By Tim Saunders on
Matt Damon has launched a new charity project aimed at providing access to safe water in the some of the world’s poorest countries.
Damon is to merge his H2O Africa charity – aimed at creating widespread public awareness of the water crisis in Africa and gathering support for clean water programs in critical areas – with WaterPartners to create a new organization – Water.org – a non-profit focused on bringing access to safe water and sanitation to the developing world.
Water.org will leverage grassroots awareness-building expertise and nearly two decades of demonstrated innovation and success in the sector to help the nearly 890 million people without safe water and the more than 2.5 billion people without safe sanitation.
“Every 15 seconds, a child in the developing world dies from water-related disease,” said Damon. “After visiting project sites in Africa and Asia, I’ve seen the problem and the impact of safe water. As a clear leader in the sector at delivering innovative and sustainable solutions for those in need, WaterPartners was the natural choice with whom to work to truly affect lasting change.”
“For more than 20 years I’ve been working to realize the vision of global access to safe water, and with the help of our donors, staff, partner organizations, and the H2OAfrica team, I’m confident we can accelerate our impact,” added Gary White, founder of WaterPartners and the Executive Director of the new organization. “It will open the door to advocacy work, and bring the water issue to new heights in the public’s consciousness.”
To visit the official site of the new organization, click here.
Copyright © 2009 Look to the Stars
