Viva con Agua is a non-profit association that gives people access to drinking water, hygiene facilities, and primary sanitary conditions. They position themselves in cultural settings, specifically sports, music, and art events, where they raise funds and showcase their work. Their social impact comes from what they call WASH projects, an abbreviation for water, sanitation, and hygiene.
They believe this holistic approach is critical for the drinking water projects to stay active and impact in the long run. “Viva, con Agua is a meaningful community that positively changes the world with joy. A decentralized network of people and organizations that advocates humane access to clean drinking water and basic sanitary provision.”
Viva con Agua
Viva con aqua is built on four fundamental principles.
Development is described by them as a will to be better and learn from their mistakes, the personal growth of their team members resulting in the growth of the association, and the growth of the aspiration allowing for a bigger impact.
Networking and cooperation follow, creating win-win situations working with others and enlarging the community to create more opportunities for change and a more stable environment to work in.
They believe that fun activism is an effective way to create a long-lasting and healthy environment for change.
And lastly, focusing on potential rather than the problem and nurturing what they can do, and believing in the possibility of change possibility and potential.
According to water.org, almost 800 million people don’t have access to safe water, positioning the water crisis as the 5th most crucial global risk. One hundred twenty-two people have to travel to lakes and rivers to collect water to cover their basic needs, most of them for more than 30 minutes multiple times a day.
One in every four humans in the world lacks access to a toilet, and 46% of the world's population doesn’t have safely managed sanitation.
Better health and hygiene conditions can save the lives of around 300 million children each year.
“Achieving universal access to safe water and sanitation could reduce global disease by up to 10% annually.”
A bit of context
2020 was a challenging year for everyone due to the covid pandemic, particularly for a project based on life events and international collaboration like Viva con Agua. Most festivals, concerts, sports events, and art exhibitions had a considerable drop in attendance, representing Viva con Agua’s main communication channels and explaining why their official revenue number plummeted that year. In 2021 donations climbed 15% compared to the previous year, and revenue seems to be back on track.
“OUR MISSION IS TO ACTIVATE ALL FOR WATER FOR PROVIDING WATER FOR ALL!”
Viva con Agua is committed to making the water as a human right a reality so that we can all live, collaborating with partners around the world, and letting people know about their ambitions in scenarios of joy through the universal language of art, music, and sport. Even though their primary income is donations, their flagship product is bottled water.
About Viva con agua
With a total of 3,535,591€ of donations for international WASH projects, Viva con Aqua managed to execute 23 different centers in ten other countries, impacting more than 145,300 lives.
Connect
Working with others is essential to scale the impact and sustainability of your project. Not only partner institutions that can help you better understand a particular problem but also connect with consumers and make them part of your brand journey.
Communicate
Relying on your own brand history will allow for less criticism and better public reception; go against the grain but stay true to your brand’s values and history.
Authenticity is your strongest weapon.
Think further
A campaign's relevance is all about what surrounds it. Look around and ask yourself what is relevant, who is talking about it, and how the Zeitgeist is at that moment. This topic is alive; only context can tell you what they mean now.
Don’t be afraid to break new ground
What better way to tell people where you stand than by showing what you’ve done? There is no need to commit to a political stance if your actions already prove what your brand means. Words can be proven wrong; actions stand for themselves.
Develop yourself and your team
The public will question your commitment, and the best way to prove you actually care is to keep going. Don’t just point for the spotlight; live up to the own expectations you just created for yourself.
Focus on what you CAN do
Nike decided to show who they are through the people that make them. You can tell a lot about a person by the company they keep.