News
World Water Day: Supporting communities in Africa
22 March 2022
Urenco is supporting the training of nine local people in Sub-Saharan Africa to ensure their communities receive access to clean water.
The would-be mechanics are being trained to construct and maintain around 800 community and irrigation wells and pumps in Malawi as part of an innovative social enterprise model.
Urenco will fund the charity, Pump Aid, to support the mechanics.
This comes as part of our wider sustainability strategy to support and have a positive impact on communities, local and global, while reducing our environmental impact.
Duncan Marsh, Director of Programmes at Pump Aid, said: “Without the support of organisations like Urenco, we wouldn’t be able to offer the opportunity to so many rural communities to access water and the social enterprise which ensures this clean water supply is truly sustainable.
“Through this social investment partnership we will also provide safe water supplies, child-friendly toilets, hand-washing stations and hygiene education at a community based childcare centre.
“This will reduce the risk of water-borne disease, facilitate good hygiene and sanitation practices throughout the community and give children the chance to stay healthy and fulfil their potential.”
The investment will additionally help more young girls to attend school without interruption, since it is traditionally them that travel miles to fetch water when local pumps experience breakages.
Overall, the social enterprise promotes access to clean water and sanitation for around 45,000 people.
Judith Slijkhuis, Social Investment Committee Chair at Urenco, said: “Through our social investment programme, we are contributing towards a sustainable future for communities.
“We are therefore delighted to support Pump Aid and the fantastic work they do.”
The partnership is also in line with UN sustainability goals, including decent work and economic growth.
The beneficiaries will be local people like Maria, who joined the social enterprise at 45 and was previously a community midwife.
She said: “The communities around me had problems with their access to water as the boreholes kept breaking. This drove me to want to learn how to maintain them so I could serve my community by preventing them having to use unprotected water sources.”
This announcement comes on World Water Day, March 22, which raises awareness of the 2 billion people living without access to safe water. Urenco is also raising awareness amongst our own employees, for example, to urge them to be cautious of water wastage at work and at home.
For more information, please visit https://pumpaid.org/
About Urenco
Urenco is an international supplier of enrichment services and fuel cycle products with sustainability at the core of its business. Operating in a pivotal area of the nuclear fuel supply chain for 50 years, Urenco facilitates zero carbon electricity generation for consumers around the world.
With its head office near London, UK, Urenco’s global presence ensures diversity and security of supply for customers through enrichment facilities in Germany, the Netherlands, the UK and the USA. Using centrifuge technology designed and developed by Urenco, and through the expertise of our people, the Urenco Group provides safe, cost effective and reliable services; operating within a framework of high environmental, social and governance standards, complementing international safeguards.
Urenco is committed to continued investment in the responsible management of nuclear materials; innovation activities with clear sustainability benefits, such as nuclear medicine, industrial efficiency and research; and nurturing the next generation of scientists and engineers.
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