At local primary school, 20 de Noviembre, a ribbon cutting ceremony was held with Jonathan Vernon-Powell, Director General of New Life Mexico, where he said “We are starting in Puerto Vallarta that which is just beginning nationally, that all children should have access to clean drinking water in their schools.”
Principal José Fernando Gutierrez Diaz said that in his 30-years of educational service, he has never seen an event like this, “it’s new to me, to see civil organizations and agencies who care for the welfare of children in the school,” he said.
Providing clean drinking water to students is thought to also be a way to fight obesity by providing an alternative to sugary drinks many kids bring to school due to the lack of clean water.
The program was started in October 2013 and has sense then provided clean drinking water to nine public schools in the city.
780 million people worldwide do not have access to clean drinking water, more than 3 million people die each year due to lack of clean water and sanitation.
