From SOS & Coca-Cola

SOS Children’s Villages of India and Coca-Cola dedicate over a 1.3 crore litre rainwater harvesting project to the community

SOS Children’s Villages of India, Coca-Cola India and Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Pvt. Ltd (HCCBPL) announced the completion of work for a 1.3 crore litre rainwater harvesting project at the SOS Children’s Village located at Bannerghata Road, Bengaluru. The project was dedicated to the local community by Chief Executive Officer of Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Pvt Limited, Mr. T Krishnakumar in the presence of Mr. A R Shivakumar, Principal Investigator – Rain Water Harvesting (RWH), Karnataka State Council for Science and Technology and Senior Scientist, Indian Institute of Science and the village children.
 SOS Children’s Villages of India and Coca-Cola in India launched work of the innovative water conservation project at the SOS village campus in the outskirts of Bangalore with a plan to conserve precious rainwater that falls at the 6.5 acre campus. The project with a potential to conserve 1.3 crore litres of rain water every year is part of the Rs 2.8 crore initiative being implemented across all SOS Children’s villages in India with support from The Coca-Cola Foundation.
 The RWH project at the SOS Children’s Village in Bengaluru has been constructed as per technical drawings approved by authorized consultants and the National Steering Committee. The National Steering Committee comprising of experts from the field of water management, eminent personalities from civil society and representatives from Coca-Cola India and SOS Children’s Villages will also supervise the implementation and progress of the project.
 According to Mr. A R Shivakumar, Principal Investigator – RWH, Karnataka State Council for Science and Technology and Senior Scientist, Indian Institute of Science “Water Conservation Project implemented at the SOS Children’s Village is an exemplary initiative to conserve precious rainwater that falls in the village campus. The project is designed to ensure sustainable water resources to the residents of the village. Initiatives like this will go a long way in creating awareness on water conservation and creating replicable models.”
According to Mr. T Krishnakumar, Chief Executive Officer, Hindustan Coca-Cola beverages Pvt. Ltd., “Water conservation and environment management requires a participative and collaborative approach. Each stakeholder must contribute to the best of his ability for sustainability of the Earth’s resources. I am thankful to SOS Children’s Village for coming together with us in this nationwide project of rainwater harvesting. We will continue to focus on water conservation efforts and work with communities in sustainable development.”
According to Mr. Rakesh Jinsi, National Director of SOS Children’s Villages of India said, “I am pleased to announce the completion of work at the Children’s Village in Bengaluru. The project will not only help groundwater recharge but will also ensure that our children are able to grow up in a safe and hygienic environment. They will also become aware about the importance of water conservation and grow up into being the proponents for the cause of water conservation.”
 The nationwide partnership between SOS Children’s Villages, The Coca-Cola Foundation and Coca-Cola system in India entailed the construction of water conservation projects at 34 SOS locations spread across the country for a total project outlay not exceeding USD 585,000 (Rs. 28,080,000). The Coca-Cola Foundation based in Atlanta has made a grant of USD 391,920 (nearly Rs. 18,925,817). SOS Children’s Villages of India contributed through manpower, material and financial resources

 About SOS Children’s Villages of India:
 SOS Children’s Villages of India is a non-profit, non-governmental, voluntary organization, committed to the care of children in need and to strengthening families and communities as a preventive measure in the fight against abandonment and social neglect. The aim & objective of the SOS Children’s Villages of India is to help children, who have lost the care of parents, by giving them a family, home and a strong foundation for an independent and secure life. SOS-India is a member of SOS-Kinderdorf International, operational in 132 countries.
 “SOS Children’s Villages of India” was registered as a society and came into being in 1964 after Dr. Hermann Gmeiner, the founder father of the SOS movement worldwide visited India in 1963 at the invitation of the first Indian Prime Minister, late Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. The first SOS Children’s Village was established in 1964 at Greenfields, Faridabad, Haryana.
 Since its inception in the year 1964 SOS Children’s Villages of India has expanded its services for children in need at a rapid pace.  Today, there are 40 SOS Children’s Villages including facilities for Tibetan children, 122 allied projects like Kindergartens, Schools, Social, Medical, Vocational Training Centers and Outreach Initiatives spread across the country reaching out to over 15,000 children.