by Fern Shaw | Feb 10, 2025 | aquaid, Charity, Christian Aid, water cooler, Water Coolers
World Pulses Day
Since its inception in 2019, the 10th of February every year commemorates World Pulses Day. A few facts about pulses:
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN recognizes eleven different types of pulses: dry beans, dry broad beans, dry peas, chickpeas, cow peas, pigeon peas, lentils, Bambara beans, vetches, lupins and pulses nes (other minor types of pulses that don’t fit within the other categories).
Pulses are highly sustainable and climate-resilient crops. They require relatively low amounts of water compared to other protein sources and can grow on marginal land. They also help increase soil fertility by fixing nitrogen, making them a crucial element in crop rotation practices.*
World Pulses Day History
World Pulses Day serves as a global celebration of the nutritional and environmental benefits that pulses offer. Recognising the vital role these protein-rich legumes play in promoting sustainable agriculture and addressing important issues such as food security, nutrition and climate change, World Pulses Day has seen an outpouring of support from governments, farmers, researchers and consumers alike, working collaboratively to ensure pulses become a staple part of diets on a global scale.
World Pulses Day provides an opportunity for the international community to celebrate the importance of pulses in ensuring a sustainable and healthy future.*
Christian Aid
From Christian Aid, “For thousands of farming families in Malawi, pigeon peas are a route out of poverty. The mighty pigeon pea is drought-resistant, so it thrives in the dry fields of southern Malawi. It’s an essential part of the diet of millions of people around the world.
Together with our partners, we empower vulnerable communities to find practical and sustainable ways out of poverty, including giving them the skills to:
- Form cooperatives to improve their access to markets and secure a fairer price for their crops.
- Set up savings and loans to start their own businesses
- Boost the quality of their seeds and restore soil fertility
- Build warehouses to keep their crops safe from floods and cyclones, compete against large-scale producers, and gain new markets
- Promote pigeon pea recipes to increase consumption in Malawi and prevent hunger.”
AquAid
Thanks to the support of AquAid customers, together we have funded projects in Malawi that have helped over 3,300 pigeon pea farming households by reducing income poverty.
By choosing AquAid as your water cooler provider, you are helping people living in poverty globally to access clean water and build healthy lives. AquAid has supported Christian Aid for more than 15 years, donating over £4 million to water and capacity-building projects around the world.
*source: WinCalendar – World Pulses Day
by Fern Shaw | Jul 12, 2023 | aquaid, Christian Aid, water cooler, Water Coolers
As of April this year, AquAid has donated over £20 million to charity. This staggering amount is a culmination of charitable donations which began in 1998. This includes over £2.8 million donated to Pump Aid, which enabled half a million people to gain access to sustainable supplies of clean productive water and decent sanitation in Africa. This work was continued by The Africa Trust, which was founded by the Chief Executive of Pump Aid, together with Paul Searle, who was the founder and majority shareholder of AquAid.
To date, more than three million people use Elephant Pumps [pictured above middle] installed by The Africa Trust, largely as a result of over £10.2 million donated by AquAid. In addition, these funds have paid for entrepreneurial training [pictured above left] and loans, which have helped over 40,000 people to set up small businesses and support their families. With legacy projects in Liberia, Kenya and Uganda and ongoing major programmes in Zimbabwe and Malawi, The Africa Trust is using funding from AquAid to provide sustainable solutions to poverty for millions.
Ian Thorpe, Chief Executive of The Africa Trust said, “AquAid has achieved growth while incorporating an extraordinary level of charitable donations into their business model. Customers drinking pure chilled water from AquAid water coolers in the UK directly enable people to gain access to life saving clean water in Africa. The ongoing funding is helping to lift literally millions of people out of extreme poverty in a sustainable way. Many congratulations on reaching this £20 million milestone!”
AquAid donations of over £3.8 million to Christian Aid have funded water and capacity building projects in Ethiopia and Malawi, improving the lives of 370,000 individuals. The Malonda Project stands out for its provision of affordable loans and business training to entrepreneurs and pigeon pea farmers [pictured above right] in Malawi. The results are impressive: a perfect 100% loan repayment rate and household incomes increased. Inspired by the success of the Malonda Project, AquAid, The Africa Trust and Christian Aid decided to launch the £1,000,000 Rural Entrepreneurship Assistance Project (REAP). It aims to lift 5,250 households in Malawi out of extreme poverty by 2025.
Director of Fundraising, Nick Georgiadis said, “Christian Aid believes that poverty eradication requires innovative partnerships including with the private sector. Socially conscious business has a critical role to play in building a just and sustainable future for people and the planet. We are thrilled that AquAid embodies such a positive social purpose, we could not be happier to celebrate this important milestone with them. We extend profound gratitude to AquAid for their unwavering support”.
by Fern Shaw | Sep 5, 2022 | aquaid, Charity, Christian Aid, water cooler, Water Coolers
Today is the International Day of Charity. As an organisation, AquAid, with our focus on giving back since our inception in 1998, acknowledging this day is immensely significant.
