While he may well be remembered only for his countless collections and luxurious apparels in time to come, Giorgio Armani has quietly been using his influence and wealth to aid in worthy causes. Acqua for Life, a collaboration between Mr. Armani and the Green Cross International, is a global humanitarian campaign launched 4 years ago that aims to make clean water accessible by all.
Try imagining not being able to drink clean water as and when you prefer. Absurd isn’t it? That is the sad reality some 768 million people face in the world. Without access to safe sources of clean water, they are forced to consume contaminated and unclean water. 4,000 children die everyday across the world from the diseases that unsafe drinking water carry. To put that in perspective, approximately 167 children die every hour, close to 3 every minute. Everyday.
Access to water in less developed countries and communities, clean or not, remains a challenging and daunting task. Having to walk tens of kilometres daily just to fetch water, women and children in particular, the opportunities for education and employment are becoming as bleak as ever. Entire villages and families face health, economical and security concerns shaped by circumstance rather than choice.
Since Acqua for Life started in 2011, over 530 million litres of clean water have been generated, 74 million from 2014 alone. Through 162 critical infrastructure projects including water pumps and rainwater harvesting systems, channelling water directly to households, installing safe water supply systems and drilling boreholes, millions of litres of safe water are being delivered to communities that are unable to provide for themselves. Sustainability is encouraged through promoting and raising awareness on the mammoth issues concerning water safety and scarcity.
Although 7 countries have already benefited from the partnership (namely Ghana, Bolivia, China, Mexico, Sri Lanka, Senegal and Ivory Coast), Giorgio Armani is not disillusioned with recent successes.
“In the four years of Acqua for Life we have achieved, together with Green Cross International, access to clean water around the globe increase for several thousand individuals, but unfortunately it still leaves many people without this access. There is still so much to be done, and I look forward to continuing our quest to make safe drinking water available to those who need it”, said Giorgio Armani.
Acqua for Life has also been active in the United States where they have, for the fifth year, supported UNICEF’s Tap Project This campaign provides clean water and sanitation facilities to schools and communities while promoting safe hygiene practices to children across more than 100 countries.
For the years ahead, Acqua for Life aims to continue seeking and engaging wider audiences to share and spread the importance of water and to stop taking it for granted. For Giorgio Armani, a powerhouse that has ruled the fashion world for ages and advocate for humanitarian aid, he has shown that the world of luxury and high fashion can indeed walk the talk, providing for both audiences on the catwalk and people in need.
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