Alfred Pisani, Founder and Group Chairman of Corinthia Hotels, and Corporate Patron of international water aid charity Just a Drop, has committed to a second Corinthia Hotels sponsored clean water project in Tanzania, this time in the Kingazi Village outside of Dar es Salaam.  

This is the second of a three year commitment that Mr Pisani, a nominee this year for Hotels magazine’s coveted ‘Hotelier of the Year’ award, has made to the UK based water charity.

The second Corinthia clean water project, following the success of the first one inaugurated in the village of Tabata Bima in July 2012, will benefit a village to the west of Dar es Salaam. It is for the construction of a borehole, three storage tanks and a pump house, as well as a water supply system. 640 pupils and teachers of Kingazi primary school and 12,200 members of the Kingazi community will benefit from this project.

Women and children in Kingazi are currently walking distances of up to six kilometers to reach water, and even then often the water they find and use is unsafe. Some women and girls in the area can spend a whole day collecting just two buckets of water which obviously leaves them little time for an education.

Added to this are the health problems caused by drinking dirty, unsafe water. This has the biggest impact on children who are more likely to contract water-borne diseases such as cholera and dysentery. Paying for medicine to resolve these health issues also puts a significant burden on what are already very poor families.

Fiona Jeffery OBE, Founder and Chairman, Just a Drop, said “We are very appreciative of the support given by both Mr Pisani and Corinthia Hotels.  Their support in 2011/12 allowed Just a Drop to deliver a project in the Tabata Bima community in Tanzania, helping over 11,000 people.  This second project will bring clean water to over 12,000 people in Kingazi, and will again save and change lives, especially for the children of the community.”

In announcing this year's project, Alfred Pisani, Founder and Group Chairman of Corinthia Hotels noted, "I am delighted to continue Corinthia Hotels' support of Just a Drop (JAD). The hospitality business is a global activity and JAD's mission is so compelling because it enables international hospitality companies like ourselves, to give back to the local communities around the world where we can make a difference by providing the basic human need, clean water.  Africa in particular has so much potential and the work JAD is engaged in puts a bright and healthy face on the future for the children and their families.  We are proud to play a small part through our support of JAD, in making a difference, village by village."

Notes to Editors:

About Just a Drop

• Launched in 1998, Just a Drop is an international water-aid charity which aims to contribute positively to the reduction of child mortality caused through poor sanitation and unsafe water and to actively reduce the numbers of people without access to clean water
• Working with local partners - at a grassroots level - we provide a local, clean water supply through appropriate engineering solutions to some of the poorest communities in the world
• The work we support includes safe sanitation and the construction of wells, boreholes, pipelines, hand pumps, sand dams and latrines. We also strive to improve health and sanitation education by encouraging the establishment of WASH (Water and Sanitation Hygiene) programmes to run alongside our work
• To date, our projects have reached an estimated 1.5 million people in 31 countries from Afghanistan to Zambia.   

Fast Facts:

• Achild dies around every 20 seconds as a result of a water related illness
• Over 783 million people in the world do not have access to clean, safe water
• Around 2.5 billion people do not have access to adequate sanitation
• Over 2.75 million people die from water related diseases every year 
• More people in the world own mobile phones than have access to a toilet
• Women in Africa carry approximately 20kg of water on their heads – the same as the average airport luggage allowance
• £1 can provide a child with clean, safe water for 10 years

About Corinthia Hotels

Corinthia is a collection of hotels founded by the Pisani family of Malta. We are in our 50th year of business and growing. Corinthia is a family-inspired business, with family values underpinning the Spirit of Corinthia, meaning that we look out for one another, support one another and positively encourage one another. As a hotel business, we focus on giving honest, discreet service. We see ourselves as craftsmen in the world of hospitality, valuing authenticity, passion, precision and understanding. Each of the hotels and resorts we have created in some of the most exciting places in the world is a tribute to local architecture and cultural traditions. The Corinthia portfolio includes the newly-opened flagship Corinthia Hotel in London, as well as award-winning Corinthia Hotels in Budapest, Malta, Prague, St Petersburg, Tripoli and Lisbon. Corinthia Hotels is owned by International Hotel Investments (IHI), a publicly-traded company in Malta. CHI Hotels & Resorts Limited is a wholly-owned member of the IHI Group which manages Corinthia Hotels. For more information, please visit corinthia.com. 

Editorial Contact
Just a Drop: Nicola Swann: nicola.swann@justadrop.org
Corinthia Hotels: Karen Hoffman/Sarah McHeffey, (212) 447-0027; info@bradfordglobalmarketing.com