funds raised for Project WAterfall exceed £1 Million Milestone!
Since its inception in 2010, Project Waterfall has donated the valuable funds raised through initiative such as UK Coffee Week, The London Coffee Festival and The Coffee Music Project to projects across seven different countries, changing the lives of over 32,000 people in coffee growing communities.
17 different projects and countless communities have so far benefitted from these funds, and we would like to take a moment to thank the thousands of coffee operators and individuals that help make this possible. We would also like to thank the world class charities and grass roots organisations that implement the life-changing facilities on the ground, including WaterAid, charity: water, Splash International and Water for People.
Although we still have plenty to do in the ongoing projects, here's a look at the 10 initiatives that have been completed so far using the money raised by our fantastic supporters.
Mbulu District, Tanzania - Completed in 2014
From the humble beginnings of Project Waterfall, funds raised from UK Coffee Week and The London Coffee Festival between 2011-2014 helped complete this 4 year project in the Mbulu district of Tanzania. This project was able to directly change the lives of over 10,000 people, including the students of Yaeda Chini Primary School.
"To me, this is a wonder. I did not expect to see this water here in Mongo wa Mono in my lifetime." - Yasintha Edward, Secretary of Yaedi Chini COWSO (Community Owned Water and Sanitation Organisation)
Amount Given: £235,000
Ruchanga Marengo, Rwanda - Completed in 2016
The inaugural Amsterdam Coffee Festival saw funds directed to changing lives in communities in the mountainous region of Rulindo. With the help of project implementers charity: water, the 50 people of this community are now served by a piped and filtered tap stand, providing safe drinking water to future generations of this small, rural population.
Amount Given: £9,500
Tigray, Ethiopia - Completed in 2017
After a successful first year of fundraising, the Amsterdam Coffee Festival returned in 2015 to again raise money for a partnership project with charity: water, this time in Tigray, Ethiopia. Around 450 people across two communities, Mai berbere and Mai tekera now have access to clean water thanks to the generosity of festival goers. Now young mothers like Berekech no longer have to worry about feeding their babies polluted and dangerous water.
Amount Given: £10,000
Burie Woreda, Ethiopia - Completed in 2017
After funding of the four year Mbulu District project was completed, UK Coffee Week fundraising from 2015 was channeled into a new project in Burie, Ethiopia. Over 3,000 lives were changed in 7 communities in this area, through the building of an underground pipe network as well as latrine blocks in both community schools and nearby homes.
"We used to argue over who could have the water first. Now the taps are built, we have no need for conflict" - Ziyen Beyene, Burie community member
Amount Given: £45,000
Toke Kutaye and Chelia, Ethiopia - Completed in 2017
The success of UK Coffee Week 2016 fundraising saw not one, but two projects completed as of 2017. The first of these efforts were on this WaterAid implemented project in the fertile, coffee growing districts of Toke Kutaye and Chelia, Ethiopia. reaching nearly 1,000 people. The lives of community members, including Chaltu and her children Mihiritie and Gobena, were changed for good through the generosity of the UK coffee community.
Amount Given: £58,300
Kibebe Tsehey Orphanage, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - Completed in 2017
The second initiative funded through the efforts of coffee operators during UK Coffee Week 2016 was the Tsehey Kibebe Orphanage in Addis Ababa, capital city of Ethiopia. Around 380 12-16 year old girls are housed in the building, which received a water filtration system, one handwashing station and one drinking water station. This life changing project was carried out in partnership with Splash International.
Amount Given: £10,600
The Nero Foundation, La Esmerelda, Nicaragua - Completed in 2017
Working alongside the fantastic team at Caffè Nero, the funds raised from their stores during UK Coffee Week 2016 were channelled to the life changing school building initiatives in La Esmerelda, Nicaragua, carried out by The Nero Foundation and Seeds for Progress. Through this work, over 600 children now have access to fresh, clean water at school.
Amount Given: £19,000
The Costa Foundation, Uganda - Completed in 2017
Working in a similar way to The Nero Foundation, fundraising from Costa Coffee stores during UK Coffee Week 2016 was channelled into the water components of 10 Costa-PEAS schools across various districts of Uganda. Over 4,000 students benefitted from extra water tank systems designed to take the pressure off of existing water points in the dry seasons.
"These tanks have helped reduce water shortages during the dry season when we would usually have to go out of school to collect water." - Edither Alankwasa, S1 at Noble PEAS High School
Amount Given: £40,000
The costa Foundation, Vietnam - completed in 2017
The second half of funds raised by Costa during the 2016 UK Coffee Week campaign, the Hoa Cuac and Cupang schools received clean water and sanitation facilities that serve 390 students across both. A drilled well system, a stainless steel water tank and bathroom blocks built alongside each classroom are just a few of the facilities that will help this extremely rural community with access to clean water and a
Amount Given: £41,000
Investing in Education: Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia - Completed in 2018
Contributions from UK Coffee Week 2017 saw 2,500 pupils and teachers across schools in Uganda, Kenya and Ethiopia helped by access to clean water and sanitation facilities. Project Waterfall funding helped complete the final year of a 5-year programme across these three countries, where access to water, sanitation and hygiene education is a factor to determine the access to education and therefore a better future.
"As a girl, I'm happy to be in school, because through education, I am assured a brighter future" - Sandra, 13 year old pupil at Church of Uganda Primary School
Amount Given: £100,000
Ongoing Projects
Rulindo, Rwanda with charity: water - £27,400
San Rafael del Norte and La Concordia, Nicaragua wit Water for People - £32,000
Rulindo, Rwanda with charity: water (various communities) - £88,500
Ketchune Girls Orphanage, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia with Splash International - £8,250
San Rafael del Norte and La Concordia, Nicaragua with Water for People - £30,200
Costa Foundation, Ethiopia - £50,000
The Nero Foundation, La Esmerelda, Nicaragua (2017 and 2018) - £57,900
Wondmamach Jindergarten, Yeka Tafo Primary and Yeka Tafo Secondary Schools, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia with Splash International - £34,300
Jabi Tehnan, Ethiopia with WaterAid - £110,000