Just a Drop 2024 Highlights
The Rundown...
2024 has been full of achievements and successes for Just a Drop. So, as we head into Christmas, They have plenty of exciting news to update you on from the last few months.
Since the summer, we’ve been fortunate enough to celebrate our 25th anniversary, complete site visits, as well as completing numerous projects which have brought sustainable safe water, sanitation, and hygiene to communities around the world.
We would like to thank every single supporter, donor, and volunteer who has made this work possible, and we hope you enjoy our highlights of 2024...
Kenya
In October, we were excited to see the completion of the sand dam at Muuo Wa Yinthungu, in Makeuni County, Kenya. The sand dam now serves as a sustainable source of safe water for the 1,040 inhabitants of the area.
Over the course of the programme, the community were also supported with hygiene training, menstrual health and hygiene workshops, and agriculture and sustainable farming training to ensure a sustainable supply of food and income. People will now be able to flourish and we can’t wait to see further results.
The Just a Drop team were also able to visit a separate menstrual hygiene project taking place at Muuo Wa Yinthungu, where they were pleased to report that results are exceptional.
The programme taught the community how to make reusable period pads, something they rarely had access to before. Workshops also dispelled myths surrounding menstruation and aimed to create a culture of understanding between men and women about menstruation.
Florence, a member of the self help group committee at Muuo Wa Yinthungu, said “I learnt a lot from the training about how to manage menstruation. This was really impactful as we used to have to just make do before when we couldn’t afford disposable pads.”
Uganda
We are pleased to share the completion of two new projects in Uganda, at Alito Health Centre and Angicha Primary School, both in Kapelebyong County, Uganda.
A borehole rehabilitation, latrine, and incinerator at Alito Health Centre will allow 3,800 community members to receive a better quality of medical care with a reduced risk of further illness.
At Angicha Primary School, the 771 children and teachers will now have access to a sustainable supply of safe water thanks to the rehabilitation of a borehole.
This means children will be able to learn properly, as they won’t have to walk long distances to fetch water to bring to school, and will miss less school due to illness.
Nicaragua
In Nicaragua, 47 children now have access to proper, functioning latrines thanks to the installation of two double-pit latrines, one for girls and one for boys, and one single pit latrines for the school’s
teachers. Children and staff alike will now be ill less often due to a cleaner and healthier environment at the school.
Zambia
The Just a Drop team were delighted to carry out two site visits to monitor and assess our projects in Zambia. Among the many communities the team visited was Ntembelwa, where 302 people now have access to safe water thanks to a new borehole.
During the visit we spoke to a mother of six, who said:
“When the old borehole was broken, we would go to a hand dug well around an hour away, three times a day with a 20 litre bucket. The water there caused diarrhoea and vomiting.
This water (from the new borehole) is very good and is used by all of us in the village. We depend mostly on farming, so this water can be used for our animals. We have a rota to clean around and pay a fee every month.”
Cambodia
The team are happy to report that work began in September on a project at Kouk Kok village in the Svay Check community in Cambodia. Work is well under way to construct 70 biosand filters in people’s homes and the local primary school, as well as 20 latrines and comprehensive hygiene and maintenance training. This will provide 280 people with access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene and we can’t wait to update you further!
India
Our work in India continues to show high impact, as our recent monitoring of our projects shows that they are functioning and continuing to serve communities many years after their completion. All of our projects are monitored for a minimum of seven years to ensure longevity and community support.
25th Anniversary Event
In September, we celebrated our 25th anniversary with a breath-taking event at PPHE Hotel Group’s Park Plaza London Riverbank.
Everyone at Just a Drop joined in an evening celebrating our supporters and achievements; acknowledging that over the last 25 years, Just a Drop has reached nearly two million people across 33 countries with sustainable, safe water and sanitation projects. We send a huge thanks to everybody who came and made it such a special evening and to PPHE Hotel Group for kindly hosting it.
World Travel Market
In November, we were delighted to attend World Travel Market 2024. As our Founding Partner, it felt incredibly special for the team to spend WTM engaging with recent and long-term supporters, and also with the travel and tourism sector that we love so much. Thank you to everybody who met with us and thank you to WTM London for being with us for every one of our 25 years.
Awards
Just a Drop have had a very prosperous few months with various award wins throughout the period...
In September, Just a Drop were honoured to win the Digital Fundraising Campaign of the Year award, at the Charity Times Awards 2024, for the Walk to the Well 2023 campaign. We would like to thank everyone at
VCCP who worked so tirelessly to make this campaign the success it was.
We were also thrilled to win a Highly Commended award in the Corporate National Partnership Champion category, for our amazing partnership with PPHE Hotel Group . A huge thank you to everyone at PPHE Hotel Group for all the work they do to make this collaboration flourish.
Finally, in November Just a Drop won a Big Syn Film Festival award in the Charities section in the category 'Planet & People', for the Walk to the Well 2023 official film. We were delighted to take another award win for the Walk to the Well campaign and were very excited to see our film played on the prestigious Piccadilly Lights.
Thank You!
As always at this time of year, we would like to send a massive thank you to all our supporters, fundraisers, and volunteers who have helped us to provide safe water, sanitation, and hygiene projects around the world in 2024. This year alone we reached 53,510 and we could not have done this without your help, so a huge thank you to you all! We can’t do what we do without you, so if you would like to work with Just a Drop, please get in touch with our Partnerships and Events Manager Alice Mellar, at alice.mellar@justadrop.org.
Wishing all of the Just a Drop family a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Season’s Greetings.