Planet Water Foundation and MetLife Foundation Complete Program to Provide Safe Water Access to Communities in Rural Mexico

PHOENIX, August 12, 2024 (Newswire.com) - Planet Water Foundation and MetLife Foundation have successfully completed a program to provide communities across rural Mexico with access to safe drinking water.

Launched in 2022, the program deployed 30 AquaTower community water filtration systems, which have been installed by the Planet Water Foundation team with support from MetLife Mexico volunteers in communities in the Mexican states of Chiapas, Jalisco, Mexico State, Oaxaca, Puebla and Veracruz.

Featuring three-stage water filtration technology and integrated handwashing facilities, each AquaTower was deployed in an elementary school, where it provides both students and members of the surrounding community with a reliable source of safe water, and handwashing infrastructure. In addition, every system was deployed in conjunction with Planet Water’s water-health and hygiene education program which aims to create a change in behavior and knowledge on life-saving hygiene practices.

Mark Steele, Founder & CEO of Planet Water Foundation said, “Access to safe drinking water is a challenge for many people in rural Mexico, particularly in schools, with 28% of schools lacking access to a basic drinking water service according to UNICEF and WHO data¹. We are grateful for MetLife Foundation’s support in helping address this important issue and in helping us make a direct impact in communities facing these challenges.”

Alfredo Esparza, MetLife Mexico Corporate Affairs VP and President of Fundación MetLife Mexico, said: “Providing safe drinking water access is a key step towards building resilient communities. We are proud of the impact that has been achieved through our partnership with Planet Water Foundation in addressing safe water access challenges across these six states in Mexico.”

In addition to the achievements of this program, in December 2023 MetLife Foundation was also a key supporter of Planet Water’s disaster response work in Acapulco, providing safe drinking water filtration systems to communities devastated by Hurricane Otis in late 2023.

To view a summary video of the partnership, please visit: https://planet-water.org/metlife-foundation-safe-drinking-water-mexico

About Planet Water Foundation
Planet Water Foundation is a non-profit organization focused on bringing clean water to the world’s most impoverished communities through the installation of community-based water filtration systems and the deployment of hygiene education programs. Planet Water Foundation projects are focused on children, schools, and rural/peri-urban communities across Asia and Latin America. Since 2009, Planet Water has deployed more than 1,900 projects that provide clean water access to more than four million people across 28 countries. For more information, visit www.planet-water.org

About MetLife Foundation 
At MetLife Foundation, we are committed to driving inclusive economic mobility for communities on low income around the world. We collaborate with nonprofit organizations and provide grants aligned to three strategic focus areas – economic inclusion, financial health and resilient communities – while engaging MetLife employee volunteers to help drive impact. MetLife Foundation was established in 1976 to continue MetLife’s long tradition of corporate contributions and community involvement. Since its inception, MetLife Foundation has contributed over $1 billion to strengthen communities where MetLife has a presence. To learn more about MetLife Foundation, visit www.MetLife.org. 

For further information, please contact:
John Deotrakul - john@planet-water.org

¹https://washdata.org/data/school#!/

Source: Planet Water Foundation