DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Some 30,000 inhabitants of Tabata-Bima, on the outskirts of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, have ready access to fresh drinking water in their village following the successful completion of the ‘Water for Life’ project. Just a Drop, the international water aid charity, carried out the project in collaboration with funding from Corinthia Hotels and local partner, the St Mary’s Foundation.
With Corinthia Hotels’ support, Just a Drop was able to construct two boreholes which will provide the community – including two schools – with access to a piped water supply. Just a Drop’s project officer, Commander Chris Mahony, together with marketing and communications executive, Nicola Swann, welcomed Corinthia’s Board Director, Tony Potter and Karen Hoffman, President of the Bradford Group, representing Corinthia in the US, to visit the project and the Tabata inhabitants. The occasion was marked with a celebration ceremony on July 6, 2012, at the Tabata Junior School. Residents paid tribute to the project and pupils at Tabata Junior recited poetry expressing gratitude to Corinthia and Mr Pisani for the company’s support.
Rev. Gertrude Rwakatare, MP, founder of St Mary’s Foundation, also attended the ceremony and said, “Most Tabata households have no access to a water supply. This forces them to buy water from neighbours or water vendors – which they can rarely afford. Otherwise, the heavy burden falls on women and children to walk long distances to fetch water for their daily needs.”
Mr Alfred Pisani, Founder & Chairman of Corinthia Hotels and corporate patron of Just a Drop, welcomed the project’s completion and said that Corinthia was proud to be associated with such a positive and humbling project. He said, “Corinthia celebrates 50 years in business this year and we wanted to mark this milestone with a series of philanthropic gestures, including community driven projects in Africa. The project in Tabata-Bima with Just a Drop will provide long term sustainable benefits to the community and directly help to give children the gift of life and good health.”
The Tabata-Bima community has been encouraged to take ownership of the project and are keen to maintain their new water supply.
www.corinthia.com; www.justadrop.org
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