Episode 2: How to Address Ethiopia’s Rural Water Crisis – Drop of Water (DOW)
Hear from Hermella Wondium (Co-founder) and Elfaz Kassa (Programme Director) of Drop of Water, a youth-led organization tackling Ethiopia’s rural water challenges. From university students to WASH leaders, they now support 150+ clean water projects across the country. They share how passion, volunteering, and community partnerships have fueled their growth and impact.
This episode recounts how Hermella and her friends were inspired by an encounter with Matt Damon during their university years, which motivated them to address Ethiopia’s water challenges. Their organization, Drop of Water, now implements diverse water access solutions, beginning with a single well and expanding to pipeline water access, borehole drilling, and shallow and deep wells. Their signature initiative, the Aware, Activate, and Change (AAC) program, mobilizes youth volunteers through increased awareness, active participation, and becoming change agents.
Social Media Handles:
Linkedin:https://www.linkedin.com/company/drop-of-water
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dropofwaterethiopia
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/dropofwaterethiopia?igsh=MW83dHRkOWtrYnB5Zw==
Website: https://dropofwater.org/
The HOW: Channeling Water Solutions is produced by W12+ Programs, co-jointly run by the Institute for Ecological Civilization and SOSNPO.
