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Cape Town:  18 October 2022 – The PepsiCo Foundation, the philanthropic arm of food and beverage company PepsiCo, partnered with Save Our Schools Non-Profit Organisation (SOS NPO), to commemorate Global Handwashing Day at Cavalleria Primary School in Cape Town on 14 October. Employing a learning through play approach, children engaged in various activities to increase awareness of the importance of handwashing with soap as an effective and affordable way to prevent diseases.

Commenting on the campaign, Devendri Adari, the Foundation lead for Sub-Saharan Africa said, "Globally we focus our support on water distribution, purification and conservation programmes. We're thrilled to build upon our partnership with SOS NPO to highlight the importance of handwashing and to help communities gain safe access to water”.

In line with the 2022 Global Handwashing Day theme, Unite for Universal Hygiene, the activation ‘Get Your Hands Dirty’ encouraged communities, brands and local government to unite to bring about positive change regarding hand hygiene. The activation aimed to raise awareness of the dire state of hand hygiene in South Africa, with 47% of South Africans without access to basic handwashing facilities, and 66% of South Africans failing to wash their hands with soap.

Inspired by children’s inquisitive nature, ‘Get Your Hands Dirty’ encouraged experiential learning amongst the Grade R pupils of Cavalleria Primary School through an interactive mud search and hand painting activities. Handwash kits were provided to 100 children to address the shortage of hand hygiene products within informal communities.

“SOS NPO has been focused on improving access to to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) within the Kraaifontein area for over four years.  Lack of access to hygiene facilities and poor handwashing habits are a reality for many children and communities in South Africa, affecting their health and well-being. It’s vital that non-profits, government and the private sector work together to overcome the challenges within this sector,” said Shelley Humphreys, CEO of SOS NPO

The organisation has further extended their commitment to improving hand hygiene through a community activation where more than 200 people from informal settlements within the Kraaifontein district will receive hand-hygiene packs. This will contribute to the number of people that will benefit from PepsiCo’s support of WASH initiatives.

“PepsiCo has a goal to reach 100 million people globally with safe water access by 2030 through the PepsiCo Foundation and our partners. We have already reached just over 119 000 people in South Africa through our partnerships with SOS NPO and other entities,” Adari concluded.

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About Global Handwashing Day

Global Handwashing Day is a global advocacy day committed to raising awareness about the importance of handwashing with soap, as a means to improve handwashing habits and save lives.

https://globalhandwashing.org/global-handwashing-day/

About the PepsiCo Foundation

Established in 1962, the PepsiCo Foundation, the philanthropic arm of PepsiCo, invests in the essential elements of a sustainable food system with a mission to support thriving communities. Working with non-profits and experts around the globe, we are focused on helping communities obtain access to food security, safe water and economic opportunity. We strive for tangible impact in the places where we live and work—collaborating with industry peers, local and international organizations, and our employees to affect large-scale change on the issues that matter to us and are of global importance. Learn more at https://www.pepsico.com/our-impact/philanthropy/pepsico-foundation.