The commitment of EARTH Water and Miss Netherlands to water justice
For Henk Witteveen, founder of EARTH Water, and Milou Verhoeks, owner of Miss Netherlands, a visit to Kenya became an unforgettable experience. They met women who walk for hours to collect a jerrycan of water – and saw what changes when that journey is no longer necessary.
‘You never drink alone’ is the slogan of Henk Witteveen, co-founder of EARTH Water. Eighteen years ago, together with Patrick de Nekker, he started a company with the aim of donating 100 per cent of its net profit to finance water projects.
‘Every day, 6,000 people, mainly children, die due to a lack of clean drinking water. There is something very simple you can do about that by drinking EARTH Water. We do not ask for money or for people to volunteer. And you will naturally come across us at festivals or in your hotel room.’
Partnership Miss Netherlands
For several years now, WaterAid, previously Simavi, has been one of the charities with which Earth Water works closely. Two years ago, this collaboration gained momentum when Witteveen was approached about a partnership by Milou Verhoeks, owner of Miss Netherlands. ‘I then put Simavi forward as the charity for which the candidates could raise funds. Together we organised all kinds of activities, from a Misses Day in Amsterdam to a yearly 6KM Catwalk in the Olympic Stadium. In 2025, this resulted in proceeds of more than 200,000 euros for Simavi.’
Milou Verhoeks became passionate about the world of beauty pageants as a student, when she herself, at the age of twenty, travelled to the Philippines for a month as a winner. ‘In the Netherlands we think it is nothing more than being pretty, smiling and saying “world peace”, but I learned so much there at the time.’
Inclusive platform
Miss Netherlands is now one of her companies. ‘I see it as a platform where everyone – regardless of origin, background or age – can develop. For example, in terms of personal growth, international communication and working on social projects.’
At the end of September 2025, Milou Verhoeks and Henk Witteveen visited a number of projects in Kenya. They spoke with female leaders from the communities and with a school headteacher who – with support from the Water Justice Fund – were able to implement their own water solutions.
Henk Witteveen: ‘Even without translation, the enormous commitment and passion of those women was already crystal clear. And the impact of better access to water turns out to be much greater than women and girls simply having to walk shorter distances. Because now they also have time to take on other things. And at school, for example, they now also have the opportunity to cook, which means more children attend school.’
Human right to clean drinking water
For Milou Verhoeks, the most impressive moment was during a short stop along the way when they arrived at a water source. ‘There we saw with our own eyes how women – who had walked for five hours and had scars on their backs – came to collect water. There were donkeys standing in that stream, so the water was contaminated. Now I am even more determined to commit myself, together with all the candidates, to the human right to clean drinking water for everyone.’
