Jushi Holdings Inc (CSE:JUSH, OTCQX:JUSHF) said it will fund seven different clean water projects in Gambia, India, Malawi, Senegal, South Sudan and Uganda through its newly formed partnership with Drop4Drop, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping alleviate the world water crisis.
The company said the projects are expected to provide more than 3,000 people with a sustainable source of clean water.
"We believe access to safe, clean water is a fundamental human right," Jim Cacioppo, Jushi's CEO, chairman and founder, said in a statement.
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"Not only is it critical to sanitation and hygiene - it saves lives and fights against poverty. Working with our incredible partner Drop4Drop, we were able to identify and fund critical projects that will empower these local communities, create new opportunities, and save lives. As we continue our corporate social responsibility efforts with Drop4Drop and other like-minded organizations, we look forward to supporting communities, both in our own backyard and around the world."
The clean water projects will have a significant, long-lasting positive impact in many areas including health and hygiene education which will be conducted at each Jushi project site.
The projects will establish partnerships with local organizations in order to utilize local knowledge, language and experience to better reach those in need. Community members will be given tools and training in basic maintenance to ensure the upkeep of the wells, the company said.
Furthermore, Drop4Drop will take a small fee from the community to cover maintenance issues to create a sense of ownership, which dramatically increases sustainability.
Additionally, each project will ensure that women are involved in all stages of implementation, which has been shown to increase the effectiveness of water projects by six to seven times, according to the United Nations.
"The impact of these projects cannot be overstated," said Drop4Drop co-founder Lucas White in a statement.
"Without safe sources of water, you can't safely grow crops or allow trees to grow for shade; you can't practice proper sanitation or hygiene; you can't build and sustain local economies. The effects are devastating. However, once these projects go in, the health, communities and local economies all start to change for the better."
Jushi Holdings is a vertically integrated cannabis company. In the United States, Jushi is focused on building a multi-state portfolio of branded cannabis assets through opportunistic acquisitions, distressed workouts, and competitive applications.
Contact the author at jon.hopkins@proactiveinvestors.com