NEW YORK, NY, Feb. 24, 2014 -- Globally, 768 million people do not have access to safe, clean drinking water, and more than 2.5 billion people live without a proper toilet. The lack of these basic necessities is not merely inconvenient -- it can be lethal. Every day, an estimated 1,600 children under five years old die from diarrheal diseases, with nearly 90 percent of these deaths linked to water, sanitation and hygiene.
As a solution to tackle these growing challenges, the UNICEF Tap Project, a nationwide campaign providing children in developing nations with access to safe and clean water, is launching a new mobile experience that challenges Americans to put down their cell phones in order to help save childrens' lives. The longer someone goes without accessing their smartphone after activating the link, the more money will be donated to help UNICEF provide clean drinking water to children. With only $1, the organization can provide one child with access to safe, clean water for 40 days.
For every ten minutes spent on the UNICEF Tap Project mobile experience (www.UNICEFTapProject.org), Giorgio Armani Fragrances and other donors will provide the funding equivalent of one day of clean water for a child. Once the cell phone is touched after activating the mobile web app, the site calculates the time spent and impact of the effort. Throughout the process, the app also provides facts about water access and record times set by other users in the same state. Through the site, individuals can donate or sign up as volunteers to support UNICEF's clean water and sanitation programs for children.
Fragrances is returning for the fifth year in a row as the national sponsor of the UNICEF Tap Project and will donate a minimum of $500,000 to support this year's campaign. Through its Acqua for Life campaign, he will donate $5 to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF for each Acqua di Giò and Acqua di Gioia spray cologne or gift set purchased in the United States in March. Since 2010, the company has donated $1.8 million and raised awareness to help UNICEF improve access to safe, clean water for children worldwide.
UNICEF works in more than 100 countries around the world to improve access to safe water and sanitation facilities in schools and communities and to promote safe hygiene practices. Since 1990, thanks to the work of UNICEF and its partners, more than 2.1 billion people have gained access to clean drinking water. Further, the UNICEF Tap Project has raised nearly $4.5 million for UNICEF's water and sanitation programs in Belize, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Nicaragua, Côte d'Ivoire, Guatemala, Haiti, Iraq, Mauritania, Togo, and Vietnam. The annual campaign was created with founding partner Droga5 and is supported by media partner MediaVest.
See also: "Safe water, sanitation programs supported by social media campaign".
View a video about this year's campaign:
