What began with a photograph in The Guardian of a Kiberan girl sitting next to a padlocked tap in Nairobi in 2003, is now a movement that has changed the lives of 3.6 million people worldwide. One Water was launched in 2005 with the vision of “A world in which everyone has access to clean water forever”. The idea was simple; to sell bottled water in the UK and the sale of every pack funds sustainable clean water projects. The logic behind the name One is that you can’t change a billion people’s lives but if you can change one, that’s a definition of success.
The Story of the Kiberan Girl
There are 785 million people in the world without access to safe drinking water and over 2 million of these die every year from waterborne diseases, most of whom are under 5 years old. The mission of The One Foundation (UK registered charity 1118810) is to support clean water and sanitation as a sustainable service to change lives in some of the world’s poorest communities. Their focus is on partners who can deliver lasting change at scale in both urban and rural environments, varying their approach to suit local needs. Their strategy focuses on 4 priority countries; Malawi, Rwanda, Kenya and Ghana. Learn more: The One Foundation
As a founding UK B-Corp and planet-conscious brand, their values are based on using business as a force for good by putting people and planet first. As well as funding sustainable clean water projects, they also focus on minimising their environmental impact:
All of their packaging formats are 100% recyclable
They have introduced water cartons as a low-carbon alternative to plastic and glass bottles
They work on minimising how much non-renewable energy they use
They will continue to work towards a day where we can make the same impact on fighting water poverty but in an even more sustainable way.
Their range includes water available in PET & glass bottles as well as paperboard cartons.
