Sebeta Dima – A community of 800 residents in Sebeta, will have reliable access to safe drinking water thanks to a water infrastructure project provided by Coca-Cola Beverages Africa in Ethiopia.
The company has also installed a transformer that will supply electricity to about 150 members of the community.
In total, Coca-Cola Beverages Africa in Ethiopia invested three million birr in the projects to supply clean drinking water and electricity, and has also provided skills development training for 50 unemployed women to help them secure a sustainable income.
A representative of the Dima tribe in the area, Tufa Mideksa, expressed his gratitude on behalf of the community.
Coca-Cola Beverages Africa in Ethiopia Managing Director, Daryl Wilson said the company had been present in the country for 60 years and continued to demonstrate its commitment to host communities.
“At Coca-Cola Beverages Africa in Ethiopia, we are leading the industry in making our value chain increasingly sustainable in the way that we manufacture our products, how we distribute them and how we sell them,” said Wilson.
“We have the scale and reach to make a real difference, and we’re using our leadership position to drive change and help put our planet on a more sustainable path.
“We want our business and the communities we serve to benefit from greater shared opportunity. This is about more than the bottom line, because opportunity is not measured by money alone. Opportunity means a better future for people across the African continent,” Wilson said.
“Profitability is important, but so is doing business the right way by growing with conscience. People and the planet we call home are at the heart of our values.
“Water is a priority for Coca-Cola Beverages Africa because it is vital to our business and critical to public health, food security, biodiversity and the climate crisis. We have a responsibility to address water stress, protect local water resources and help build community climate resilience.
“Our 2030 water strategy is focused on accelerating the actions needed to increase water security where we operate, source ingredients and touch people’s lives,” said Wilson.
“Coca-Cola Beverages Africa is focused on good water stewardship, starting within our operations, and extending to the communities where we work. We invest in initiatives to reduce the amount of water used in making beverages, and to treat and reuse water where possible. We also work to preserve nature and biodiversity, and promote advanced water management practices.
“A key aspect of the strategy is replenishing the water used in our products. This means that, for the amount of water used in finished beverages, our aspiration is that the same amount is returned to nature and communities,” Wilson said.
