Agrimark collected and donated 10 500 litres of clean water to Ashbury Primary School in Montagu, thanks to an innovative social media campaign recognising key environmental sustainability challenges.
Agrimark’s Corporate Affairs division conceptualised and produced the “Give a Follow, Give a Litre” campaign and launched it on World Water Day. This day raises awareness of the importance of clean, fresh water. Ashbury Primary was identified as a school in urgent need of clean drinking water, as it only has access to a borehole as water source.
“Our focus was to create a month-long campaign that aligns with Agrimark’s objectives of environmental sustainability, community upliftment and social media audience growth,” explains Cathleen Mostert, Digital Communications Specialist. “The campaign included a promotional video that we created with the help of colleagues from various departments, highlighting Agrimark’s commitment and pledge to sponsor one litre of water for every Instagram follow.”
The timing of the campaign was also significant.
“We announced how much water we collected on 22 April, which is Earth Day,” says Cathleen. “This day focuses on the need to protect our natural resources.”
The campaign’s impact was evident in Agrimark’s social media growth. Its Instagram following surged by more than 10% to 10 500 in one month. Agrimark’s Facebook audience also increased during the period.
“Thank you to everyone who follow us and enabled this donation,” says Susan Davis, Senior Manager: Brand & Communications. “The power of social media can be harnessed for impactful change, and audiences love becoming involved with brands that create meaningful opportunities to do good. Together, we’ve shown that every follow counts, and every act of kindness can create change.”
The project not only addresses the school’s immediate water needs but also tackles food insecurity. Two JoJo tanks will be installed, each filled with fresh water. The tanks will be equipped with filtration systems, which will also allow the school to efficiently harvest rainwater during the winter months. With the introduction of water tanks, the school will also be in a better position to cultivate their vegetable garden, promoting a greater measure of self-sufficiency.
Barend Sulvester, Agrimark’s Senior Manager of Sustainability, emphasised the significance of the project: “Water is the most crucial life resource and many are deprived of access to it, disadvantaging them in more ways than one. Agrimark believes in providing communities with sustainable practices and long-term solutions.”
He added: “This initiative offers immediate relief and sets the stage for a more sustainable future. The school incurs no harvesting and food cultivation costs. In return, they gain access to water and may even generate income by selling some of their produce, benefitting the school and the community.”
The disaster relief agency Gift of the Givers helped identify Ashbury Primary as a school in need of fresh, clean water and will manage the installation of the tanks.“We believe in leveraging our resources to make a meaningful difference in communities,” says Tasneem Sulaiman-Bray, Agrimark’s Director of Corporate Affairs. “Our ongoing partnership with Gift of the Givers underscores our commitment to addressing pressing socio-economic issues and fostering sustainable solutions for a better tomorrow.”
