WaterAid Canada has informed Armstrong Fluid Technology that its recent donation helped bring water and sanitation to 17,000 girls and boys at 20 schools across Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda.

“The Armstrong donation essentially tipped the scale and brought us home to delivering on the program goals,” said Nefertiti Saleh, WaterAid Canada corporate partnership manager. “Armstrong and other supporters of this program around the world have helped to change these children’s lives and school experience forever.”

The goal of WaterAid Canada is to transform the lives of the poorest and most marginalized people by improving access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene worldwide. The organization partners with Canadian companies to help achieve its humanitarian outreach mission.

To help WaterAid achieve its goals, Armstrong created an employee recognition program in 2016 named Rising Stars that consisted of an international talent show to raise money for the charity. Contributions were generated through events at all Armstrong locations around the world and by supporting employees who submitted videos showcasing their special talents.

Submissions included videos of employees singing, playing musical instruments, dancing, acting, performing magic tricks, and demonstrating arts and crafts. These employee initiatives generated $5,000 in contributions, which was matched with an additional $5,000 from Armstrong. The Canadian government added another $30,000 in matching funds to bring the total donation to $40,000.

"We are very pleased that Armstrong together with the Canadian government could make such a difference in the lives of these children,” said Lex van der Weerd, CEO of Armstrong.