News

Jon Garrard is the Head of Programmes at Just a Drop, a valued SWIDN member and UK-based organisation dedicated to transforming water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) systems around the world. From their offices in London and Dorset, Jon and his team support partners in seven countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America – Uganda, Kenya, Zambia, Tanzania, India, Cambodia, and Nicaragua.

“I feel incredibly lucky to help connect our brilliant UK supporters with our amazing country partners. We see ourselves as the link in a virtuous circle — bringing together people who want to support access to water with those at the coal face of community transformation.

One of the parts I love most is spending time with our partners, listening, seeing firsthand what’s working (and what isn’t), and then coming back inspired to think creatively about what we should try next. It’s where the best ideas begin.”

---

A Team with Purpose

Just a Drop’s programmes team is small but mighty. A handful of full-time staff, supported by a group of specialist technical advisers (who volunteer their time), manage more than 50 projects at any one time. These projects vary widely, from borehole rehabilitation and sand dam construction to piped water systems and menstrual health initiatives in schools. Many projects focus on a single location, allowing the team to respond directly to community needs while prioritizing ownership and sustainability.

“The work doesn’t end when a project finishes,” Jon says. “We commit to returning every year for five years to check that the infrastructure and practices we’ve supported are still effective. It’s about holding up those gains and ensuring they endure.” Volunteers, active professionals in the WASH sector, contribute technical expertise, mentorship, and hands-on support to ensure each initiative is effective and sustainable.

---

Tackling Complex Challenges

Jon is candid about the hurdles Just a Drop faces. Climate change, water scarcity, environmental degradation, and evolving community needs make access increasingly precarious. Funding is another constant challenge, especially for smaller organisations. “The sector has grown around available funding,” he notes. “When those streams change or shrink, organisations must adapt quickly – and that can be tough.”

Yet these challenges also create opportunities. The organisation often works with corporate partners to fund initiatives, bridging resource gaps while expanding the reach and impact of their programmes. This focus on sustainability and mutual benefit is reflected in the numerous awards and recognitions Just a Drop has received in recent years.

---

Creating Impact with Integrity

Over the past 25 years, Just a Drop has delivered more than 500 projects across 32 countries, reaching nearly two million people. One example is their integrated sand dam programme in Kenya, which has been the subject of research supported by the Royal Academy of Engineering. Households participating in the programme now access up to four times more water per day, reducing travel distances to collect water and cutting waterborne illnesses by two-thirds. Improved water access also frees time for farming, livestock, education, and community engagement, with half of participating households moving out of the lowest income group. Environmental gains, a result of reforestation and soil protection activities, include increased vegetation, better soil quality, and higher tree survival rates – all contributing to sustainable land management.

Jon emphasizes that the organisation’s value lies in working through local partners. “Our projects are designed and delivered in collaboration with our country partners and the local community. At Just a Drop, our goal is to build solutions that last, and to do that we need to make sure that each project takes into account the particular needs of each community and its environment. Throughout the process, we work closely with our local partners to ensure that our projects will serve those they’re intended to.” This approach extends to ethical considerations around imagery, messaging, and representation, ensuring communications respect the dignity of communities while telling the story of water access realities.

---

A Career Built on Connection

Jon’s dedication to global justice is longstanding. With over 25 years of experience, he began with VSO (Voluntary Service Overseas) in Uganda, spent more than a decade in Ethiopia, and has held senior programme leadership and project management roles across multiple organisations. “The most rewarding part of the job isn’t just technical achievement – it’s the human connection,” he explains. “Sometimes the real magic happens when you’re out at a site with colleagues and community members, figuring out a solution together.”

---

Raising the Alarm: Global Water at a Tipping Point

For Jon, Just a Drop’s most urgent message is clear: the future of global water is at risk. Chronic groundwater depletion, land and soil degradation, deforestation, pollution, and climate change are pushing the planet toward what a recent UN report calls “global water bankruptcy.” Jon stresses that no country can achieve health, education, or economic growth without universal access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene.

Water is the foundation for maternal and child health, girls’ education (especially menstrual dignity), climate resilience, food security, productivity, and disease prevention. This urgency drives the organisation’s mission and their commitment to long-term, measurable change.

---

Looking Forward: Sustainability and Collaboration

Just a Drop’s commitment to sustainability underpins every project. The team follows up for five years to ensure infrastructure works and communities retain ownership. Internally, the organisation’s carbon footprint is independently evaluated by Winchester-based company ecollective, informing annual reduction plans and helping them model best practices in environmental responsibility.

Jon takes pride in the organisation’s partnerships: “For us, this is a team effort. We work with our supporting partners to highlight areas where their funding and donations can have a real impact, and we work with brilliant people on the ground to ensure that this impact is realised. That’s where our pride lies – in our partners and in ourselves as a partner.”

For anyone wanting to help, Jon encourages small but meaningful actions: collaborate, learn, share knowledge, and amplify the work. For SWIDN members, the network provides opportunities for mutual learning, connection, and collective impact.

---

Continuing the Mission

From improving water access and sanitation to introducing menstrual health initiatives in schools, every project reflects Just a Drop’s commitment to justice, dignity, and long-term change. The challenges are immense, but so are the opportunities. “Our goal,” Jon says, “is to support communities and partners in ways that last, and to help bring more people into that work.”

---

Find Out More & Support
To learn more about Just a Drop and the communities they support, visit: https://www.justadrop.org