One Million Drops, East Meets West
Global
A global water initiative through Rotary, working in Africa, South Asia, Latin America and Ukraine, co-founded by Steve Bender and Kithsiri Athulathmudali.
The need
Worldwide, 2.1 billion people lack safely managed drinking water, 3.4 billion lack safely managed sanitation, and 1.7 billion lack basic hygiene at home. In Ukraine, water systems have been under sustained attack since 2022. Rotary clubs in both hemispheres want to help but often lack partners on the other side of the world.
The project
One Million Drops sets a goal of safe water for one million people. It delivers proven, low cost solutions such as wells and boreholes, solar water systems, rainwater harvesting and household filtration, and protects the watersheds behind them through reforestation and wetland restoration.
- Ukraine: mobile purification units delivering up to 20,000 liters a day, fixed treatment for hospitals and schools, and household filters, with Rebuild Ukraine Green.
- East Meets West: pairs Rotary clubs in the Western Hemisphere, led from Newport Beach, with clubs in the Eastern Hemisphere, led from Colombo, Sri Lanka. A club enters its project on 47817.org, receives a 4-7-8-17 Report Card, is introduced to a partner club, is promoted, and is guided toward a Rotary Foundation Global Grant.
- Water For West Africa reports more than 1,380 wells drilled and 1.2 million lives impacted, and its Mole National Park Border Communities Project would serve more than 7,500 residents of five villages in Ghana.
- GivePower's solar water farms have served more than 1.4 million people.
Results
- East Meets West launched at The Environmental Xperience at EarthX 2026 in Dallas.
- One Million Drops was presented at the 2026 Rotary International Convention in Taipei.
- A five year plan: identify high need regions and partners, build community water plants, and reach one million people.