Water is a Force Multiplier for Community Development

RAIN Demonstrates Power of Private Sector in Mobilizing Collective Action to Improve Lives of 6MM People Through Water

Across the world, the development and advancement of communities requires a few key ingredients. Chief among them is access to clean water and sanitation. These basic services, especially critical during a raging pandemic, start a community’s journey to economic independence and resiliency. They are a force multiplier, propelling society forward and generating an economic return for countries. According to the United Nations Development Program, every $1 spent on water and sanitation generates a return of up to $9 in saved time, increased productivity, and reduced health costs in Africa.  

This World Water Day, we are celebrating that journey to resilience across the African continent with the achievement of our collective goal to positively impact 6 million people through the Replenish Africa Initiative (RAIN). This accomplishment is a result of a successful 10-year collaboration with The Coca-Cola Foundation, the Coca-Cola System and over 300 public, private and civil society partners. The result is 6 million lives positively impacted at scale in communities across 41 African countries through access to water, sanitation and hygiene, watershed protection, and increased water-focused livelihoods.

Since RAIN’s launch in 2010, The Coca-Cola Foundation has taken a collective action approach to deliver results. RAIN has brought together local Coca-Cola teams with best in class implementing partners, national governments and service providers. The initiative has also created a coalition to develop flexible, technically sound and cost-effective solutions to meet the unique water needs of thousands of Africa’s most underserved and at-risk communities.

Context-driven interventions have ranged from the construction of small-scale water supply systems, the development of small WASH enterprises, the installation of WASH facilities in schools and clinics, the extension of utility networks, the connection of households to clean water supply, to the planting of trees, the removal of thirsty alien plants, the promotion of water-smart agriculture, and the rehabilitation of irrigation canals. From the onset, every intervention embedded local ownership and the foundations for sustainability through capacity building, training, and skills generation to promote continued operations, maintenance, and the delivery of the intended outcomes.

As a result of RAIN’s collective action model:

• Over 6 million people have access to water, sanitation and hygiene in or closer to their homes, schools, or clinics;
• More than 480,000 women spend less time collecting water and can dedicate more time to their family, education, or income-generating activities;
• Children across more than 1,200 schools are less exposed to waterborne illnesses, improving their chances to reach their full potential by attending school;
• More than 245,000 patients, doctors and nurses have improved access to water, sanitation, and hygiene in their healthcare facilities;
• 14 utilities are better prepared to cope with the rapid rate of urbanization and millions of urban / peri-urban residents have improved access to WASH services;
• Thousands of WASH-related or agriculture employment, entrepreneurship and skill generation opportunities have been created for women and youth;
• Critical aquifers and catchments have been protected upstream and cities’ supply systems are more water-secure downstream, and
• 4,000+ communities are healthier and more productive

Through RAIN, Coca-Cola has demonstrated the important role that the private sector can play to galvanize action and address community water challenges. They make an excellent strategic partner for this lifesaving work in Africa. The Coca-Cola System operates arguably one of the widest and most extensive supply chains in the world. Since 1940, the company has been an active business partner to African communities. Today, across the continent, there are 20 Coca-Cola bottling partners with extensive skills, talents and networks that are being deployed to address social impact at the last mile and all points in between. Through RAIN, the Coca-Cola System is leveraged for public good -- mobilizing multi-sector resources and demonstrating the power of collective action across 4,000 communities.

We thank The Coca-Cola Company and Foundation for the trust, support, and collaboration through the years. We would also like to thank our diverse impact partners, who have worked alongside us over the past decade and without whom this achievement would not be possible.

With the achievement of the 2030 SDGs in sight, public, private and civil society sectors can build upon RAIN’s achievements and make substantive gains by further mobilizing collective resources to meet the challenge of clean water and sanitation for all.

Join us in celebrating how RAIN has impacted more than 6 million lives - take a look at our RAIN Photobook, website, and social media properties.