US actor Matt Damon takes to forum stage to build access to clean water

Matt Damon, US actor.

US movie star Matt Damon used Davos to drum up support for his charity, Water, on Tuesday, after getting a new multimillion-dollar commitment from Belgian brewer Stella Artois.

"The poorest of the poor pay more than the middle class in many countries as they were shut out of the infrastructure," Damon said at a panel discussion hosted by the Anheuser-Busch InBev beer brand at the World Economic Forum.

The charity is trying to raise a $55 million fund that would provide microloans to finance projects that build access to clean water in developing countries. It has already deployed an $11 million fund, Damon said.

"People want to participate in their own solution, they want a hand up not a hand out," he said.

Stella Artois said it was committing $4.8 million over four years to the charity, at a time when AB InBev is moving into Africa, where access to clean water can be limited.

"Water is our number one ingredient so we are very water-conscious," Ricardo Tadeu, AB InBev's head of Africa, said.

The brewer's support for the charity precedes AB InBev's $100 billion-plus acquisition last year of SABMiller, which extended its reach in Africa as well as Latin America.

"We've been able to see tangible results and a tangible impact," said Christina Choi, global brand vice-president of Stella Artois.

Stella will also continue its "Buy a Lady a Drink" campaign, in which proceeds from each sale of a limited-edition beer glass are donated to Damon's charity, providing the equivalent funding for five years of clean drinking water for one person.

Lack of access to water disproportionately affects women and children, as they often spend hours each day collecting it instead of going to school or working.

In the two years since the project was launched, Stella said it has sold more than 225,000 glasses and donated more than $3 million to the charity. It said its new commitment aims to help 3.5 million people get access to clean water.

The brewer said it would also donate money for each six- and 12-pack of beer purchased in the United States and Britain.

Reuters