Water Mission Delivers Clean Water to Indonesia Earthquake and Tsunami Victims
Deploying Purifier of Water Packets and Living Water Treatment Systems in Partnership with the Poul due Jensen Foundation
N Charleston, SC – October 4, 2018 – Water Mission, a nonprofit Christian engineering organization based in North Charleston, has collaborated with Fed Ex to deliver more than 1,100,000 P&G Purifier of Water packets to provide clean drinking water to those affected by the recent disasters in Indonesia. This powdered technology can provide more than 11 million liters of clean drinking water. Additionally, the organization has shipped two Living Water Treatment Systems — Water Mission’s patented filtration solution — from their headquarters and has ten prepositioned systems ready for deployment from its offices in Pekanbaru and Kupang, Indonesia. Each unit serves approximately 5,000 people per day. The Poul due Jensen Foundation has generously awarded Water Mission a donation to cover safe water distribution to 75,000 people in the rural communities around Palu, the largest heavily damaged city in Sulawesi, Indonesia, in response to the disasters.
“In the wake of a natural disaster, Poul Due Jensen Foundation can quickly reach out to help the victims by funding emergency safe water supplies. We know that immediate help is crucial, and therefore we instantly act by the efforts of Water Mission – our trusted water partner,” said Christian Hartvig, Executive Director, Poul Due Jensen Foundation.
“In the earliest days after a devastating natural disaster, partnerships are vital to ensure that communities have the basic necessities including clean drinking water,” said Allison Tummon Kamphuis, P&G Children’s Safe Drinking Water Program Leader. “We’re proud to partner with Water Mission and ensure that P&G Purifier of Water packets are one more valuable tool in their efforts to help families begin to rebuild their lives.“
FedEx supported the shipment through the company’s FedEx Cares Delivering for Good initiative. When disaster strikes or special shipments need to be delivered, FedEx has the infrastructure in place to help facilitate a swift response.
“The people in these devastated communities are in desperate need of one of life’s most basic necessities, safe drinking water,” said Jenny Robertson, vice president corporate communications, FedEx Services. “FedEx is proud to use its global network to support the important work of Water Mission and deliver relief when and where it’s needed most.”
“We know that more than 1,900 people have died, hundreds more have been injured, and more than two million people have been impacted by the devastating earthquake, tsunami, and volcano in Indonesia,” said Water Mission President and COO George C. Greene, IV. “Water Mission has responded to these disasters by deploying our team in Indonesia to the affected areas, deploying Living Water Treatment Systems, and shipping more than 1,100,000 P&G Purifier of Water packets from our headquarters in North Charleston. We will continue to monitor the situation and are prepared to deploy more resources as they are needed. We ask for your prayers and continued support during this time.”
Water Mission is prepared to send an additional six treatment systems from North Charleston to Indonesia. Donations to the organization’s Indonesia disaster response can be made at watermission.org/indonesia-response. Supporters can also create their own fundraising campaigns to help the people of Indonesia. One hundred percent of donations will be restricted to the Indonesia disaster response. Stay tuned for updates on Water Mission’s response at watermission.org, @water_mission (Twitter and Instagram), and @WaterMissions (Facebook).
Latest Response Timeline and Background
October 1 and 2: Water Mission shipped more than 1,100,000 P&G Purifier of Water Packets from its headquarters in North Charleston, South Carolina, to Indonesia.
October 1 and 2: Water Mission shipped two Living Water Treatment Systems from its headquarters in North Charleston, South Carolina, to Indonesia.
Ongoing: Water Mission has seven Living Water Treatment Systems located in Pekanbaru (Water Mission’s Indonesia headquarters) and three Living Water Treatment Systems located in Kupang, Indonesia, which are ready to be deployed to the affected communities.
Ongoing: Water Mission has been present in Indonesia since 2005 and has completed more than 152 safe water projects, serving more than 307,000 people. There are three Water Mission offices in Indonesia — Pekanbaru (HQ), Medan, and Kupang — with 20 full-time staff members currently being deployed to the affected area.
Background: Logistics remain challenging and Water Mission is working with several partners and its staff in Indonesia to deliver clean water to Sulawesi as quickly as possible.
About
Poul Due Jensen Foundation funds sustainable, resilient, and affordable safe water projects in poor, rural communities in developing countries and the world’s forgotten refugee camps. The Foundation works in long-term partnerships with NGOs with proven experience in water. The Foundation reserves two million DKK annually for emergency water supplies related to disaster relief.
Water Mission is a nonprofit Christian engineering organization that designs, builds, and implements safe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) solutions for people in developing countries and disaster areas. Since 2001, Water Mission has used innovative technology and engineering expertise to provide access to safe water for more than 3.6 million people in 55 countries. Water Mission has over 250 staff members working around the world in permanent country programs located in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Notably, Charity Navigator has awarded Water Mission its top four-star rating 12 years in a row, a distinction shared by less than one percent of the charities rated by the organization. To learn more, visit watermission.org.
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