World Water Day 22.03.2026: Hamburg-based Aid by Trade Foundation Improves Drinking Water Supply and Equal Opportunities for Girls in Africa
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Hamburg, 2026-03-18. For more than 20 years, the Aid by Trade Foundation, founded by prominent Hamburg entrepreneur Prof. Dr Michael Otto, has been committed to providing clean drinking water in Africa South of the Sahara. Every year, around 4 billion people—half the world’s population—suffer severe water shortages for some period of time. Furthermore, around one third of the world’s population lacks access to clean drinking water (see UNESCO World Water Development Report 2025).
• Founded by Prof. Dr Michael Otto, the Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF) has helped improve the drinking water supply for tens of thousands of people in African cotton-growing regions since 2009, in part by constructing over 200 wells, 500 latrines, and innovative biosand water filters.
• These projects—addressing measures such as clean drinking water, improved sanitation, and better hygiene—are funded, organised and implemented by the Hamburg-based foundation, private-sector stakeholders and Cotton made in Africa® (CmiA) verified partner companies in the growing regions.
• “Where water flows, equality grows” is this year’s motto for World Water Day. Tina Stridde, the managing director of the Aid by Trade Foundation, underlines, “Access to clean drinking water not only fulfils a fundamental right for all people but is also directly linked to the right to education and equal opportunities, particularly for girls in Africa.”
We may take it for granted that we can get clean drinking water by turning on the tap; however, in Africa South of the Sahara, the nearest water source is often kilometres away, the journey dangerous, and the water quality poor. The consequences: life-threatening diseases. On top of that, girls are particularly affected by the poor access to clean drinking water, as they are traditionally responsible for fetching water. In addition to the physical strain of walking for miles along arduous paths carrying heavy water containers, the girls often miss school due to this time-consuming task. The Aid by Trade Foundation aims to eliminate these injustices by improving living conditions in cotton-growing regions through the Cotton made in Africa® Community Cooperation Programme (CCCP). Numerous projects have already been implemented.
Since 2009, over 200 wells have been drilled and over 500 latrines built, in many places supplemented by WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) trainings. Around 1,000 biosand filters for purifying contaminated water have also been installed. In 2025 alone, almost 30 wells were drilled—among them 8 in Tchad, where more than 12,000 community members, half of them women, now profit from an improved access to clean drinking water.
“A very important aspect of our CCCP activities in the growing regions of Cotton made in Africa is a secure and clean drinking water supply for the people in the villages,” says Tina Stridde, the managing director of the Aid by Trade Foundation, explaining, “Access to clean drinking water not only fulfils a fundamental right for all people but is also directly linked to the right to education and equal opportunities, particularly for girls in Africa.” By promoting the availability of clean drinking water—through the drilling of wells in central locations in villages and at schools and through supplementary hygiene and sanitation training—the Aid by Trade Foundation contributes to health protection and greater gender equality.
Project proposals are always tailored to the needs of the local people. In addition to wells, CCCP projects support the construction and equipping of classrooms, school canteens, school gardens, girls’ dormitories, health centres, and solar installations as well as the establishing of women’s clubs.
Press Contact
Christina Ben Bella, e-mail: christina.benbella@abt-foundation.org Holger Diedrich, e-mail: holger.diedrich@abt-foundation.org
Aid by Trade Foundation | Werner-Otto-Straße 13 b | 22197 Hamburg | Germany
About Cotton made in Africa
The Cotton made in Africa® initiative (CmiA) was founded in 2005 under the umbrella of the Hamburg-based Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF). CmiA is an internationally recognised standard for sustainably verified cotton from Africa, connecting African small-scale farmers with trading companies and fashion brands throughout the global textile value chain. The initiative’s objective is to employ trade, rather than donations, to protect the environment and to improve the living conditions of small-scale farmers and their families. Apart from the farming families, people working in ginneries also benefit from improved working conditions. Additional projects addressing schooling, health, environmental protection, and women’s empowerment contribute to better living conditions in farming communities as well. Learn more at: cottonmadeinafrica.org/en
About the Aid by Trade Foundation
Founded by the entrepreneur Prof. Dr Michael Otto in 2005, the Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF) is an internationally renowned non-profit organisation that works throughout the world to promote sustainable raw materials. Its work makes a decisive and measurable contribution to improving the living conditions of people and animals while protecting the environment. With its verified raw materials Cotton made in Africa® (CmiA), Cotton made in Africa Organic (CmiA Organic), Regenerative Cotton Standard® (RCS) and The Good Cashmere Standard® (GCS), the foundation is putting its goals into practice. In view of the increasing challenges posed to small farmers and textile companies by the consequences of climate change and market shifts, the standards are of fundamental importance for their resilience and sustainability. The foundation works in close cooperation with industry experts and with specialists in animal and nature protection. More information at: www.aidbytrade.org
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