Coca-Cola and Partners Create New Model for Social and Economic Development with Opening of Flagship EKOCENTER™ Site in Rwa...
June 15 2016 - 4:08PM
Business Wire
The Coca-Cola Company joined with Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC),
Medshare, Pentair (NYSE:PNR), Philips (NYSE:PHE), Solarkiosk and
TIGO Rwanda (OTC:MIICF) earlier this week to officially open a
flagship EKOCENTER site in Ruhunda, Rwanda. The solar-powered site
stands to benefit up to 25,000 local residents with access to
services that have not been readily available, including
wi-fi-enabled internet access, mobile charging services, a retail
store, the only fully lit football field outside Rwanda’s capital
of Kigali, improved medical services and purified water.
Speaking at the opening, Muhtar Kent, Chairman and CEO of The
Coca-Cola Company, said: “We launched EKOCENTER because we know
that our growth and our partners’ growth can only be sustainable
when the communities we serve are strong. By working across the
‘golden triangle’ of business, government and civil society, we
believe we can support increased local investment and help make
communities like Ruhunda more economically and socially
sustainable.”
Launched by Coca-Cola in 2013 as a social enterprise initiative
to empower communities while enabling business and local economic
growth, EKOCENTER relies on partnerships across the public and
private sector to operate sustainably.
In Ruhunda, Ericsson helped construct a new mobile phone tower
to provide connectivity while TIGO is providing 3G coverage for
internet access; Medshare provides medicines to the government-run
health center; Pentair operates two water purification units
providing up to 20,000 liters of safe drinking water daily using a
combination of technologies, including reverse osmosis; Philips
powers lighting for the new football field and surrounding areas,
including the health center; Solarkiosk designed and operates the
new EKOCENTER, which is run by a woman entrepreneur and acts as a
local retail store where solar solutions, basic necessities and
Coca-Cola products are sold.
Randall Hogan, Chairman and CEO of Pentair, EKOCENTER’s water
purification technology partner, said at the launch: “We share
Coca-Cola’s vision of creating sustainable economic models to
ensure we have lasting impact. In this model everyone plays to
their strengths, and together we can do much more than alone. Our
engineers worked together with Coca-Cola’s engineers to design an
innovative, durable safe water solution that is easy to operate on
minimal energy in remote locations.”
Typically run by female entrepreneurs selling products and
services, EKOCENTERs are solar-powered and self-contained, acting
as both a community center and general store. EKOCENTERs are
modular by design to allow local communities to customize a site to
their needs. In some locations where drinking water access is
limited, safe drinking water is a key EKOCENTER offering. In other
locations, services such as mobile phone charging and internet
access may also be provided.
Andreas Spiess, CEO of Solarkiosk, operating partner for
EKOCENTER in Rwanda and four other African countries, said: “Africa
is blessed with abundant sunshine and solar-powered energy
solutions provide vast opportunities for the continent. We’re
excited about the many natural synergies between our vision and
Coca-Cola’s EKOCENTER to enable and empower communities.”
With the opening of the Ruhunda site, Coca-Cola and its partners
have now opened more than 100 EKOCENTERs in seven countries. By the
end of this year, the company plans to open at least 177 EKOCENTERs
in 10 countries serving a population of approximately 1 million
people.
More information on EKOCENTER is available at
www.coca-colacompany.com/ekocenter.
About The Coca-Cola
Company
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world's largest beverage
company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and
still brands and more than 3,800 beverage choices. Led by
Coca-Cola, one of the world's most valuable and recognizable
brands, our company’s portfolio features 20 billion-dollar brands,
18 of which are available in reduced-, low- or no-calorie options.
Our billion-dollar brands include Diet Coke, Coca-Cola Zero, Fanta,
Sprite, Dasani, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, Del
Valle, Georgia and Gold Peak. Through the world's largest beverage
distribution system, we are the No. 1 provider of both sparkling
and still beverages. More than 1.9 billion servings of our
beverages are enjoyed by consumers in more than 200 countries each
day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable
communities, our company is focused on initiatives that reduce our
environmental footprint, create a safe, inclusive work environment
for our associates, and enhance the economic development of the
communities where we operate. Together with our bottling partners,
we rank among the world's top 10 private employers with more than
700,000 system associates. For more information, visit Coca-Cola
Journey at www.coca-colacompany.com, follow us on Twitter at
twitter.com/CocaColaCo, visit our blog, Coca-Cola Unbottled, at
www.cocacolablog.com or find us on LinkedIn at
www.linkedin.com/company/the-coca-colacompany.
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