SOS Children's Villages of India, The Coca-Cola Foundation and Coca-Cola India announce a nationwide water conservation partnership towards a better l

SOS Children's Villages of India, The Coca-Cola Foundation and Coca-Cola India today announced a partnership to implement water conservation projects for a better life for children. This partnership will collaborate to ensure sustainable water resources by undertaking rainwater harvesting (RWH) projects at 39 SOS locations spread across the country. The partnership will also support creating or improving the awareness on Water conservation and artificial recharge. The announcement was made jointly by Mr. S. Sandilya, President, SOS Children's Villages of India, Mr. Atul Singh, President & CEO, Coca-Cola India and Mr. Rakesh Jinsi, Secretary General, SOS Children's Villages of India.

The outlay for the project will not exceed USD 585,000 (Rs. 28,080,000) out of which The Coca-Cola Foundation based in Atlanta has made a grant of USD 391,920 (nearly Rs. 18,925,817). SOS Children's Villages of India will contribute the balance through manpower, material and financial resources. The RWH project at all locations will be implemented by SOS Children's Villages while Coca-Cola India will help develop, along with SOS-India, monitoring, reporting and governance routines for the project. A National Steering Committee comprising of experts from the field of water management, eminent personalities from civil society and representatives from Coca-Cola India and SOS Children's Villages will supervise the implementation and progress of the project. The proposed RWH projects will be constructed as per technical drawings approved by authorized consultants and the National Steering Committee. The project will be completed in the next 12 months and will touch the lives of about 6,000 children growing up in SOS Villages and will have ripple effect.

Extending his heartfelt thanks Sri S. Sandilya, President, SOS-India said, "I welcome this partnership between Coca Cola India and SOS Children's Villages of India; it is a great step towards improving life at SOS Children's Villages. It will not only ensure sustainable water resources for the future generations but also bring to our children clean and plentiful water today."

According to Mr. Atul Singh, President and CEO, Coca-Cola India, "Our sustainability as a business demands a relentless focus on efficiency and prudence in our use of natural resources. Water is fundamental to all communities and water stewardship remains a priority for Coca-Cola India. At our end we pursue a 3R program of Reduce, Recycle, and Replenish as our mantra to water conservation. We are excited to be partners with SOS Children's Villages in this project as this partnership not only creates sustainable water resources for children but will also raise awareness amongst them on water conservation."

Mr. Rakesh Jinsi, Secretary General, SOS-India added, "I thank Coca-Cola India for joining hands with SOS Children's Villages of India. This partnership will have a huge positive impact particularly on our children and generally on SOS Children's Villages of India. Our children will be able to grow up in a safer and hygienic environment, as also become aware about the need for water conservation."

In the beginning of 2008 a pilot project was initiated in SOS Children's Village, Bawana, to collect rain water to replenish ground water by using funds from SOS-India budget. Coca-Cola India stepped in to fund this project and helped SOS save funds from its budget for other use. The success of the project in terms of professional

implementation and impact on quality of life of SOS children prompted The Coca-Cola Foundation and Coca-Cola India to join hands with SOS for undertaking RWH projects in the remaining 39 SOS locations.