Origin of Drop in the Bucket
The event was so successful that it funded a second well in a neighboring village. Donations continued to roll in, leading to the drilling of even more wells. However, Stacey and the Drop in the Bucket team quickly realized that relying on third-party contractors for drilling was not the most effective approach. When you know your donors personally, you have to ensure that every dollar is used wisely. This philosophy has remained at the core of DROP’s operations as it has grown.
In 2009, Drop in the Bucket established its first field office in Soroti, Uganda. The office was staffed entirely by members of the local community, who were trained to oversee drilling, conduct hygiene and sanitation training, establish village savings and loan associations (VSLAs), and train pump mechanics to maintain and repair wells. These initiatives ensured that communities would have clean water for generations to come.
Today, Drop in the Bucket owns and operates its own trucks, drills, and compressors. The organization now has two field offices—one in Uganda and one in South Sudan. As DROP expanded, so did its mission, moving beyond clean water to also supporting education. The organization launched a program providing secondary school scholarships for girls in South Sudan, giving them opportunities they otherwise wouldn’t have had.
While our mission has expanded, our commitment remains the same: to create sustainable, long-term solutions to water and sanitation challenges while also promoting gender equity and improving access to education for girls.
Nineteen years and over 700 wells later, Drop in the Bucket continues to grow, thanks to our dedicated supporters. Together, we are empowering communities and changing lives!
