Festival-goers donate € 25.000 to African farmers

Over 1,000 Roskilde Festival guests have paid DKK 175 (approx. € 23) on top of the ticket price to support people in Malawi, who suffer badly from the climate changes.

When buying the festival ticket, the Roskilde audience can donate an extra DKK 175 (approx € 23). Over 1,000 festival-goers have done so.

With a total audience donation of DKK 200,000 (approx. € 27,000), Roskilde Festival, Grundfos and DanChurchAid can now build a sustainable water plant for poor farmers in Malawi – and thereby secure irrigation in an area that often suffers from drought.

"We are extraordinarily proud to have an audience that give to those in need," says Roskilde Festival's spokesman Esben Danielsen.

Right now Malawi is experiencing the effects of climate changes. Unpredictability in the weather affects farmers' work so they do not know when it will rain or when the drought makes the ground crack. DanChurchAid's project helps the farmers produce food – regardless of the weather.

10 sustainable showers for the festival audience
In order to give the audience the chance to experience what a water plant in Malawi can deliver, Grundfos builds a similar plant by the swimming lake at Roskilde Festival's camp site. Here the festival guests can take sustainable showers.

"We will install 10 showers that run solely on energy from a windmill and solar cells. A pump secures that the water tank is always full – and that it is always possible to take a shower," says project manager at Grundfos, Mette Ørneborg Thomsen.

At the water plant, the audience can inform themselves about global climate changes, participate in a signature petition for a fair climate deal at COP15 and suggest how to secure a better environment.

Background
The donation and the installation form part of the climate campaign Green Footsteps in which Roskilde Festival engages its audience in global climate issues. Up to the festival, the festival-goers can act in a climate-friendly way and earn a reservation at the festival's camp site.

Roskilde-festival.dk