PepsiCo helps bring water to parched regions of the nation

The China Women's Development Foundation has roped in PepsiCo Inc, the company which makes Frito-Lay snacks and beverage brands like Mountain Dew and Tropicana, for its "Water Cellar for Mothers Safe Water Access" project that seeks to provide safe water to remote and inland regions in China.

According to Meng Xiaosi, vice-chairwoman of the All - China Women's Federation, Indra Nooyi, chairman and CEO of PepsiCo, would serve as the first international charity ambassador for the project. "I am grateful to receive this honorary title, and I am pleased to accept it on behalf of PepsiCo associates around the world," said Nooyi.

"For us, the honor comes with a responsibility to continue to bring solutions to those who need them most. While I am pleased with the results we have worked to achieve together over the past three years, we know our work is far from complete. We at PepsiCo are committed to continuing our work to help China address the problem of safe water access."

The China Women's Development Foundation said Nooyi's international influence and PepsiCo's global leadership would provide succor to more people in central and western China.

It said it hopes that Nooyi and the company would be able to build a bridge between China and the rest of the world to promote women's charity by encouraging more companies, institutions and individuals to support the project.

Zhen Yan, vice-chairwoman of the foundation, said: "PepsiCo's MWC/Safe Water Access project has become an important supplement to Chinese government's safe water access project, becoming a role model of philanthropic collaboration between the government, businesses and NGOs.

"It has carried out effective explorations in safeguarding women's rights in obtaining safe water and cooperating with governments to solve difficulties in people's safe water access, playing a positive role in accelerating the progress of safe water access in rural China."

The project was launched with a $5 million donation from the PepsiCo Foundation in June 2011. The funds provided by the PepsiCo Foundation represented the single largest donation ever received by the foundation since the initiation of the safe water project.

The project has enabled 650,000 people across 30 counties in eight provincial-level regions of Sichuan, Gansu, Yunnan, Inner Mongolia, Qinghai, Chongqing, Guizhou and Guangxi to get access to safe water. PepsiCo China has donated an additional 1.3 million yuan ($211,726) to support the safe water project in Ludian, Yunnan province.