ENGAGE September 2022

JOY 65 YEARS IN THE PHILIPPINES

E NGAGE World Vision Newsletter for Corporate Partnerships

September 2022

Elementary school receives new handwashing, water tank facilities from World Vision’s Global 6k Run for Water The Santa Maria Elementary School in Batangas recently received its new handwashing and water tank facilities from World Vision’s Global 6k Run for Water.

Held last 2021, the Global 6k Run for Water is a running and walking fundraising event and advocacy to install additional WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene ) in schools and communities.

Sta. Maria Elementary School is one of World Vision’s partner schools for the Global 6k Run for Water. The school received handwashing with 10 faucets and a new water tank which will benefit around 270 students.

“The school also serves as an evacuation centre whenever there’s a calamity, like the recent Taal Volcano eruption. When families take shelter in this school, access to clean water becomes challenging. We hope that with these new handwashing and water tank, the school would be able to provide better access to water for both families and students,” Michael Macabasag, World Vision Program Officer, said during the turnover ceremony.

A 2020 joint report from World Health Organization and UNICEF showed that “…43 per cent of schools around the world lacked access to basic handwashing with soap and water in 2019 – a key condition for schools to be able to operate safely in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.” This translates to around 800 million children worldwide having no basic handwashing facilities in their schools putting them at risk of COVID-19 and other diseases.

In some countries, easy access to water is another problem. World Vision’s Global 6k Run for Water advocates for better water access to communities where people, especially women and children, have to walk six kilometres to get water for their families.

During the turnover ceremony, school principal Bernardo Ortega said that the new WASH facilities will further promote hygienic practices among his students, especially now that students are physically back to school. “The water faucets and tank will help students have better access to clean water and be hygienic.”

Supporters who made World Vision’s Global 6k Run for Water a success include individuals who joined Takbo.ph, companies Nasdaq, Kerry, and OpenIT, and schools Brent Mamplasan and International School Manila.

Citi contributes tablets, handwashing facilities to DepEd schools through World Vision’s fundraiser run World Vision in the Philippines, a global humanitarian organization through its partnership with Citi Philippines, the country’s largest foreign bank in terms of assets, donated 44 digital tablets to 11 public elementary schools in Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Pangasinan, and La Union, as part of the fundraising efforts for World Vision’s Abutin Na10 Campaign.

The participation of Citi employees, alumni, their families and friends in the World Vision’s Virtual Run for Children contributed to the fundraising effort. By committing to run at least six kilometers, Citi volunteers helped provide tablets to support distance learning and homeschooling for kindergarten students. Proceeds from the run will also be utilized to build handwashing facilities for two public elementary schools in Misamis Occidental. These facilities are expected to be completed in 2023.

Around 1,000 Citi volunteers joined the run, which was one of the many activities that are part of Citi’s 17th Global Community Day, an annual tradition that allows employees to give back to the communities where they live and serve. Since Global Community Day began in 2006, Citi volunteers have served more than 5 million volunteer hours across 90+ countries and territories in more than 450 cities.

“Global Community Day provides colleagues with the opportunity to give back to the community and provide needed support. I’m proud to be a volunteer along with my colleagues and alumni members,” said Citi Philippines CEO Aftab Ahmed. “Citi is committed to making a positive difference in the Philippines and I’m delighted to see how Citi colleagues continue to help their communities beyond their participation in Global Community Day.” “Improving children’s education and health and nutrition requires community action, so we are grateful to have partners like Citi who actively encourage volunteerism among their employees,” said Rommel Fuerte, World Vision National Director in the Philippines.

“These digital tablets and handwashing facilities will surely aid students’ learning and hygiene practices. World Vision is truly grateful to partner with Citi and Citi employees. Thank you so much for running for the children.”

The World Vision Run for Children is a fun and exciting opportunity for partner companies, schools, and churches to engage in a meaningful activity and be physically active in the safety and convenience of their homes, neighborhoods, public parks, gyms, and other places while at the same time helping the most vulnerable children in the Philippines have access to clean water and quality education.

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Wichelle Cruz Private Sector Partnerships Manager wichelle_cruz@wvi.org +63917 511 6640

WORLD VISION DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION, INC.

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