Retail giant intensifies campaign
Despite Day Zero being moved to next year, Makro’s not relaxing its save water programme
EVEN with Day Zero now having been staved off until 2019, the Western Cape is not out of the woods yet in terms of the crippling drought. The taps may not yet have run dry, but that doesn’t mean the region is no longer water scarce.
The Cape Argus has not taken its foot off the pedal in encouraging residents of the Western Cape to save water through its #EveryDropCounts campaign and similarly, the newspaper continues to support its partners who have not ceased in their efforts to spread the message.
One such partner, Miss Earth SA, partnered with wholesale giant Makro not only to take the message to schools across the region and country, but also to deliver pallets of water.
Recently, Marconi Beam Primary School and Scottsville Primary School each received one pallet of water.
Last month, at the re-launch of the Elsies River Day Care Centre, another pallet of water was donated.
Here the 80 young pupils had the chance to interact with Miss Earth SA and learn more about water conservation.
The Elsies River Day Care Centre is the 119th early childhood development centre supported by Makro and HOPE Worldwide.
But it’s not just schoolchildren who have benefited from the water donation.
Last month, 230 pallets of water were delivered to the Gift of the Givers facility in Maitland.
Another 233 pallets of water was delivered to the facility a few days later.
“We value the ongoing partnership with Makro in responding to the water crisis in Cape Town,” Gift of the Givers director Dr Imtiaz Sooliman said.
“The water distribution at Marconi Beam Primary School and Scottsville Primary School will be of immense value, as well as the almost 20 truckloads of water that will be arriving here from Makro.”
Makro has also worked hard to get customers involved in the water relief efforts.
Makro’s Shop ‘Til You Drop campaign encourages customers to donate by purchasing products from participating brands.
Another delivery was scheduled for yesterday, in addition to a further 600 000 litres of water already donated to the people of the Western Cape.
To reduce Makro’s own water consumption, stores and facilities in Western Cape have turned off water supplies to gardens, metered their taps, set threesecond tap limits, repaired leaks and made use of waterless cleaning solutions where possible.
Importantly, throughout the water crisis Makro stores have been upholding and will continue to uphold, the highest standard of food safety in all food preparation and food selling areas.