When earthquakes devasted southeast Turkey last year, Didem Esmer turned the greenhouse where she nurtured her pepper seedlings into a safe haven for her Samandağ community. “This greenhouse became our home after the disaster. Everyone had lost their homes,” she explains.
While she helped her community rebuild, Didem needed support of her own. The market in Hatay shut down, leaving no place to sell her harvest. And she saw little future for her family farm without resources to continue growing in the region. “Honestly, we thought we couldn't overcome most of the challenges. So, I wasn't considering returning to production,” Didem says.
A partnership with the PepsiCo Foundation and Anadolu Meraları created alternative channels to the earthquake-damaged supply chains in the region. By working with local cooperative Samandağ Agricultural Development Cooperative they found ways to establish new relationships between growers and buyers. Building partnerships like these are critical ways PepsiCo Foundation aims to increase equitable access to nutritious food, safe water, and economic opportunity in the communities PepsiCo serves.
“By directly engaging our associates, partners and changemakers within our communities, we can drive local, leading and lasting social impacts globally,” President of the PepsiCo Foundation and Global Head of Social Impact, C.D. Glin says.
As the PepsiCo Foundation continues to work toward their pep+ ambitions, the latest Global Impact Report highlights their progress and the importance of driving social impact at the intersection of people and planet. Learn more about the stories of social impact like Diadem’s and the ways the PepsiCo Foundation continues working to help local communities thrive.
In addition to bolstering supply chains after the Turkey earthquake, the PepsiCo Foundation partnered with Anadolu Meraları to develop regenerative agriculture practices in rural Turkey through a demonstration farm, training modules and resources provided to local farmers. As part of the PepsiCo Foundation’s focus on supporting female farmers, Didem received thousands of seedlings, pest traps and fertilizer to revive her pepper crop. She also participated in training sessions to manage the significant pest problem in the region — which was impacting crop quality — and training on composting and soil restoration techniques to address the damage caused by the earthquake. “These supports hold immense significance for me,” Diadem says. “In the initial stages, costs are critical, and it's challenging for producers to bear them. This support will greatly benefit me, instilling confidence in producing a high-quality product.”
During the school year, thousands of students across the U.S. depend on free or reduced-price meals. But once the school year ends, so does that support. To bridge that gap and the address the issues of food insecurity facing local communities, the PepsiCo Foundation’s Food For Good program seeks local partners like No Kid Hungry Virginia and Accomack County Public Schools to launch home-delivery summer meal programs. “Delivering meals directly to kids means less youth experiencing hunger this summer and more students prepared to learn when the school year starts,” says Sarah Steely, Director of No Kid Hungry Virginia.
Each year, the PepsiCo Foundation works to bring safe water access to millions of people across the world in water-risk communities. With the support of the PepsiCo Foundation and WaterAid, Olajumoke Okedara was among 20 people to attend a training workshop aimed at improving access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene services in her local community in Lagos State, Nigeria. “Health is wealth. And access to water, decent toilets and good hygiene is the key to healthy living,” Olajumoke says. “I play my part in improving access to these basic services by maintaining the facilities provided in the community.”
The PepsiCo Foundation's Community College Program supports underserved populations by offering scholarships, aiming to assist over 4,000 students in obtaining professional certifications and degrees. Pamela Morales, a recipient of the S.M.I.L.E. scholarship for community college graduates transitioning to four-year institutions, pursued her education in Digital Marketing at Baruch College. “The PepsiCo Foundation’s S.M.I.L.E. scholarship has opened doors for me that I never thought I would be able to get through as a first-generation student,” Pamela says. Following her graduation, Pamela will join PepsiCo full time as a Sales Management Associate.
When Joshua Archuletta and his wife Fabby were looking for some help to grow their business, El Roi Café, in downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico, they sought support from the PepsiCo Foundation’s Impacto Business Accelerator. The program helped provide essential funding and coaching when the pandemic unexpectedly slowed their business. “Thank goodness we found it and applied. We needed to pay rent, utilities, and inventory and this helped us catch up,” Joshua says. “It was the bridge to get us to the next step in opening our business. Without it, we wouldn’t be open right now.”
Read the full PepsiCo Foundation 2023 Impact Report.
