A leading home appliances brand in Europe is to support a community programme that will empower 10,000 people in Kenya to gain access safe water and sanitation.

Beko's partnership with Water.org, co-founded by Matt Damon and Gary White, will help scale water and sanitation solutions for families in need in Kenya, building on the 48 million lives the organisation has already improved by providing safe water. According to Water.org, 15% of Kenyans rely on unimproved water sources such as ponds, shallow wells and rivers, while 41% of Kenyans lack basic sanitation facilities.

These challenges are even more prevalent in rural areas where people are often unable to connect to piped water infrastructure. Through the two-year partnership, Beko will support Water.org and its local partner AMFI Kenya, the association of micro-finance institutions, to help scale and promote solutions to enable access to safe water in urban slums and rural areas without reliable water sources.

The programme will include the development of learning materials and activities to empower communities with affordable access to loans so they can install wells, water storage tanks, filters, rainwater harvesting systems and sanitation solutions. The partnership will also help to mobilise capital investments totalling US$700,000 for water and sanitation loans to impact hard-to-reach communities.

Gary White, chief executive and co-founder of Water.org, said, "We appreciate the support of Beko to help change lives in Kenya with access to safe water or sanitation solutions. Together we will empower families in need with lasting access to safe water, and the hope, health and opportunity that flow from it."

Akın Garzanlı, chief marketing officer of Beko's parent company Arçelik, said, "Access to safe water and sanitation is an essential human right, and any barriers to these pose serious threats to well-being, and undermines social and economic development. At the heart of many of our innovations and solutions is the recognition that resources like water are incredibly precious."

Manufacturer Arçelik, which is headquartered in Turkey, says the partnership builds on the company's commitment to promoting responsible water consumption and helping households reduce water waste. It is also leveraging the latest technologies across its own production operations to increase water efficiency in all regions where its suppliers are located, including Kenya where Beko has been operating for 10 years.