria Country Director described the need for clean water and hygiene as very crucial in the battle to contain the spread of corona virus disease.
She stressed that that the support from Heineken Africa Foundation will assist the organization is containing the spread of COVID-19 in Nigeria.
The Heineken Africa Foundation General Manager, Suzanne Giele, in her own statement said they decided to partner with Wateraid, so as to make a difference in Sub Saharan Africa. her words, “together with wateraids, I hope we can make a difference for communities during these very challenging times and after”.
