Water is essential to our ability to cope with the challenges facing the world. The Runda Upp (Round Up) Foundation and SIWI are now initiating a collaboration to raise awareness about water to coincide with World Water Week – the world’s leading annual event on water. Lindex, a Swedish fashion retailer, has already joined the campaign and more companies are expected to follow suit. Customers can round up when shopping, contributing to important global water projects.
SIWI organizes World Water Week and works with global water issues. It now wishes to reach and engage the public.
”We are very happy to cooperate with Runda Upp. We hope that more people in Sweden will understand the vital role of water. Retailers who join this World Water Week campaign can let their customers round up their purchases and thereby provide financial support for an important water project,” says Gabriela Suhoschi, Director of World Water Week and Prizes, SIWI.
”Water creates opportunities. The access to clean water, for example, means that girls can go to school, creates opportunities for jobs, and helps us build communities that can withstand the effects of climate change,” she said.
At the first stage, customers at Lindex will be able to “round up” at over 200 stores during the period 23-30 August. Lindex’s campaign will contribute to a more equal world where women’s opportunities in life are improved. Contributions from its stores will go towards a WaterAid project to give more children and women access to clean water. Lack of clean water affects women more than men because in most cases it is the women’s task to carry and collect water, and women also have a particularly great need for clean water during childbirth and menstruation.
”Through Runda Upp, the retail industry has a joint tool to directly engage its customers in important social issues. World Water Week is a fantastic event and an excellent opportunity for retailers and their customers to, in a simple way, contribute to important water projects. Our hope is that more companies will follow Lindex and Water Aids’ example in participating in World Water Week 2019,” says Stefan Edwall, Operations Manager at Runda Upp.