Catering services provider Elior UK has reported the raising of £90,000 for Water Unite to help fund progressive initiatives in Kenya. The company’s director of CSR Charlotte Wright and communications manager Andy Grant visited Kenya to witness first-hand the remarkable work being done by four social enterprises benefiting from its contributions.
The company makes a donation to Water Unite for every bottle of water sold at each of its sites, and has raised £90,000 which has been instrumental in supporting water sanitation and recycling projects in developing countries.
During their visit, Ms Wright, Mr Grant, and Water Unite partnerships director Louis Goring-Morris met with four social enterprises that have been positively affected by the company’s donations.
The four social enterprises included Gjenge Makers, a socially conscious enterprise dedicated to transforming plastic waste into affordable and sustainable building materials – addressing both environmental and social challenges. In addition to, Mr Green Trading Africa Kenya Ltd (Mr Green Africa), a social enterprise focused on ethically collecting and recycling plastic waste to reduce the amount of waste that pollutes the environment and ends up in landfills. Through job creation and training programmes for waste collectors, Mr Green Africa empowers individuals to improve their livelihoods while making a positive impact on the planet.
The team also visited Jibu Kenya, a leading innovator in the distribution of clean drinking water. Jibu Kenya is committed to providing affordable access to clean water in underserved communities. By leveraging a franchise model, Jibu Kenya establishes a network of locally owned and operated water kiosks, facilitating sustainable solutions to address the water crisis.
The fourth social enterprise visit during the trip was to Sanivation. Sanivation is a pioneering organisation in the field of sanitation. Sanivation provides clean and affordable sanitation solutions to low-income communities. Utilising innovative technology, Sanivation transforms human waste into clean-burning fuel, which can be used for cooking and heating. By addressing the issue of untreated waste, as currently 90% of waste in Kenya goes into the environment without being treated, Sanivation contributes to a healthier environment.
Ms Wright said: “It was amazing to visit these inspiring social enterprises and to see the remarkable and innovative work they are doing. It was great to see that our partnership with Water Unite provides financial support to help these social enterprises grow and to witness the positive impact our donations are making.”
Ms Goring-Morris said “We’re incredibly proud of our partnerships with Elior. The fantastic contributions made by Elior colleagues and customers have enabled entrepreneurs across Africa and Asia to grow scaling solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges”
