Providing safe water and improved hygiene in underserved communities

Airbus Helicopters and the Airbus Foundation partner with local organisations to increase access to clean water  for thousands in the Philippines and Kenya.

Access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene is the most basic human need for health and well-being, and UN Sustainable Development Goal 6 seeks to drive awareness and progress on achieving clean water and sanitation for all.  At Airbus, this means responsibly managing the water usage within our own sites and operations, as well as developing solutions and partnerships that seek to increase access to clean water in underserved communities through our global community impact programme.

Safe drinking water and improved hygiene have become a reality for two communities in the Philippines and Kenya through partnerships supported by Airbus Helicopters and the Airbus Foundation.

In the Philippines, Airbus Helicopters has partnered with the Manila Water Foundation to develop a  WASH (water access, sanitation and hygiene)  facilities project. Particularly relevant in a post-pandemic context, this project, created in 2022, promotes good health and wellbeing by ensuring access to clean water and raising awareness for hygiene practices, such as regular handwashing.

A first line of defence from Airbus Helicopters and the Manila Water Foundation 

A total of five multi-faucet hygiene facilities were installed at public schools and health centres in Quezon province’s General Nakar municipality, and at the city of Calbayog in the Samar province between November 2022 and January 2023. The locations were selected together with the respective communities as the first line of defence against the spread of viruses and communicable diseases in these neighbourhoods.

More than 12,000 community members have benefitted and the partnership also includes inspection of the facilities to ensure proper functionality and maintenance, local training, as well as professional community health assessment to evaluate if the sanitation and the community’s handwashing habits have improved over time.

The Airbus partnership with the Manila Water Foundation received special recognition by the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Airbus Helicopters in the Philippines was awarded with Le Trophée Bleu: Sustainability Business Awards in the Partnership category. The award category recognises initiatives which embody the spirit of global solidarity while also acknowledging the need for collaboration in achieving sustainability goals

The Airbus Foundation’s water collaboration reaches 8,000-plus students in Kenya

Access to safe drinking water and proper sanitation is a basic right, yet many communities in Nairobi's informal settlements continue to face challenges in accessing clean water, leading to waterborne diseases and poor hygiene practices. 

A multi-year Airbus Foundation partnership has marked significant milestones in the installation of innovative plasma water purification systems for vulnerable communities in Nairobi.

Since initiating this collaboration in 2019, the Foundation has worked with Plasma Waters in Chile and the Kenya Red Cross Society to bring the Plasma Water Sanitation Systems Project (PWSS) to seven schools in the Mukuru informal settlements of Nairobi, already reaching over 8,000 students.

The PWSS project has also provided critical hygiene education on a wider scale, with 30 Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) trained in hygiene education reaching out to over 1,400 households. Additionally, multiple awareness sessions were organised to educate the community on the importance of proper hygiene practices.

To ensure the continuation and positive impact of the project for the longer term, the Plasma Waters team developed a mobile application that enables remote monitoring of the plasma water purification systems, identifying faults or irregularities. The project also has trained and hired a local engineer to support the maintenance of the units, ensuring the systems continue to function effectively.

Recognition by the Kenya Ministry of Education and the Kenya Red Cross
Hezbon Nyagaka, the Nairobi County Education Officer, recognised the PWSS’ success, pledging the Kenya Ministry of Education’s support for future implementations; while Swabira Abdulrazak, the Kenya Red Cross’ Innovation Officer, highlighted the opportunity to scale up this project in other parts of the region – providing additional informal settlements with safe drinking water and promoting proper hygiene practices.