Already in 2009, TUI in conjunction with the Global Nature Fund (GNF) and Hannover 96 launched the “Drinking Cups for Drinking Water” initiative. Red Curve, the Hannover 96 fan club, supports the campaign. At home games, instead of getting a refund on the deposit for the mugs spectators donate their mugs to the cause by dropping them off at campaign stands supervised by TUI staff, Global Nature Fund volunteers and Red Curve members. The money collected goes directly to support a campaign account that helps finance drinking water projects in Africa.
Due to the huge success of the project, it was expanded to the Drinking Water for Africa initiative. The TUIfly Hannover Marathon is one of the stages for drawing attention to the worldwide shortage of drinking water – the Global Nature Fund, the event Agency Eichel Events and TUI runners incentivise the crowd to give money to the project.
Thus within a year (May 2009 - May 2010) more than €50,000 have been collected. By summer 2010, thanks to the funds from the initiatives, four new water purification plants have been installed in schools in Kenya.
In the current 2010/11 season the campaign is targeting the Ivory Coast, the home country of two Hannover 96 players, Didier Ya Konan and Constant Djakpa. Many Ivorians have inadequate access to clean water. One of the objectives is the rehabilitation of drinking water wells in the west of the country by the end of season.