Corinthia Hotels sponsored ‘Water for Life’ Project in collaboration with ‘Just a Drop’ inaugurated in Tabata-Bima, Tanzania
17 July 2012
Some 30,000 inhabitants of Tabata-Bima in rural Tanzania have ready access to fresh drinking water in their village following the successful completion of the ‘Water for Life’ borehole project promoted by water aid charity Just a Drop and sponsored by Corinthia Hotels.
Mr Alfred Pisani, Founder & Chairman of Corinthia Hotels and corporate patron of Just a Drop, welcomed the project’s completion and said that Corinthia was proud to be associated with such a positive and humbling project.
International water aid charity Just a Drop collaborated with St Mary’s Foundation in Tanzania to construct boreholes to provide the Tabata community - including two schools - with access to a piped water supply. To mark the occasion, a celebration ceremony was held on July 6, 2012, at the Tabata Junior School, attended by Tony Potter, a member of the board of Corinthia Hotel; Rev. Gertrude Rwakatare, MP, founder of St Mary’s Foundation; Karen Hoffman, President, the Bradford Group, representing Corinthia Hotels in the US; as well as Nicola Swann and Christopher Mahoney, Just a Drop representatives from London. Residents paid tribute to Corinthia’s support and pupils at Tabata Junior recited poetry expressing gratitude to Corinthia and Mr Pisani for the company’s support.
“Most Tabata households have no access to a water supply. This forces them to buy water from neighbours or water vendors – which they can rarely afford. Otherwise, the heavy burden falls on women and children to walk long distances to fetch water for their daily needs.” said Dr Rwakatare.
Mr Pisani said, “Corinthia celebrates 50 years in business this year and we wanted to mark this milestone with a series of philanthropic gestures, including community driven projects in Africa. The project in Tabata-Bima will provide long term sustainable benefits to the community and directly help to give children the gift of life and good health”
The Tabata-Bima community has been encouraged to take ownership of the project and are keen to maintain their new water supply.
Editors’ notes:
About Just a Drop
Launched in 1998 at World Travel Market, international water-aid charity Just a Drop is a registered charity (number 1100505) whose projects support communities through the construction of wells, boreholes, pipelines, hand pumps and latrines and establishing health and sanitation programmes for some of the poorest communities in the world. The charity is particularly known for its work in remote areas, where many other organisations are unable to reach. Just a Drop’s aim is to reduce child mortality by delivering accessible clean, safe water where it is needed most. It has already helped over 1 million children and their families in 29 countries worldwide, from Afghanistan to Zambia.
Fast Facts
- A child dies around every 20 seconds as a result of water related illnesses
- Over 783 million people in the world do not have access to clean, safe water
- Around 2.5 billion people do not have access to adequate sanitation
- Over 2.75 million people die from water related diseases every year
- Children in poor environments often carry 1,000 parasitic worms in their bodies at a time
For more information on Just a Drop, visit: www.justadrop.org
About Corinthia Hotels
Corinthia is an internationally-acclaimed brand of award-winning luxury hotels, founded by leading Maltese businessman Alfred Pisani. We are in our 50th year of business and growing. Corinthia is a family-inspired business, with family values underpinning the ‘Spirit of Corinthia’, meaning that we look out for one another, support one another and positively encourage one another. As a hotel business, we focus on giving honest, discreet service. We see ourselves as craftsmen in the world of hospitality, valuing authenticity, passion, precision and understanding. Each of the hotels and resorts we have created in some of the most exciting places in the world is a tribute to local architecture and cultural traditions. The Corinthia portfolio includes the newly-opened flagship Corinthia Hotel in London, as well as award-winning Corinthia Hotels in Budapest, Malta, Prague, St Petersburg, Tripoli, Lisbon and Khartoum. Corinthia Hotels is owned by International Hotel Investments (IHI), a publicly-traded company in Malta. CHI Hotels & Resorts Limited is a wholly-owned member of the IHI Group which manages Corinthia Hotels.
As we celebrate our 50th anniversary, Corinthia Hotels has embarked on a number of philanthropic initiatives that aim to make a difference in the daily lives of people within the global community. The sponsorship of the Tabata-Bima ‘Water for Life’ project in collaboration with Just a Drop was the first such initiative. In addition to the Just a Drop project, this year also marks the inaugural Corinthia Hotels Scholarship and the Tisch Centre/Corinthia Hotels internship and management training programme at the New York University School of continuing and professional studies in hospitality, tourism, and sports management.
For more information on Corinthia Hotels, visit: www.corinthia.com
About St Mary’s Foundation
St. Mary’s Foundation was established as a non government and non-profit making institution working at the grassroots level across Tanzania. It is dedicated to supporting vulnerable children, families and underprivileged communities - regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or gender - to overcome poverty and injustice. In cities, St. Mary’s Foundation’s work is focused on ensuring that those not serviced by the government piped network (which is normally only found in the more prosperous suburbs) gain access to clean water.
PHOTO : Children from the Tabata-Bima community in Tanzania celebrate the “Water for Life” project sponsored by Corinthia Hotels through Just a Drop and in co-ordination with the St. Mary’s Foundation.
Editorial Contact:
Manuel Briffa
Director of Public Relations
Tel: +356 2551 1146
Fax: +356 2123 9732
Mobile: +356 9943 2252
E-mail: mbriffa@corinthia.com