DALLAS, Nov. 16,
2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Millions of people around the
world lack access to safe sanitation, clean water and essential
hygiene education. This often leads to children dying from
preventable diseases, women lacking a safe place to relieve
themselves, and women and girls missing work or school because they
are unable to effectively manage their periods.
On World Toilet Day, Kimberly-Clark, the Kimberly-Clark
Foundation and their NGO partners continue their grassroots
initiatives to address this global sanitation crisis and help
protect human health, safety, dignity and overall quality of
life.
Worldwide, Kimberly-Clark continues to provide access to safe
sanitation and clean water through its Toilets Change Lives
program. Through consumer awareness, NGO partnerships with Water
For People, WaterAid and Plan International, and on-the-ground
activations, the program delivers toilets, sanitation education and
health to many of the world's most vulnerable communities. Since
its launch eight years ago, the Toilets Change Lives program has
impacted more than 7 million users across 15 countries.
"More than 3.6 billion people lack access to safely managed
sanitation, which not only negatively impacts their health and the
environment, but can also prevent them from reaching their full
potential," said Jenny Lewis,
Vice President of the Kimberly-Clark Foundation and Chair of the
Toilet Board Coalition. "Through the power of our brands and
partnerships, we are actively working to address the root cause of
this sanitation crisis and help drive systems change in communities
around the globe."
Kimberly-Clark's work to address the global sanitation crisis
contributes to the company's global ambition and its purpose of
Better Care for a Better World. Kimberly-Clark aims to serve unmet
societal needs and advance the well-being of 1 billion people by
2030 through innovation and programs that deliver essentials to
vulnerable and underserved communities around the globe – with the
smallest environmental footprint.
Kimberly-Clark focuses on three strategic areas to help unlock
the greatest societal benefit and guide its efforts during the
coming decade:
- Caring for the health and well-being of people at all stages of
life.
- Challenging stigmas and championing the progress of women
everywhere.
- Championing a world where all enjoy access to clean water,
sanitation and hygiene.
Partners Strengthen Communities Worldwide
Through long-term partnerships with WaterAid and Water For
People, the Kimberly-Clark Foundation is working to deliver
sustainable access to sanitation, positively impacting communities
for generations to come.
WaterAid and the Kimberly-Clark Foundation have worked together
in Bangladesh since 2017 to
improve community toilets and increase dignity for those who use
them in Dhaka, Chattogram and
Khulna. Over the past five years,
this project has transformed public sanitation services through the
construction and management of ten inclusive public toilets across
these cities, benefiting pedestrians and commuters – particularly
those from low-income communities.
"Toilets save lives," said Tim
Wainwright, Chief Executive of WaterAid in the UK. "With
COP27 just behind us and a year with
flooding in Bangladesh and drought
in the Horn, it is becoming clearer by the day that investing in
sustainable water and sanitation projects is fundamental to
safeguarding people already living on the frontline of climate
change. Well managed toilets drive health and people's productivity
at home, at school and at work – especially for women and girls. We
are grateful Kimberly-Clark recognizes this huge importance and
that it has been a trusted partner for years to ensure the health
of millions."
Over the next three years, the Kimberly-Clark Foundation and
WaterAid plan to construct five new public toilets and oversee the
operation and maintenance of 34 existing public toilets in an
effort to provide 8,700,000 uses during this period.
In Latin America, the
Kimberly-Clark Foundation's partnership with Water For People has
resulted in water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) interventions
throughout 20 districts in five countries, including Bolivia, Peru, Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala. The programs create greater access
to WASH services in communities, households and public
institutions, including schools and health clinics.
Water For People's approach to transformative hygiene education,
infrastructure work and sanitation initiatives helps reduce the
transmission of communicable and preventable diseases like COVID-19
and diarrhea, and these programs have impacted nearly 155,000
people since 2015 in remote areas across Latin America.
"Too many children die each year from preventable waterborne
illnesses," said Mark Duey,
Co-Chief Executive Officer of Water For People.
"Kimberly-Clark's investment in sanitation and hygiene
interventions across Latin America
means that the critical education and infrastructure needed to keep
children and families healthy is happening in the communities where
it's most needed."
Toilet Board Coalition Accelerator Helps Scale Sanitation
Businesses
In addition to the Toilets Change Lives initiative,
Kimberly-Clark and its foundation partnered to help found
the Toilet Board Coalition in 2015, a business-led membership
organization that accelerates business solutions to the global
sanitation crisis. The Coalition facilitates vital partnerships
between small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), corporates,
NGOs, investors and governments who share a goal of achieving
access to sanitation and hygiene for all by 2030 (SDG 6.2). Through
its world-renowned Accelerator, the Coalition provides business
model design, corporate mentorship and access to investment to
Sanitation Economy entrepreneurs serving low-income markets. The
Coalition recently announced its new strategy and roadmap to impact
1 billion lives by 2030, scaling its Accelerator graduates from 52
to 1000.
"Kimberly-Clark is one of our founding members and actively
engages in corporate mentorship at the Toilet Board Coalition
Accelerator, providing capacity-building support to sanitation
businesses, collaborating for innovation at scale
and with purpose," said Venugopal
Gupta, Toilet Board Coalition Managing Director of
Acceleration. "As we work to realize our vision of
supporting one thousand businesses by 2030, and expand
our global coverage to LATAM, we are thrilled to
have Kimberly-Clark's leadership."
As part of Kimberly-Clark's partnership with the Coalition, the
company supports the organization's Accelerator program, which arms
entrepreneurs with capacity-building support to scale sanitation
economy businesses. Impacting more than 2.2 million people daily
and enabling over $22 million in
finance, the Accelerator program develops and promotes the growth
and scale of innovative business solutions that address the global
sanitation crisis, transform sanitation system economics, and
contribute positively to global goals on climate change, human
rights, economic growth, public health, food, water and energy
security.
Alma Alejandro, the marketing
director for global intimate care brands at Kimberly-Clark, grew up
in Mexico and experienced the lack
of quality access to reliable and safe sanitation at school
firsthand. She has also served as a mentor to sanitation
entrepreneurs through the Accelerator program.
"Programs like the Toilet Board Coalition Accelerator spark
game-changing innovation, empower both the entrepreneurs and the
mentors to leverage their strengths and dream big together, and
help strengthen communities around the world – including places
like where I grew up," said Alma
Alejandro, Marketing Director for Global Intimate Care
Brands at Kimberly-Clark. "Ultimately, World Toilet Day is
about so much more than just a toilet. Sanitation is a basic human
right that no one should ever have to live without."
Officially designated by the United Nations on Nov. 19, 2013, World Toilet Day was created as an
annual observance to raise awareness about the global sanitation
crisis and inspire efforts to 'make the invisible visible.'
About Kimberly-Clark
Kimberly-Clark (NYSE: KMB)
and its trusted brands are an indispensable part of life for people
in more than 175 countries. Fueled by ingenuity, creativity,
and an understanding of people's most essential needs, we create
products that help individuals experience more of what's important
to them. Our portfolio of brands, including Huggies, Kleenex,
Scott, Kotex, Cottonelle, Poise, Depend, Andrex, Pull-Ups,
GoodNites, Intimus, Neve, Plenitud, Sweety, Softex, Viva and
WypAll, hold No. 1 or No. 2 share positions in approximately 80
countries. We use sustainable practices that support a
healthy planet, build strong communities, and ensure our business
thrives for decades to come. To keep up with the latest news
and to learn more about the company's 150-year history of
innovation, visit kimberly-clark.com.
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SOURCE Kimberly-Clark Corporation