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Stella Artois Supports Clean Water Campaign


Take a moment to imagine waking up in the morning, and instead of reaching for the faucet or filtered system you may use for water, you reach for a bulky jar and begin the trek to fill it with water. Imagine filling that jar until it weighs more than 40 pounds and carrying it for miles to bring home. For millions of women living in poverty, this is a daily routine. More than 600 million people worldwide, most of whom live in sub-Saharan Africa, still lack access to clean water. Stella Artois is partnering with water.org through the Buy a Lady a Drink campaign to bring clean water to those still living without it.

To raise money for clean water, Stella Artois is selling limited-edition chalices. The chalices feature artwork from countries like Brazil, Cambodia and Uganda. Only $6.25 from each sale is needed to provide clean water for five years. So far, the Buy a Lady a Drink campaign has helped provide 800,000 people in the developing world with clean water.

For women like Anita, in developing countries, the Buy a Lady a Drink campaign offers much more than clean water — it creates opportunity. Since Anita no longer has to waste precious time collecting water, she is able to contribute to the family business and grow crops for the household. In addition, her children have hope for a better future as they are able to attend school instead of waiting in line for water.

Although the Millennium Development Goal to halve the proportion of people without access to clean water has been reached, there are still millions of people living without easy access to this precious and essential resource. Through the Buy a Lady a Drink campaign, Stella Artois is bringing not only clean water to needy communities, but hope for building a better future.

– Rebecca Yu

Photo: Flickr

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Matt Damon Announces Water.org Campaign

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On Jan. 22, actor Matt Damon along with Stella Artois and Water.org co-founder Gary White announced their first global social impact campaign. The initiative, called, “Buy a Lady a Drink,” aims to raise awareness to the global water crisis and help provide solutions.

When Damon heard that the United States Congress had passed into law the Senator Paul Simon Water for the World Act, he praised the U.S. government for its commitment to ending the crisis for the world’s poor.

“In order to solve some of the biggest challenges we face, such as ending extreme poverty, we know we must address and finally end the global water crisis for billions around the world,” Damon told USA Today in an interview about the campaign.

Damon was so dedicated to supporting his cause on water that he used toilet water to participate in the ALS Ice Bucket challenge, an activity that involves dumping a bucket of ice and water on a person’s head to raise awareness for a disease.

Stella Artois has also donated a total of $1.2 million to Water.org to help the new campaign and has invited the rest of the world to join the cause by putting limited-edition Chalices up for purchase on Amazon.

Purchasing one of the three glasses, each with a different pattern modelling art specific to Ethiopia, Honduras and India, will allow the nonprofit organization to provide five years of clean water to one person in the developing world.

Both Water.org and Stella Artois encouraged people to buy the chalices in hopes that it will spread awareness about the cause.

The campaign got its name due to the fact that women across the world spend a combined total of 200 million hours each day collecting water. This impacts women’s productivity hours and increases the likelihood of them encountering dangerous situations during those long walks.

“Buy a Lady a Drink aims to help put a stop to these water-collecting journeys, so women can start new journeys of their own,” said Damon.

The global water crisis affects a majority of women because they are often the ones who provide supplies for their families. Damon and Water.org attempts to tell stories of women around the world who collect water to raise awareness.

The charity has surpassed its goal of providing two million people with safe water and sanitation, allowing women to become more productive, and keeping children safe from health issues.

The campaign will help the 3.4 million people who die each year from water, sanitation and hygiene-related causes; most of these are preventable diseases.

Allowing access to obtaining safe, clean water can significantly improve the lifestyle of those living in remote areas.

In September, the United Nations will reveal the post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals—a global agreement to pursue new goals that will allow the world to alleviate global poverty, battle inequality and build a more sustainable planet.

Addressing the global water and sanitation crisis is significant in achieving these goals.

Damon will continue to support Water.org and promote the new campaign to help the 750 million people around the world who lack access to safe water. Both the organization and beer company hope that their partnership can make a change.

– Sandy Phan

Sources: Water.org, Women’s Earth Alliance,  USA Today,  Unwater

Photo: Flickr