For over twenty-two years, AquAid has donated a portion of revenue to charities, predominantly to both Christian Aid and The Africa Trust.
Founded in 1941, the mission of Christian Aid is to eradicate the causes of poverty, striving to achieve equality, dignity and freedom for all, regardless of faith or nationality. AquAid have supported Christian Aid for more than twenty years, donating over £3.7 million to water and capacity building projects around the world.
Since its formation in 2010, The Africa Trust has worked tirelessly to create sustainable solutions that include establishing supplies of clean, productive drinking water and decent sanitation to thousands of communities in water scarce regions across Africa. Wealth creation is another important objective, with business skills training helping school leavers and villagers to start or expand profitable businesses.
This year’s International Day of Charity resonates even more so with all of us at AquAid as the company has recently reached donations exceeding £19 million. This amount has enabled us to provide life-changing assistance to more than 3 million people around the globe and predominantly throughout Africa.
We would like to dedicate this achievement to Paul Searle, AquAid’s Founder, Managing Director and Chairman, whose faith and unquenchable spirit was the driving force that kept AquAid growing and expanding for over two decades, all while never losing sight of the importance of contributing to charity.
Should you too wish to partner with AquAid in this continuing commitment to charity while keeping your organisation hydrated, please contact us – we will be happy to assist.
by Fern Shaw | Jan 22, 2020 | aquaid, Christian Aid, Uncategorized, water cooler, Water Coolers
Corporate Social Responsibility demonstrates the ‘heart’ of your organisation. It involves understanding your impact on communities and the environment and taking responsibility in meeting or even exceeding the ethical, legal, commercial and public expectations that society has of your business.
AquAid as a company are committed to acting responsibly and most importantly motivating others to make a difference. Sharing the responsibility in the world in which we all operate should be an integral part of your working day. We believe that making a difference is complementary to a commercial success.
An important part of AquAid’s mission is to provide sustainable solutions to poverty and aid in emergency relief where needed. We are able to achieve this via our partnerships with both the AquAid founded Africa Trust as well as through our now 22 year partnership with Christian Aid – and so can you!
By using AquAid as your water cooler supplier you help to bring a positive change and upliftment to many of the world’s neediest families. You will be sharing in the responsibility we have taken on in bringing safe, fresh disease-free water to thousands of communities in need globally, with our focus being across Africa.
When you choose AquAid you will not only be getting a good quality product with an unrivalled service, you will playing an integral part in bringing hope where it is needed most and aid in breaking the cycle of poverty.
AquAid’s Founder, Paul Searle, explains,“The sign of a great partnership is where business, charity and community all work together.”
By involving your employees in this partnership you will not only be inspiring them but also offering a sense of belonging in your organisation. You will be providing your staff with not only a healthy working environment but creating a sense of employee satisfaction and loyalty. Working next to each other creates responsibility and you will be actively developing a policy that promotes a positive and sustainable social contribution. Your CSR decisions will also give your organisation a competitive edge and enhance your credibility.
The simple choice of your water cooler can go a very long way in aiding your company’s Corporate Social Responsibility. By simply switching to AquAid you will be doing your part in changing lives forever.
To date, with the help of our partners, AquAid have donated in excess of £15,000,000 benefitting many thousands of families and communities throughout Africa.
by Fern Shaw | Mar 30, 2017 | Charity, Christian Aid
The donation figures from AquAid to Christian Aid over the last two years were very encouraging, with £107,093 being donated in 2015 and £111,132 donated in 2016, meaning an additional £4,039 donated last year.
Christian Aid’s focus for the next three years will be on two specific projects in Malawi and Ethiopia. With AquAid’s trip to Ethiopia last year already documented, in this issue we highlight Christian Aid’s projects in Malawi.
Malawi is among the world’s most densely populated and least developed countries. Around 55 per cent of people live on less than US$1 a day. Ninety percent of the Malawi population in rural areas are smallholder farmers.
Small-scale farmers in the Salima District are facing a crisis. Despite being a lakeshore district, communities face a shortage of portable water and prevalence of water borne diseases is high. Farmers struggle to make a living in feeding their children and paying for basics such as soap and school uniforms.
Using donations from AquAid, Christian Aid are supporting farmers to enhance their resilience to the impacts of climate change by provision of water for irrigation and household use; implementing conservation agriculture technologies, diversifying crops to include those that are moisture stress tolerant.
Steps have been initiated to improve production at two state of the art irrigation schemes powered by solar energy.
With AquAid’s support, Christian Aid is continuing with supporting communities in Malawi so that more people can benefit from clean and safe drinking water.
Please contact AquAid should you like to find out more about how becoming an AquAid customer translates into ensuring sustainable water provision to those that need it most.
