Vivo Energy Uganda, Spouts of water launch ‘Safe2Sip’ campaign to deliver clean drinking water to schools

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT |   Thousands of schoolchildren across Uganda are set to benefit from a new clean water initiative following the launch of the ‘Safe2Sip’ campaign, a partnership between Vivo Energy Uganda, the company that markets and distributes Shell-branded fuels and lubricants, and Spouts of Water, the manufacturers of Purifaaya ceramic water filters.

The campaign, unveiled at Kibuye Primary School in Makindye, Kampala, aims to equip public schools with Purifaaya water filters to ensure pupils have access to safe drinking water. The initiative targets schools in high-risk districts where unsafe water and poor sanitation contribute significantly to absenteeism and waterborne diseases such as diarrhoea, typhoid, and cholera.

According to Ministry of Health data, Uganda records an estimated 89,000 cases of waterborne illnesses and 3,000 related deaths annually, with school-age children among the most affected.

Each selected school will receive seven to ten Purifaaya filters, each capable of providing over 525 litres of clean water at a time. The initiative also includes training sessions for teachers and pupils on hygiene, safe water use, and maintenance to strengthen Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) practices in schools.

Launching the initiative, Joanita Menya, Managing Director of Vivo Energy Uganda, said the campaign reflects the company’s commitment to sustainable, community-driven impact.

“Every child deserves the chance to learn in a safe and healthy environment. Across Uganda, thousands miss school not because they lack ambition, but because they are unwell from preventable diseases like diarrhoea caused by unsafe drinking water,” she said.

Menya noted that the partnership is a “practical and focused step” toward reducing preventable illness and improving attendance.

“Each school will receive between seven and ten purifiers, each designed to provide about 525 litres of clean water. This initiative will reduce preventable illnesses, keep children in school, and create healthier learning environments,” she said.

She added that the project aligns with Vivo Energy’s focus areas of education, health, and environmental sustainability, and contributes to global progress on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those on health, education, clean water, and climate action.

Michael Nimoh, Country Director of Spouts of Water Uganda, said the partnership will help scale up local production and impact.

“Spouts is a social enterprise started in Uganda in 2011. Since 2015, we’ve manufactured and distributed over 250,000 Purifaaya filters, giving more than one million Ugandans access to clean drinking water,” Nimoh said.

“With new machinery powered by Vivo Energy, we expect to produce up to 70,000 filters per month, making us the largest ceramic water filter manufacturer in the world — right here in Uganda.”

He emphasized that access to safe water is not a privilege but a right.

“Our children are not just the future; they are the most precious part of our present. These filters are shields against disease and missed school days. Every filter placed in a school is an investment in Uganda’s future,” Nimoh said.

Tr. Sarah Namutebi, Headteacher of Kibuye Primary School, thanked Vivo Energy and Spouts of Water for addressing one of the school’s biggest challenges.

“We had no safe drinking water after our system was displaced during renovations. This donation has come at the right time. It will protect our pupils and teachers from waterborne diseases and help us keep children in class,” she said.

She pledged that the school would maintain the filters properly to ensure sustainability.

The ‘Safe2Sip’ campaign will continue to expand to more schools across Uganda, focusing on those most affected by poor water access