ONE DROP and its partners join forces to rebuild Haiti

MONTREAL, Jan. 22 /CNW Telbec/ - In solidarity with the people of Haiti, ONE DROP announced today that it will participate in the reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts taking place in the next few months.

Thanks to its hands-on expertise, ONE DROP will provide its assistance as of May to a water-access project for populations living in the regions around Port-au-Prince. Water-already a tremendous issue-remains at the heart of activities aimed at ensuring the survival of those afflicted by this tragedy.

ONE DROP salutes the exceptional work accomplished by emergency-response experts. The organization will concentrate most of its efforts in the reconstruction and rehabilitation activities to come. "We are eager to go out in the field to put our expertise to work," said Lili-Anna Pereša, ONE DROP'S executive director, "but even more eager to help the people of Haiti. To do so, ONE DROP will make use of the experience it acquired in Nicaragua and Honduras throughout the years."

"Oxfam-Québec is proud to draw on the experience gained during partnership projects with ONE DROP to support the people of Haiti", explained Michel Vermet, Interim Executive Director of Oxfam-Québec. "We have been present in this country for more than 25 years, and the spirit of solidarity that unites us to our partners will ensure the successful implementation of a vital project such as this one".

Project Haiti

As part of an ambitious project developed by Oxfam-Québec, ONE DROP's Project Haiti will be carried out over a three-year period. Its objective will be to provide sustainable access to water and sanitation, restore small hydraulic and sanitation infrastructures and, through the arts, raise the awareness of thousands of Haitians on the importance of managing water soundly. These are all essential conditions for building a better tomorrow for future generations. ONE DROP and Oxfam-Québec are currently working out the details of the project.

Faithful to its mission, ONE DROP will actively work towards improving the living conditions of the region's populations in need by implementing solutions that fully respect their reality. ONE DROP is convinced that rehabilitating water points, supplying potable water filters and cleaning irrigation canals, for instance, will gradually lead these communities to the prosperity that comes with supplying access to water.

ONE DROP will donate to Project Haiti the major portion of the amounts collected during the LA SOIRÉE ONE DROP. This benefit event will be held on April 30, in Montreal, during the world premiere of Cirque 2010, a touring production directed by Robert Lepage.

In addition, RBC, ONE DROP founding corporate partner, has pledged to donate $1,000,000 to Project Haiti through the RBC Blue Water Project(TM). "The response by Canadian citizens, governments and companies to help the relief efforts in Haiti has been most admirable," said Gordon M. Nixon, President and CEO of RBC. "But as attention turns from the need for emergency-relief funding to longer-term rebuilding efforts, the people of Haiti will continue to need and deserve our support. In anticipation of the massive work ahead, the RBC Blue Water Project will be supporting the efforts of ONE DROP and Oxfam-Québec in Haiti with a $1 million commitment for programs aimed at mitigating the tremendous water and sanitation challenges faced by the country."

RBC, alongside ONE DROP and Oxfam, joins the global movement of solidarity for the populations affected by this natural disaster.

ONE DROP takes action for the cause of water. Concrete action. Water for all, all for water.

ONE DROP

ONE DROP(TM)-established by Guy Laliberté, founder of Cirque du Soleil(R)-has made it its mission to fight poverty by providing access to water and raising everyone's awareness of the need to mobilize so that safe water is accessible to all, in sufficient quantity, today and tomorrow. ONE DROP is based in the international headquarters of Cirque du Soleil, in Montreal.

Oxfam-Québec

Oxfam-Québec is dedicated to supporting its partners and colleagues in developing countries in the design and implementation of sustainable solutions to poverty and injustice. The organization also mobilizes the people of Quebec in order to allow the expression of their solidarity.

RBC

The RBC Blue Water Project was launched in 2007 to help foster a culture of water stewardship in Canada and abroad, and includes a 10-year, $50 million philanthropic commitment to programs supporting watershed protection and access to clean drinking water. Since 2007, RBC has committed more than $20.48 million in single and multi-year grants to 155 organizations, including ONE DROP. For more information, visit rbc.com/bluewater.

For further information: Media contact: Chantal Côté, [phone], ext. 7326, [email protected]