- 100,000 record donation in one season for clean water in Africa
- Sustainable contribution to UN Sustainable Development Goal 6 – clean water for all
- Commitment of volunteers and fans at the heart of the project
Radolfzell, April 16, 2025; The Global Nature Fund (GNF) and the football fans of second division club Hannover 96 are sending a strong signal for sustainability and responsibility with the “Drinking Cups for Drinking Water” campaign, which has been running since 2009. The idea behind the success is simple and effective: soccer fans donate their cup deposit to wells in Africa at Hannover 96 home matches.
For the first time, donations amounting to 100,000 euros were collected in just one season. Since the start of the project, donations amounting to 670,000 euros have already been collected and 200 water pumps have been put into operation, mainly at schools in West and East Africa. The proceeds benefit people in countries such as Senegal, Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda and the Ivory Coast.
Around 500 million people on the African continent have no reliable access to clean water. The “Drinking Cups for Drinking Water” project has already provided over 150,000 children and adults with safe drinking water since the campaign began in 2009. “This season alone, over 8,000 people have benefited, including schoolchildren in particular, who now have access to hygienically safe water. This not only improves their health, but also their educational opportunities,” emphasizes Stefan Hörmann, Managing Director of the Global Nature Fund.
Together with local partner organizations, GNF builds wells and water pumps that bring life-changing improvements: Access to clean drinking water means not only health, but also self-determination and a future. The initiative thus contributes directly to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal “Clean water and sanitation for all” (SDG 6). The aim is to give all people worldwide access to clean drinking water and safe sanitation and to promote sustainable water management.
” I used to be late for school because I had to fetch water in the morning. Sometimes I missed the first lesson. Now that we have clean water at school, I come early and I’m no longer tired. And it’s nice that we can wash our hands every day and are always clean,” says Naluwaga Amedeo, a pupil at Kasango Primary School in Uganda.
Special thanks go to the many volunteers. “We’ve been collecting deposit cups in the stadium since September 2009. We never thought it possible that we would reach 100,000 euros in one season. The willingness to donate is phenomenal. Thanks to all donors for their commitment – none of this would be possible without a great team that has been collecting cups in the Eilenriedestadion in all weathers this season,” says Anja Kutzke from the “Drinking Cups for Drinking Water” team.
Millions of soccer fans, thousands of cups collected, hundreds of thousands of euros – and in the end, what really counts: Clean water and new opportunities for local people. Sometimes great deeds start with small gestures – like giving up a small amount for a cup deposit.