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V2V Wine Safari
Turning Wine to Water
By Amy Holter
This November, Global
Partners for Development
will host its first annual V2V Wine Safari, in which ticket holders will gain access to free tastings at eight boutique Sonoma County wineries that are helping to “turn wine into water” for children in Africa. Through Vineyards to Villages (V2V), the Sonoma County wine industry raises funds
for clean water projects
at elementary schools in western Kenya. Participating wineries donate 1/3 of the sales price of designated V2V wines in their tasting rooms to the cause.
Access to potable water
and hygiene facilities
remains a key public health
issue around the globe.
Waterborne disease is
rampant in western Kenya
and causes chronic illness
and death, especially
among young children. In
2013, only half of Kenyans
had access to a clean water
source. In 2011, the World
Health Organization
attributed global economic
losses of $260 billion to the
reduced productivity of
disease-affected populations and the opportunity costs of time spent collecting water.
The V2V program funds clean water infrastructure, sanitation facilities, hygiene education, and community water kiosks at village primary schools in western Kenya. Each school forms a water committee to manage the projects and provide sustainability over time. V2V has raised more than $70,000 in its first 18 months and has brought clean water to thousands of children and their families.
When families are freed from the burdens of waterborne disease, they have the opportunity to commit their time and energy toward educational and entrepreneurial activities and contribute to the development of their own communities.
Safari tickets are $40 and can be purchased at www.gpfd.org/vineyards-to- villages. The tickets provide a FREE TASTING November 14 to 22 at each of
the following wineries:
• Christopher Creek Winery
• Esterlina Vineyards & Winery • Merriam Vineyards
• Viszlay Vineyards
• Deux Amis Winery
• Fritz Underground Winery • Pedroncelli Winery
• Windsor Tasting Lounge
V2V is managed by Global Partners for Development, a Rohnert Park-based organization that seeks to address community-level needs in the areas of health, water, and education in East Africa. For information on the V2V Wine Safari, contact Amy Holter, Director of Programs and Evaluation for Global Partners at aholter@gpfd.org.
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