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philanthropy
W
e all know that drinking water makes your skin glow, turbo charges your energy, helps you sleep and wake up easier, and keeps everything flowing more easily. So why do many of us take access to clean water for granted?
Dirty drinking water kills more children than war, malaria, HIV/AIDS and traffic accidents combined.
When we are out and about in Malta it’s easy to buy a bottle of water. Yet, in the least developed countries around the world, this is often a rare luxury. “Water is a fundamental necessity in everyone’s life. Yet over 800 million people lack access to clean drinking water,” explains Janika. In Malta, having fresh water to shower with and clean water to drink every day and whenever we like, is something we do not stop to think about. Yet for people in many developing countries, water is a rare luxury. “Dirty drinking water kills more children than war, malaria, HIV/AIDS
and traffic accidents combined.” This is what inspired Janika, her husband Karl and his brother Nils to start one of the first social enterprises on the Maltese Islands, Contribute Water. Contribute Water is a charity focused project dedicated to helping people gain access to clean water and proper sanitation in Africa. For every bottle purchased, part of revenue will go to charities in these communities in need. “It’s as simple as that,” she says, “Use Contribute Water, and while quenching your thirst you are actually doing something good.” Janika and Karl were married only seven months ago. Before setting up this venture, they had full time-jobs and a steady income. But Karl and Janika’s passion to make a difference in the world pushed them to bravely take the steps towards building a bridge between business and charity.