9th July, 2010
AMREF has yet again received international recognition for its work in developing the health of people across the African continent.
AMREF’s Katine Community Partnering Project in Uganda and Maji ni Uhai (Water is Life) Project in Tanzania have received recognition for the role they play in the achievement of and sustained commitment to the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Business in the Community (BITC) Coffey International Example of Excellence Award
The Katine Project has won the Business in the Community (BITC) Coffey International Example of Excellence award. Supported by the Department for International Development (DFID), the Coffey International Award recognises companies who have shown innovation, creativity and a sustained commitment to one or more of the UN Millennium Development Goals.
Barclays, The Guardian, AMREF launched the Katine project in 2007 to improve education, health, livelihoods, and sanitation in the village of Katine, a 25,000-strong community in north-eastern Uganda, which has suffered civil war, drought and extreme poverty.
Charles Duff, Chairman of the International Award judging panel believed Katine showcased a strong partnership to effectively address the MDGs, whose learning could be rolled out to other parts of Africa.
"It is easy to see that the work through this partnership has great potential for being scaled up and is replicable in other communities in Africa and beyond. Bringing together inclusive financial products and the power of the media with the expertise of an NGO is something very exciting," said Mr Duff.
Grace Mukasa, AMREF in the UK’s Chief Executive said, ''By engaging the community from the start, we have ensured sustainability has been built into every level. It's an approach we hope will ensure continued progress towards the MDGs long into the future''.
International Cooperation for Sustainable Development Award
At the same time, a partnership bringing together Ferrovial, a global infrastructure builder and AMREF, has further received the International Cooperation for Sustainable Development Award bestowed to enterprises by the European Commission at the European Business Awards for the Environment 2010. This is in recognition of the Maji ni Uhai (Water is Life) project, a water and sanitation project in Tanzania, implemented by AMREF in Tanzania and funded by Ferrovial through AMREF in Spain.
The European Business Awards for the Environment recognise and promote today’s pioneers in green innovation within the context that any business, large or small, can make a difference in the fight against climate change and help to solve today’s environmental challenges, from the decline in biodiversity to the unsustainable use of natural resources.
Ferrovial, AMREF in Spain and AMREF in Tanzania are working towards providing clean water to more than 50,000 people (40% of the population of Serengeti District) by building sanitary and water supply infrastructure, with the aim of improving health and the quality of life of local communities, supplying safe water and sanitary facilities and educating the communities on good hygiene practices.
This award falls under the International Cooperation for Sustainable Development category and was presented by Mr Janez Potocnik, the EU Environment Commissioner, to Mr Íñigo Meirás, Ferrovial’s Chief Executive Officer.
Mr Íñigo Meirás welcomed the award by saying, “This project responds to the United Nations’ MDGs that Ferrovial subscribed to in 2002 with the aim of promoting enterprises’ involvement in the fight against poverty and promote a world association for development. For both reasons, through AMREF’s Maji ni Uhai, Ferrovial is directly involved in Development Cooperation.”
By the end of the project, AMREF will have trained 131 water and health technicians and 1,300 people - half of them women, on good hygiene and health practice promotion and the infrastructure built in the area will become the basis of sustainable, economic development for the Serengeti region.
Find out more about the BITC award.
More about the Katine Community Partnering Project (KCPP)
More about the Maji ni Uhai - Serengeti Water, Hygiene and Sanitation Project
