More than 700 million people around the world have no safe access to clean drinking water, which is essential for life itself. It helps maintain good health, enables children and young people to go to school regularly and creates better perspectives for the future. Promoting projects and measures to change this state of affairs is the overarching aim of Viva con Agua, a charity which is now receiving support from the VfB Foundation. In 2023, the VfB Foundation launched a regular returnable cup donation campaign at home games. In conjunction with Viva con Agua and a whole host of volunteer helpers, over 60,000 euros have been collected in deposit donations since the campaign began in March 2023, corresponding to more than 30,000 returnable cups being donated. The proceeds are being divided equally between the VfB Foundation’s education activities and Viva con Agua’s drinking water projects.
Football4WASH project in Cape Town
The VfB Foundation and Viva con Agua are looking to ensure that the impact of the campaign is felt over the long term, and as such, the donations from the returnable cup campaign are going towards the ‘Football4WASH’ project in Cape Town in South Africa – a city where the situation is of particular concern. This tried and tested programme provides, amongst other things, education in schools on water, sanitation and hygiene (hence the acronym ‘WASH’). Elements of football are used in workshops, with students getting to grips with the issues via the beautiful game.
“How do you keep drinking water clean?” and “What’s the right way to wash my hands and what has that got to do with my health?“ are the most frequent questions that the coaches have to answer from the local children, and they do so in a fun way via football.
Local VfB football school in South Africa
At the end of November 2024, the VfB football school paid its first visit to Viva con Agua South Africa in Cape Town and Stellenbosch, with the focus being on training sessions with several hundred children and young people, as well as further education opportunities for the FOOTBALL4WASH coaches. The football school delegates included none other than Leonie Maier, a 79-time German international and Olympic gold medallist, who currently plays for VfB Women and also works as a coach at the football school.
Both the training and teaching sessions, and the local campaigns run by VfB and Viva con Agua, including the UN’s World Toilet Day, were supported by local football clubs Stellenbosch FC and Camps Bay FC as well as the Legends Football School, with further activities planned in South Africa over the coming year. VfB Stuttgart also operates as an ambassador for the Bundesliga in South Africa, which is one of the international target markets of the German Football League (DFL).
Your deposit counts!
Every cup deposit that lands in the colourful specially marked containers at the MHP Arena on matchdays enables VfB fans to actively help to provide a better future for children and young people, both in our region and in Cape Town. Donations from the returnable cup campaign run by VfB Stuttgart and its fans go to supporting the VfB Foundation and its efforts towards sustainable education, and promoting the health of children and access to clean drinking water in South Africa.