Portugal’s iconic Olympic gold athlete Rosa Mota has been appointed ambassador for a development project in Guinea-Bissau.
Projecto VIVA has already raised funds for the first eight of 54 fresh water wells, which will transform the lives of 85,000 impoverished people in the Guinea Bissau region, where many women have to walk many kilometres a day to gain access to fresh water.
To raise money for some of these people, so that they have fresh water within reach of their communities, the athlete took part in a symbolic marathon in Lisbon on December 6, the day which marked the official launch of Projecto VIVA.
One of the women from the affected region, Maria Buinen from São Domingos, came to Lisbon to take part in the symbolic marathon which represents the many miles these women have to trek in search of fresh water. Each well costs 5,500 Euros to set up and so far enough funds have been raised to open eight wells in the region.
As part of the project 46,000 empty water bottles have been registered in Lidl shops all over the country, with 1,493 water bottles donated from the District of Faro alone in the first week of the campaign. Rosa Mota was the first to contribute towards the project by registering the first water bottle at Lidl.
Luz Vasconcelos, the President of VIDA (International Voluntary Organisation for African Development), a non-governmental organisation set up in 1992, also involved in the Projecto VIVA, said: “Having Rosa Mota on board as an ambassador for this project is a great honour and we hope that her association will bring much happiness to Guinea-Bissau.”
People can make donations to the Projecto VIVA at any Lidl store in Portugal, where an empty 1.5 litre water bottles representing one euro, is placed at the tills and shoppers can request that the value of the bottle be registered.
All funds raised will go towards the project and will be used to open wells in the São Domingos area of Guinea-Bissau.
Do you have a view on this story? Please email Editor Inês Lopes at ines.lopes@mmspublishing.com
