Branson calls for green wells
Sir Richard Branson has called for more environmentally-friendly water wells to be built in Africa to prevent thousands of deaths a year through drinking dirty water.
Sir Richard was speaking as he inspected a solar-powered well at a Kenyan school which has been partly funded through Virgin Atlantic.
The new well at Sekenani Primary School not only supplies enough water for its 650 pupils but also for the 1,000 Maasai community living nearby.
Sir Richard hailed the £60,000 well project with Water For All organisation as an example of what could be achieved right across the continent.
He said: "In Africa, dirty water is killing so many African children."
By harnessing Africa's abundant sunshine with solar panels, a water pump can be powered to provide water for 50 years, he said.
Having a water supply in schools enables children, who may otherwise have been out collecting water for the family, get an education instead.
"There are no maintenance costs or fuel costs and it saves on the medical costs when kids get ill. It's not been embraced enough to date," but he added: "Let's try to concentrate on the future."
Jill Rademacher, president of Water For All, said that every 15 second, a child will die from a water-related illness.
"Each year 443 million school days are lost due to water-related illnesses. Africa's water crisis and its impact on education is a problem that cannot be ignored. Today, our partnership with Virgin Atlantic marks the launch of our Water for All programme, which will provide schools and communities with access to clean water using a range of water solutions."