Thank you for voting in your thousands for our amazing teams of young water heroes in Bangalore, Barranquilla, Nairobi, Tacloban City and Washington, D.C.
We are very pleased to announce that Nairobi in Kenya, was the top-voted project and has won a special Manchester City visit to their project, including a visit from a Club Legend and additional training from Manchester City coaches in the Football and Water Education curriculum.
Speaking about Nairobi’s achievement, Laura Brooks, Regional Programme Manager for Tackle, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to have won this year’s Water Heroes Academy campaign – thanks to everyone who voted for Nairobi! This means so much to the Young Leaders from Tackle and is a testament to the amazing work they are doing with Xylem to improve sanitation in Kibera and to end period inequality.”
Through this project, young leaders in Nairobi are using the power of football to create awareness of water challenges within their communities and to educate girls on using clean water for sanitation and hygiene (WASH) during their period.
Reflecting on the water challenges affecting Nairobi, young leader Pauline, said: “Water is at the root of everything. Every time a girl is experiencing her menses, she needs water to drink and to clean herself. Through the project, we have educated society on many ways of treating water – whether through re-use, for cleaning purposes or disposal.”
Our teams of young leaders across the five projects are using football in a range of creative ways to provide essential education on WASH and to tackle water challenges specific to their city.
From improving access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in Bangalore and Tacloban City, to promoting responsible water conservation in Barranquilla, to tackling urban water pollution in Washington D.C., young leaders are stepping up to make a positive difference in their communities.
Fiona Cole, Head Brand and Partnerships at Xylem, commented: “Congratulations to all our Young Leaders around the world for the fantastic impact they are having in their communities to tackle local water challenges, and highlight the remarkable impact that collective action can have on water sustainability. And additional congratulations to Nairobi! We’re excited to see how Nairobi’s project unfolds and continues to contribute to positive change. Thank you to everyone involved, including the Manchester City fans for their votes, for contributing and helping to foster momentum for water responsibility and community empowerment.”
Congratulations to all our Young Leaders around the world for the phenomenal, sustained impact in using football to tackle local water challenges.
To find out more about Xylem and Manchester City’s work with football and water education, visit: https://waterheroes.xylem.com/en-us/wash-football/
