Swedish furniture retailing giant IKEA will contribute Rs 92.84 crore to provide safe water and sanitation to one million people in India and Indonesia through Water.org.
IKEA Foundation has announced a new grant of 12.4 million Euros to Water.org on the occasion of the World Water Day, the company said in a statement.
“IKEA Foundation is committing 12.4 million euro to Water.org to expand its WaterCredit model, helping families have access to small, affordable loans so they can get safe water and sanitation,” the statement read.
IKEA Foundation is the philanthropic arm of INGKA Foundation, the owner of the IKEA Group of companies.
Commenting on the development, Matt Damon, co-founder of Water.org was quoted by PTI as saying: “Our work at Water.org has never been more important, and thanks to this grant and to IKEA Foundation, we are going to help hundreds of thousands of kids gain access to safe water and sanitation and impact their lives forever.”
IKEA Foundation CEO Per Heggenes was quoted by PTI as saying: “We believe that every child deserves a healthy start in life and this is why we are supporting Water.org’s innovative programmes to help families in India and Indonesia access safe water and better sanitation facilities, giving them improved health and a life of dignity.”
The World Bank estimates that 21 per cent of communicable diseases in India are linked to unsafe water and the lack of hygiene practices, and 50 per cent of India’s population continues to practice open defecation, the statement said.
In Indonesia, more than 33 million people lack access to safe water and 100 million lack access to improved sanitation facilities.
IKEA says it is better to have "less detailed regulations" as business will eventually go the place that has the best preconditions to do so
Must Read
