Some 30,000 inhabitants of Tabata-Bima in rural Tanzania have ready access to fresh drinking water in their village following the successful completion of the ?Water for Life? borehole project promoted by water aid charity Just a Drop and sponsored by Corinthia Hotels.
Mr Alfred Pisani, Founder & Chairman of Corinthia Hotels and corporate patron of Just a Drop, welcomed the project?s completion and said that Corinthia was proud to be associated with such a positive and humbling project.
International water aid charity Just a Drop collaborated with St Mary?s Foundation in Tanzania to construct boreholes to provide the Tabata community – including two schools – with access to a piped water supply. To mark the occasion, a celebration ceremony was held on July 6, 2012, at the Tabata Junior School, attended by Tony Potter, a member of the board of Corinthia Hotel; Rev. Gertrude Rwakatare, MP, founder of St Mary?s Foundation; Karen Hoffman, President, the Bradford Group, representing Corinthia Hotels in the US; as well as Nicola Swann and Christopher Mahoney, Just a Drop representatives from London. Residents paid tribute to Corinthia?s support and pupils at Tabata Junior recited poetry expressing gratitude to Corinthia and Mr Pisani for the company?s support.
?Most Tabata households have no access to a water supply. This forces them to buy water from neighbours or water vendors ? which they can rarely afford. Otherwise, the heavy burden falls on women and children to walk long distances to fetch water for their daily needs.? said Dr Rwakatare.
Mr Pisani said, ?Corinthia celebrates 50 years in business this year and we wanted to mark this milestone with a series of philanthropic gestures, including community driven projects in Africa. The project in Tabata-Bima will provide long term sustainable benefits to the community and directly help to give children the gift of life and good health?
The Tabata-Bima community has been encouraged to take ownership of the project and are keen to maintain their new water supply.
Source: Corinthia Hotels