Contributing to efforts to control the Covid-19 pandemic, Iguá Saneamento donated 362,000 bars of soap to people in situations of social vulnerability. The distribution was made to charitable organizations such as nursing homes, shelters and hostels, community leaders in peripheral neighborhoods, public spaces and health units in the cities where the company operates. Approximately R$256,000 was invested in the action, which is part of the efforts of the campaign “Taking care of water is our way of taking care of you” (www.iguasa.com.br/juntos), promoted by the group to cooperate in the fight against the coronavirus and aimed at promoting health through basic sanitation.
“Each donated bar of soap was accompanied by an informative sticker to encourage personal hygiene and responsible water consumption. Sanitation is a decisive factor for the health of communities and has become central at this time, so we must encourage the good use of water resources. We live in a country where 6 million households do not have daily access to water, and Iguá has a responsibility as an agent promoting quality of life,” says the company’s president, Gustavo Guimarães.
Iguá's operations in the interior of São Paulo distributed soaps at bus stations, affordable housing units, public shelters, nursing homes and homes in peripheral neighborhoods, including homes of people who benefit from the social tariff. In Andradina (SP), a vehicle adapted by the concessionaire will circulate around the city, providing taps for washing hands in public spaces. In total, 26 thousand soaps will be destined for the municipality.
The city that received the most donations was Cuiabá, in Mato Grosso. There, the concessionaire Águas Cuiabá, which provides services to 613 thousand people, donated 164.2 thousand personal hygiene products, working in partnership with local leaders. The company worked with charitable organizations and groups linked to industry and commerce. Part of the donations in the capital of Mato Grosso were especially destined for homes included in the social tariff.
In the municipalities of Paranaguá (PR) and Itapoá (SC), which have water and sewage treatment services under the responsibility of the concessionaires Paranaguá Saneamento and Itapoá Saneamento, 55,000 soaps were delivered to philanthropic entities and 27,000 to municipal bodies, respectively. The action also included the municipalities of Mirassol, Palestina, Castilho and Piquete, in the state of São Paulo, and Pontes e Lacerda, Comodoro, Colíder, Canarana and Alta Floresta, in Mato Grosso.
Social actions
Iguá has been working in partnership with municipal managers since the beginning of the pandemic. The company has already donated more than 15 tons of sodium and calcium hypochlorite – substances used in water treatment – for the production of disinfectants that are being used to sanitize public spaces. In addition, all of the company's operations have exempted low-income families enrolled in the social tariff program from paying their bills for 60 days. Iguá has also committed to not cutting off water supplies at this time, in support of the measures adopted by states and municipalities. “We have also joined the #nãodemita movement, preserving the jobs of 1,500 employees, who leave their homes every day and work to ensure the safety and well-being of our customers,” says Guimarães.
