Colgate-Palmolive and Surge Middle East partner to educate thousands of children about water conservation in the UAE

The partnership is part of the global Colgate Save Water campaign with Champion Swimmer Michael Phelps 

Continuing its long-standing commitment to saving water, the Colgate-Palmolive Company has launched a new partnership with Surge Middle East - a global non-profit organization for water, sanitation, and hygiene projects - to raise awareness about water conservation among schoolchildren in the UAE as part of its global “Save Water” campaign.   

The Colgate Save Water campaign is supported by champion swimmer Michael Phelps as its global ambassador. The campaign’s ultimate goal is to reach 100 million people and inspire 10 million children around the world to change their brushing habits by turning off the tap while brushing their teeth.

The year-long partnership with Surge includes training Colgate-Palmolive employees in Dubai to participate in Surge’s primary school program ‘Water: The Global Passport’. The program is designed to inspire young people to be careful about their water consumption habits through interactive activities, games and discussions. Colgate-Palmolive is actively contributing to Surge’s after-school Eco-Club program, which is built around four main themes: Water Footprint, Health & Hygiene, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and Why Waste Water.  The program is designed to raise awareness on the global water crisis and drive positive behaviors by combining knowledge, empathy and new ideas

“Encouraging good habits at an early age can have a positive, lifelong influence on shaping behavior and can contribute to making children responsible global citizens,” said Robert Carter, Marketing Director at Colgate-Palmolive. “We are proud to partner with Surge to convey this message to young people in the UAE while reinforcing the invaluable role they play in conserving the world’s most precious resource.”

“Colgate is found in nearly two-thirds of households around the world, and we have an opportunity to educate consumers about responsible water usage, including how simple, everyday acts such as turning off the tap while brushing your teeth can save up to 15 liters of water at one time and cumulatively millions of liters of water in the region and worldwide every year.” 

“We are excited to join hands with Colgate-Palmolive in the UAE on the important issue of water conservation,” said Linda Merieau, Director of Education Programs at Surge. “Our mission is to help increase awareness of the global water crisis, which is aligned with Colgate’s water saving efforts.  We are looking forward to embarking on an educational journey with Colgate to enhance our new after-school Water Champions program and mobilize their employee volunteers for our UAE school program ‘Water: The Global Passport’.”

During World Water Day on March 22, Colgate-Palmolive hosted the ‘H2O Games’, a corporate program developed by Surge, to instill a culture of conservation among its employees. This event engaged staff in experiential learning to bring understanding to the global water crisis situation and its potential effect on business and equipped employees to drive the global movement towards water sustainability.

About Colgate-Palmolive

Colgate-Palmolive is a leading global consumer products company, tightly focused on Oral Care, Personal Care, Home Care and Pet Nutrition. Colgate sells its products in over 200 countries and territories around the world under such internationally recognized brand names as Colgate, Palmolive, Speed Stick, Lady Speed Stick, Softsoap, Irish Spring, Protex, Sorriso, Kolynos, elmex, Tom's of Maine, Sanex, Ajax, Axion, Fabuloso, Soupline and Suavitel, as well as Hill's Science Diet, Hill's Prescription Diet and Hill's Ideal Balance. For more information about Colgate's global business, visit the Company's web site at http://www.colgatepalmolive.com. To learn more about Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures® oral health education program, please visit http://www.colgatebsbf.com. CL-C

About Surge 

Since 2008, Surge has provided over 500,000 people across three continents and 11 countries with safe water and sanitation solutions. Surge Middle East increases awareness of the global water crisis, contributing to a culture that cares, feels responsible and practices sustainable daily habits to preserve local water resources.

Contacts: vahini.menonkapila@surgeforwater.org or marita.peters@surgeforwater.org