Founded in 1998, the charity was born from a powerful statistic: that a child was dying every 17 seconds from water-related diseases. Our founder, Fiona Jeffery MBE, a mother and sustainable travel advocate, was moved into action, and Just a Drop was born.
Today, those statistics remain stark – around 703 million people lack access to safe water, and a child dies from water-related diseases every two minutes. Just a Drop, however, has continued to work against the international water crisis by reaching almost two million people across 33 countries, delivering more than 400 sustainable WASH projects in communities throughout Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
The charity's work goes far beyond drilling wells. Operating in Cambodia, India, Kenya, Nicaragua, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia, Just a Drop constructs sand dams, school water tanks, pipelines, rainwater harvesting systems, latrines and more – all designed with long-term sustainability at their core. Every project is community-owned and monitored for a minimum of five years after completion, ensuring solutions continue serving families for generations.
Central to Just a Drop's holistic approach is its menstrual health programme, which addresses a critical barrier to girls' education. Across all their country partners, Just a Drop delivers comprehensive menstrual health education and works to dismantle myths and taboos surrounding menstruation. For example, in Kenyan schools, this education has demonstrably improved attendance, enabling girls to remain in education during their periods rather than missing up to 20% of the school year. The programme extends to boys and teachers, normalising conversations about menstruation and fostering dignity and respect for girls and women.
In 2025, through a partnership with period products company Natracare, Just a Drop is pioneering a menstrual hygiene programme in Cambodia's Siem Reap Province, building latrines across three schools and delivering sewing workshops where students learn to create their own reusable pads. This transformational work ensures that periods never compromise a young person's education or future opportunities.
Sustainability underpins everything the charity does. Its work directly contributes to United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6 – ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all – whilst also impacting a further 11 Goals. Just a Drop is committed to reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2040, measuring and publishing its carbon data annually.
With its grassroots, community-led approach, the charity continues to unlock opportunities for education, health, and economic growth – proving that access to safe water truly is the first step to a brighter future.
Learn more about their work
here.
