2/28 Matt Damon Takes to Davos Stage to Put Water on Map

Matt Damon Takes to Davos Stage to Put Water on Map

American actor Matt Damon used Davos to drum up support for his water charity, Water.org, on Tuesday, after getting a new multimillion-dollar commitment from Belgian brewer Stella Artois.

Water.org is trying to raise a $55 million fund that would provide microloans to finance projects that build access to clean water in developing countries.

It has already deployed an $11 million fund, Damon said.

"People want to participate in their own solution, they want a hand up not a handout," he said. Stella Artois, one of AB InBev’s brands, said it was committing $4.8 million over four years to Water.org, at a time that AB InBev is moving into Africa, where access to clean water can be limited.

"Water is our number one ingredient, so we are very water-conscious," said Ricardo Tadeu, AB InBev's head of Africa.

The brewer's support for the charity precedes AB InBev's $100 billion-plus acquisition last year of SABMiller, which extended its reach in Africa as well as Latin America.

"We've been able to see tangible results and a tangible impact," said Christina Choi, global brand vice president, Stella Artois.

Stella will also continue its "Buy a Lady a Drink" campaign, in which proceeds from each sale of a limited-edition beer glass get donated to charity, providing the equivalent funding for five years of clean drinking water for one person.

Lack of access to water disproportionately affects women and children, as they often spend hours each day collecting it instead of going to school or working.

In the two years since the project was launched, Stella said it has sold over 225,000 glasses and donated more than $3 million to Water.org. It said its new commitment aims to help 3.5 million people get access to clean water.