Every time a student buys a water bottle at Samson’s, they are doing more than they think. Bon Appétit became the first food service company to offer RightWater when the company launched its U.S. distribution in 2017. The plastic water bottles that are offered in the store help fund two wells in Uganda and another in Malawi, Africa.
According to Samson’s Manager, Katy Cvitanich, this is the third year the store has been involved in the program Drop4Drop, which is an independent charity who partners with RightWater while on a mission to alleviate the global water crisis.
According to the corporate offices of Bon Appétit, Drop4Drop determines where to construct the wells. They focus on water-stressed countries and has concentrated on several countries in Africa and in India.
Cvitanich works along with her team members to incorporate socially and environmentally responsible initiatives into projects students would appreciate, which is why they started selling RightWater.
“We thought RightWater’s mission would appeal to Vanguard students,” Cvitanich said. “We also, of course, support students who choose to refill their own eco-friendly water bottles, and we’ll continue to offer a variety of beverage options,” Cvitanich said.
Cvitanich encourages and hopes students continue to purchase RightWater specifically so they can continue to support Drop4Drop.
According to Cvitanich, when the CEO of Bon Appétit, Fedele Bauccio, heard about Drop4Drop’s mission to donate water, he was inspired and immediately wanted to help. He was the one who connected Vanguard’s purchasing team with them.
From the results of the wells being built and the many stories that RightWater has provided on their website, there have been hundreds of people who have benefited from this program. Lives have been changed for the better because of the simple changes that Vanguard has done by distributing RightWater.
According to representatives of Bon Appétit, for every 10,000 cases of RightWater that Bon Appétit Management Company buys, Drop4Drop funds one drinking water project around the globe. Every bottle of RightWater sold funds 100 gallons of drinking water in India and Africa for a community in need.
According to Bon Appétit, with the customer’s purchase at Samson’s, they have already funded their third well.
Drop4Drop saw the difference made by the project in an interview with an 11-year-old girl named Kalissa Solomon, who lives in the village of Kisimbi, Uganda. In 2017, a well was fully funded and built from the water bottles that were sold by Bon Appétit. With the help of Vanguard students purchasing water bottles at Samson’s, this well now provides fresh water to the 475 people who live there.
Solomon and her friends would frequently have to miss school during the week because they would be out searching for water for their families, according to the interview.
“I always wished for the day clean water was accessible to our families and community. My wish has come true,” Solomon said.
With the help of the new well in Solomon’s village, she and her friends no longer have to worry about looking for clean water.
Stories like Solomons are because of the changes that people and organizations make. Bon Appétit has provided Vanguard with this opportunity to be involved in a life-changing program.
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