"Drink Clean Water"... KT&G Supports 400 Water Purifiers for Primary Schools in Uganda

Improvement of Hygiene Issues, Expected Reduction of Carbon Dioxide

KT&G is supporting 400 eco-friendly water purification devices worth 110 million KRW to 94 elementary schools in Uganda, a country that supplies raw tobacco leaves, so that children can drink clean water.

KT&G announced on the 2nd that on the 30th of last month, a delivery ceremony for the purification devices was held in Hoima City, Uganda, attended by Park Hyun-seok, head of KT&G's Tanzania raw materials branch, and local officials.

KT&G held a water purification system handover ceremony on the 30th in Hoima, Uganda, attended by Park Hyun-seok, Head of KT&G Tanzania Raw Materials Branch, and local officials. Park Hyun-seok, Head of KT&G Tanzania Raw Materials Branch (center), and local officials pose for a commemorative photo. Photo by Park Hyun-seok

According to the Uganda Water Environment Authority, out of approximately 49.9 million people, 9.2 million do not have access to safe drinking water and use rainwater and puddles as water sources. This causes serious social problems such as high infant mortality rates due to waterborne diseases like cholera and typhoid fever.

By supporting eco-friendly purification devices using gravity filtration, it is expected to improve Uganda's water hygiene issues and replace the existing purification methods that involve heating water by burning fuel such as wood and charcoal, resulting in environmental protection effects such as reducing up to 3,500 tCO2eq (tons of CO2 equivalent) annually.

KT&G, which exports to over 130 countries worldwide, is fulfilling its social responsibilities by participating in solving social issues such as education, housing, and environment in major business countries and underdeveloped countries. In 2021, KT&G also supported 1,300 purification devices to elementary schools in Tanzania, and through customized global CSR activities considering each country's situation, such as vocational training centers in Indonesia, agricultural education centers in Mongolia, and school construction in Laos, it is practicing the management philosophy of a "company that grows together."

Shim Young-ah, head of KT&G's ESG Management Office, said, "We hope this support of purification devices will help improve the hygiene environment in Uganda," and added, "As a global corporate citizen, we will continue to pay attention to countries in need and strive to fulfill our social responsibilities."