Clean Water partnership between Georg Fischer and Caritas

Yves Serra, CEO of Georg Fischer, declared at the signing ceremony: “The issue of clean water availability touches us all. As a specialist of water supply systems, we are convinced at Georg Fischer to be in a position to offer a meaningful contribution towards its resolution. That is why we established in 2002 the Georg Fischer Clean Water Foundation. For the implementation of the Clean Water projects, we are happy to collaborate with reputable NGOs like Caritas. They guarantee the efficient use of the funds and the sustainability of the projects.”

Hugo Fasel, Director of Caritas Switzerland, described the partnership with Georg Fischer as ground-breaking. “Providing people with clean drinking water is an essential prerequisite in the fight against the extreme forms of poverty in developing countries. Caritas, with its experience in partnering projects for drinking water supply in developing countries, is proud that Georg Fischer and its Clean Water Foundation are involved in the implementation of these projects,” he said.

Within this partnership, Georg Fischer and Caritas Switzerland plan a regular exchange of information between the partners’ technical specialists. GF Piping Systems, a Corporate Group of Georg Fischer, which is present in more than 50 countries, will make its know-how and expertise available to Caritas. The primary aim is to bring about tangible improvements to drinking water access through the use of innovative methods combined with locally available technologies and piping systems.

Further information and photographic material are available on www.georgfischer.com/clean_water_en.

Caritas Switzerland helps people in need both in Switzerland and in more than 40 countries worldwide. It intervenes wherever people in Switzerland are affected by poverty: families, single parents, unemployed people and the working poor. On a global scale, Caritas provides emergency help wherever catastrophes strike and facilitates the subsequent reconstruction. Development cooperation is a means of helping people to help themselves in spheres such as food security, water, ecology, human rights and education for both children and adults. The primary strategic goal of Caritas Switzerland is to “fight poverty through strong partnerships”. The organisation is a member of the international Caritas network which comprises 162 organisations worldwide. For more information, visit caritas.ch.

Georg Fischer is making this donation to mark the tenth anniversary of its Clean Water Foundation. To date the foundation has supported almost 90 projects in 50 countries, providing 200,000 people worldwide with sustainably improved access to drinking water.

Georg Fischer focuses on its three core businesses GF Piping Systems, GF Automotive and GF AgieCharmilles. Founded in 1802, the company is headquartered in Switzerland and has 130 companies, 50 of them production facilities, in 30 countries. Its approximately 14,000 employees generated sales of 3.6 billion Swiss francs in 2011. The Corporation makes a direct contribution to the quality of life. Comfort, mobility and precision are the key market requirements that Georg Fischer satisfies with its products and services. You'll find further information at www.georgfischer.com.

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