Past projects

Africa Water Solutions is an organisation operating in Uganda that addresses water and sanitation challenges to improve the lives of people in rural communities. In Uganda, where 83% of the rural population lack access to safe drinking water, the issue is particularly acute and a cause of problems such as diarrheal infections and absenteeism from school and work.

The organisation’s intervention model guides families towards valued practices such as solutions for cleaner water, infrastructure management and rainwater harvesting. In addition, it implements school hygiene programmes and improves access to water and sanitation in health centres.

Africa Water Solutions involves community members to identify challenges and propose solutions. With support from the Pictet Group Foundation, it will have positively impacted 4,200 households, six schools and three health centres by November 2023. 

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Brazil faces an epidemiological transition, with 33 million inhabitants struggling with hunger and obesity due to poverty, sedentary lifestyles and aggressive food marketing.

Gastromotiva primarily operates in the favelas, where low-quality, processed and fried food is prevalent. The organisation aims to train Brazil's poor, unemployed youth in gastronomy while promoting healthy cooking. Initially focused on culinary roles for events like the 2016 Olympic Games, Gastromotiva shifted to developing 'social kitchens' that receive unused food and provide nutritious meals prepared by trained staff. 

Supported by the Pictet Group Foundation, Gastromotiva aims to reach almost 42,250 vulnerable people in three cities by the end of 2023, providing free, healthy meals from 52 social kitchens. Beyond nutrition, Gastromotiva instils responsibility, pride and ambition in the communities in which they operate.

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UNICEF’s reshaping food environments project addresses childhood obesity in the East Asia and Pacific region by creating healthier urban food retail environments for families.

Despite progress in reducing hunger and malnutrition, obesity rates in the region have tripled in two decades fuelled by the consumption of widely available in-store and online foods that are highly processed and nutritionally poor.

Launched in Indonesia, the Philippines and China in 2021, the UNICEF project has shifted from government collaboration to direct engagement with food retailers to drive lasting change. It develops tools for local teams to foster better retailer practices.

The project, funded in full by the Pictet Group Foundation, has gained global attention, providing a model for regional action and enabling countries to tackle healthier food consumption at the point of sale.

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Philani was created in 1979 to address the multiple health and social crises in the Eastern and Western Cape of South Africa: 30% of mothers are HIV positive and one in five children in the region does not survive until their fifth birthday. Philani identifies and trains ‘mentor mothers’ to connect families to medical treatment, provide nutrition education, monitor child development and build trust within communities.

Philani targets the critical first 1,000 days of child development, a period of significant physical and cognitive growth. The mentor mothers, who have emerged from difficult odds themselves to raise healthy children, make door-to-door visits, providing essential support and education. Studies show significant benefits for visited families, including reduced birth-related complications.

The Pictet Group Foundation supports Philani by funding 30 mentor mothers and 3 preschools that provide education and nutritious meals for vulnerable children. Philani's long-term approach and strong community relationships are continuing to bring hope to this challenging environment.

Learn more about Philani