Following the ongoing drought in South Africa being declared a national disaster, Woolworths has announced a R1.5m investment in water infrastructure for schools via the newly launched MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet LoveH2O Water Fund.

This starter funding will be committed to installing water tanks for rainwater harvesting and storage at schools in affected provinces.

The LoveH2O Water Fund will enable consumers who are MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet supporters, and concerned about water conservation and education, to be part of the initiative.

Water security

“This investment and the launch of the LoveH2O Water Fund aims to make a sustainable difference to schools in their water-saving efforts so that they are empowered to become water secure through national disasters like the one we are currently facing,” says Feroz Koor, Woolworths Holdings group head of sustainability. 

“Responsible water use is a core focus of our Good Business Journey, and we’ve also made water conservation and water education a priority in school communities. We have over the past years, donated and installed more than 100 water tanks at needy schools across the country. Water is also a key focus of the Woolworths Education Programme, which over the last four years has presented over 4,500 water conservation lessons, reaching more than 190,000 learners and 1,559 educators in 410 primary schools across the country. We are also a long-term partner of Food & Trees for Africa’s flagship EduPlant programme which teaches schools various techniques to harvest and use water efficiently to grow flourishing food gardens.”

To contribute, consumers should sign up for the MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet programmeand select the LoveH2O Water Fund as one of their three beneficiaries. Every time a supporter shops at a participating retailer, their free card is swiped at till points or online checkouts and a percentage is donated to the LoveH2O Water Fund, at no cost to the customer. The LoveH2O Water Fund aims to raise ongoing funds so that more South African schools have a sustainable source of water.