SOS Children's Villages of India & Coca-Cola India Reaffirm their Commitment to Preserve & Protect the Environment
Announce completion of Rain Water Harvesting (RWH) project at SOS Children's Village, Sector 29 Faridabad and launch a new RWH project in at SOS Children's Village, Greenfields, Faridabad on World Environment Day; The RWH projects at Faridabad have a combined potential to harvest 14792 kilolitres of rainwater; These projects are an important step towards ensuring sustainable water resources for children as envisaged in the nationwide water conservation partnership announced earlier this year; Nationwide partnership entails construction of RWH projects at 39 SOS locations spread across the country for a total project outlay of USD 585,000 (Rs. 28,080,000)
Tweet-- Reaffirming their commitment to protect and preservethe environment on World Environment day (WED), SOS Children’s Villages ofIndia andCoca-Cola India today announced the completion of work and dedicatedthe rainwater harvesting project at SOS Children’s Village located at Sector29, Faridabad and commencement of the RWH work at Children’s Village Greenfield.The project includes 5 RWH structures with a potential to harvest 6091kiloliters of rain water annually at normal rainfall.The project wasdedicated to the community by Mr. Rakesh Jinsi, Secretary General, SOS Children’s Villages of India and Mr. Atul Singh, President& CEO, Coca-Cola India and Mr. Deepak Shriram, Vice President of SOS-IndiaBoard in the presence of many children and other stakeholders of the Village. The two partners also announced thecommencement of work on a RWH project at SOS Village located at Greenfields in Faridabad. Upon completion thisproject will have the potential to harvest 8701 kilolitres of rainwater atnormal rainfall.
These projects are an important step towardsensuring sustainable water resources for children and take forward thenationwide water conservation partnership between SOS Children’s Villages ofIndia, The Coca-Cola Foundation and Coca-Cola India announced earlier thisyear.
Thenationwide partnership between SOS Children’s Villages, The Coca-ColaFoundation and Coca-Cola India entails the construction of RWH projects at 39 SOSlocations spread across the country for a total project outlay not exceedingUSD 585,000 (Rs. 28,080,000). Out ofthis, The Coca-Cola Foundation based in Atlanta has made a grant of USD 391,920 (nearly Rs.18,925,817). SOS Children’s Villages of India is contributing the balancethrough manpower, material and other resources. The RWH project at alllocations is being implemented by SOS Children’s Villages of India.
According toMr. Rakesh Jinsi, Secretary General, SOSChildren’s Villages of India, “It is a matter of great pride and privilegeto announce the completion of work at Children’s Village, Sector -29, Faridabadand the commencement of work at Children’s Village, Greenfields, Faridabad onWorld Environment Day. As envisaged in the partnership agreement between theparties, this nationwide water conservation effort will have a huge positiveimpact. Over a period of time, the availability of ground water in the areawill improve, which will lead to better living conditions of the people around.More importantly, our children will become aware about the need for waterconservation and preservation of environment.”
According toShri Deepak Shriram, Vice President,SOS-India Boardthe “rain water harvesting projects will not only ensuresustainable water resources for the children growing up in our Children'sVillages but will also largely benefits the neighbouring communities towardsconservation and replenishing ground water sources."
TheRWH project at the SOS Children’s Village in Greenfields, Faridabad will be constructed as per technical drawingsapproved by authorized consultants and the National Steering Committee. TheNational Steering Committee comprising of experts from the field of watermanagement, eminent personalities from civil society and representatives fromCoca-Cola India and SOS Children’s Villages is also supervising theimplementation and progress of the project.
AccordingtoMr.Atul Singh, President & CEO, Coca-ColaIndia, “I take this opportunity to congratulate the teamat SOS Children’s Villages of India for implementing the projects as per agreedtimelines. Water is the single most critical resource for the survival ofmankind and there can be no better gesture to celebrate WED than dedicating andlaunching water conservation projects.We are pleased to be partnerswith SOS Children’s Villages in this project as this partnership not onlycreates sustainable water resources for children but will also raise awarenessamongst them on water conservation. I take this opportunity to reaffirmCoca-ColaIndia’scommitment to preservingand protecting the environment and we will continue to contribute to theoverall wellbeing of our planet.”
In keeping with its commitment to conserve andpreserve the environment, Coca-Cola in India is organizing range ofactivities across the country. This includes inauguration and dedication ofseveral water conservation projects including check dams and ponds, organizingenvironment awareness programs like lectures, seminars, quizzes etc.
Notes to Editor
About SOS Children’s Villages ofIndia:
SOSChildren’s Villages of India is a non profit, non-government, voluntaryorganization, committed to the care of children in need and to strengtheningfamilies and communities as a preventive measure in the fight againstabandonment and social neglect. The aim & objective of the SOS Children’sVillages of India is to help parentless and homeless children by giving them afamily, home and a strong foundation for an independent and secure life.SOS-India is a member of SOS-Kinderdorf International, operational in 132countries.
“SOSChildren’s Villages of India” was registered as a society and came into beingin 1964 after Dr Hermann Gmeiner, the founder father of the SOS movementvisited India in 1963 at the invitation of the first Indian PrimeMinister, late Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. The first SOS Children’s Village wasestablished in 1964 at Greenfields, Faridabad, Haryana.
Sinceits inception in the year 1964 SOS Children’s Villages of India has expanded itsservices for children in need at a rapid pace.Today, there are40 SOS Children’s Villages including facilitiesfor Tibetan children and a new village coming up at Mumbai, 122 alliedprojects like Kindergartens, Schools, Social, Medical, Vocational TrainingCentres and Outreach Initiatives spread across the country reaching out to over15,000 children.
About The Coca-Cola Foundation
TheCoca-Cola Foundation is The Coca-Cola Company's primary internationalphilanthropic arm. Founded in 1984, the Foundation was established in the U.S. as a registered 501(c)(3) charitable organization.Foundations grants are awarded throughout the year on business plan priorities,tax requirements, legal compliance and approval by the Foundation's Board ofDirectors. The Foundation has contributed more than $155 million in support ofeducation.
Ourcommunity commitment is shared across the Coca-Cola system. When naturaldisasters strike, The Coca-Cola Foundation and the entire Coca-Cola systemrespond to offer emergency relief. Through the Coca-Cola Matching GiftsProgram, eligible employees make personal contributions to qualifiedorganizations and The Coca-Cola Foundation matches those contributions on a2-for-1 basis. The Foundation has contributed $164 million in support ofcommunity programs and initiatives.