ITT Expands Global Reach of Watermark Philanthropy Program
April 27 2009 - 10:20AM
Business Wire
ITT Corporation (NYSE: ITT) today announced an expansion of its
global corporate philanthropy program, ITT Watermark, with a
$200,000 investment toward improving water access for students and
educators in mainland China. This new pledge underscores ITT
Watermark�s three-year initial commitment to provide safe water and
sanitation in more than 300 schools in Asia and Latin America � an
initiative that will improve the lives of more than 100,000
children and their families.
ITT launched the program during World Water Week in August 2008
with a $3 million commitment to Water For People to help provide
safe water, sanitation and hygiene education in developing
countries. In order to expand this support within China, ITT has
partnered with the China Women�s Development Foundation (CWDF), a
non-governmental organization dedicated to improving the lives of
women and children. Working with CWDF, ITT will provide eight rural
schools with safe drinking water, new sanitation facilities and
education on water safety, environmental protection and
hygiene.
�The global water crisis is deepening, and China is particularly
exposed to water issues � a staggering 200 million people in China
still have no access to clean water while many millions more lack
the means to proper sanitation,� said Mike Kuchenbrod, president of
ITT�s China & India business. �ITT is proud to partner with
CWDF in clearing a path toward lasting progress on water issues in
China.�
Today�s announcement was marked by a signing ceremony, held in
Beijing and attended by Zhen Yan, vice president and member of the
Secretariat of the All-China Women's Federation and deputy
secretary general of the China Women's Development Foundation;
ITT�s Mike Kuchenbrod; Ruiping Dong, ITT�s vice president and
director of external affairs in China; and Bjorn von Euler, ITT�s
director of corporate philanthropy. To coincide with the ceremony,
employee volunteers from ITT carried out inaugural training courses
titled �Angels of Safe Water Usage� at satellite ceremony sites in
Jiangsu, Yunnan and Hebei provinces, where the eight initial school
programs are located.
�This program sets an excellent example of what partnerships
between corporations and local organizations can accomplish. We are
able to take action to solve a fundamental issue affecting those in
need, and we are proud to support this program fully,� said CWDF
deputy secretary general, Zhen Yan. �ITT is a highly committed
partner, which continues to demonstrate a deep concern about
China�s water scarcity and water pollution, and willingness to help
solve the problem.�
Water pollution and insufficient conservation in recent decades
have intensified China�s water access issues. According to the
Chinese government, 90 percent of cities have heavily polluted
bodies of water, 50 percent of towns are supplied with sub-standard
drinking water and 40 percent of national water resources are
undrinkable. As a result, many children suffer from developmental
issues in addition to serious and chronic stomach ailments.
To ensure the program�s sustainability, ITT will conduct
long-term management and maintenance of facilities built or
installed through the ITT Watermark initiative with the help of
local CWDF branches. In addition, ITT will teach training courses
on hygiene for students and, with CWDF, will identify a third party
to monitor and evaluate the program independently.
Through ITT Watermark, the company is also leveraging its global
network of more than 40,000 employees to lend individual support to
water-related volunteer activities in their local areas. For
example, elsewhere in China, ITT employees are already providing
science and water hygiene classes for students and distributing
water-related products, such as soap and towels. In further support
of this effort, ITT provides a matching gift for each employee
contribution to its three non-profit partners, Water For People,
Mercy Corps and now China Women�s Development Foundation.
For more information about ITT�s Watermark program, visit
http://www.ittwatermark.com/.
About ITT Corporation
ITT Corporation is a high-technology engineering and
manufacturing company operating on all seven continents in three
vital markets: water and fluids management, global defense and
security, and motion and flow control. With a heritage of
innovation, ITT partners with its customers to deliver
extraordinary solutions that create more livable environments,
provide protection and safety and connect our world. Headquartered
in White Plains, N.Y., the company generated 2008 sales of USD 11.7
billion. www.itt.com
About China Women�s Development Foundation
China Women's Development Foundation (CWDF) was established in
December 1988 and is a nation-wide non-profit, social welfare
organization registered�with the�Ministry of Civil Affairs and
approved by People's Bank of China. China Women's Development
Foundation, as an independent corporate legal representative, has
been dedicated to improving women's overall quality of life,
maintaining women's legal rights, promoting the development of
women and women�s undertakings, and collecting funds and materials
from domestic and international enterprises and public sector
undertakings, social organizations and individuals for more than a
decade.
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