Five Cities to Receive Acceleration FundingDAVOS, Switzerland - Friday, January 22nd 2016 [ME NewsWire]
(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Coca-Cola Company today announced the 2015 winners of the Coca-Cola Shaping a Better Future Grant Challenge – a competition exclusively for members of the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers Community. Global Shapers are young leaders between 20 and 30 years old who are organized into a network of nearly 500 city-based hubs. For the competition, Global Shapers launch projects that address the world’s most challenging issues, with the opportunity to win seed money to expand their initiatives.
This year’s Grand Prize Winner from Kathmandu, Nepal will receive a $20,000 grant for its “Nepal Earthquake Relief Project.”
In the aftermath of the devastating 2015 earthquake in Nepal, the rural area of Sindhupalchowk was left with only one functioning health post to serve an estimated 40,000 villagers in the region. The Global Shapers took swift action in organizing a collaborative earthquake relief effort to rebuild this important community resource. With their acceleration funding from Coca-Cola, the Sindhupalchowk Health Post will become the first fully operational health post in post-earthquake Nepal. Furthermore, they will install new medical equipment, train additional medical personnel, and implement clean water and sanitation community education programs in the region.
“Three years ago we founded the ‘Coca-Cola Shaping a Better Future Grant Challenge’ because the most powerful thing we can do for self-starting young people is to help bring their innovative, solutions oriented projects to scale,” said Clyde Tuggle, Chief Public Affairs and Communications Officer, The Coca-Cola Company. “Being a change agent has no age limit, and we are proud to partner with the Global Shapers Community.”
Adrian Monck, Head of Public Engagement and Foundations at the World Economic Forum, said, “The Coca-Cola Company’s Partnership with the Global Shapers Community is helping Global Shapers to make a lasting impact. The Global Shapers have passion, dynamism and an entrepreneurial spirit, and together with our partners, we hope to improve the state of the world, one city at a time.”
The Coca-Cola Company has also awarded four $10,000 grants for the following projects:
Cartagena, Colombia: Increasing the community’s access to clean drinking water. The “Water for Life” project is distributing water filters that are portable and require no electricity to function to at-risk communities in the region.
Chandigarh, India: Addressing gender-based violence in India. The “I Break My Silence” project creates an ecosystem of community based education and awareness programming to create safer environments for women.
Gaza, Palestine: Installing solar lighting systems in rehabilitation centers for the disabled. The “Solar Power Lighting Disabled Lives” project ensures consistent access to the center’s therapeutic services for this high-need community during power outages in the area.
Geneva, Switzerland: Increasing access to educational materials through the distribution of repurposed solar powered e-devices, such as e-book readers, laptops and MP3-players. The “Reading 4 Change” project reduces e-waste, while simultaneously helping those in need.
About the Global Shapers Community
The Global Shapers Community is a network of hubs developed and led by young people who are exceptional in their potential, their achievements and their drive to make a contribution to their communities.
About the World Economic Forum
The World Economic Forum, committed to improving the state of the world, is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation. The Forum engages the foremost political, business and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas.
About The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world's largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands. Led by Coca-Cola, one of the world's most valuable and recognizable brands, our Company's portfolio features 20 billion-dollar brands including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite,Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, Georgia and Del Valle. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, ready-to-drink coffees, and juices and juice drinks. Through the world's largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy our beverages at a rate of 1.9 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that reduce our environmental footprint, support active, healthy living, create a safe, inclusive work environment for our associates, and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate. Together with our bottling partners, we rank among the world's top 10 private employers with more than 700,000 system associates. For more information, visit Coca-Cola Journey at www.cocacolacompany.com, follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/CocaColaCo, visit our blog, Coca-Cola Unbottled, at www.coca-colablog.com or find us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/the-coca-cola-company.
View this news release online at:
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160121005091/en
Contacts
The Coca-Cola Company
Kerry Tressler
Director, Media Relations
ketressler@coca-cola.com
or
Katherine Cherry
Manager, Global Shapers Partnership
kacherry@coca-cola.com
or
Sameer Pathak
Senior Manager, Public Affairs & Communications, Coca-Cola South West Asia
sameerpathak@coca-cola.com
or
World Economic Forum
Di Dai
Manager, Communications
di.dai@weforum.org
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