ONE DROP Creates World-class Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) Advisory Committee as International Water Programming Expands

MONTREAL, February 11, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

ONE DROP is pleased to announce the creation of an expert level advisory committee on international water, sanitation and hygiene programs. Bringing together a cross-section of expertise in the international development space, the committee's mandate is to advise One Drop's Board of Directors and management team in order to improve the management and maximize the impact and sustainability of its next generation of programs. One Drop's model - the A∙B∙C for Sustainability™ - integrates three key components - Access to water and sanitation, Behavioral Change using social arts and Capital for economic development in order to strengthen the sustainability of its interventions. The diversity of backgrounds, knowledge and expertise brought together through this committee reflects the organisation's systemic, integrative and collaborative approach to resolving the water and sanitation crisis.

The committee will be chaired by Clarissa Brocklehurst, an internationally recognized expert in the field of water, sanitation and hygiene. From 2007 to 2011, she was Chief of UNICEF's Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Section. Prior to working with UNICEF, she managed major WASH programs for WaterAid and the Water and Sanitation Program of the World Bank. Ms. Brocklehurst serves on the Board of Trustees of WaterAid UK and is a member of the Strategic Advisory Group of the WHO-UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme, responsible for monitoring the progress on water and sanitation worldwide.

"I am very glad to have an opportunity to chair this diverse group of experts and support One Drop to continuously improve its programming", said Clarissa Brocklehurst. "One Drop brings unique attributes and new ideas to the water, sanitation and hygiene sector, and we look forward to working with them to address the challenges in ensuring sustainable services for all."

Joining her are Louis C. Boorstin, Managing Director for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene at the Osprey Foundation and former Deputy Director of the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene program at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Kim Longfield, Director of Strategic Services and Evaluation at Population Services International and expert in Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning; Jonathan Tétrault, Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, and Chief Business Officer of Cirque du Soleil and former head of McKinsey's Montreal practice as well as its North American Institutional Investment Practice, as well as Board member of One Drop; and Peter John Winch, Professor and Director of the Social and Behavioral Interventions Program in the Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

"Over the last few years, One Drop has demonstrated substantial success in ensuring the sustainability of its water and sanitation interventions on three continents, particularly through the inclusion of a strong behavior change component. Our unique approach was refined and solidified. Now, as a fast growing organization that believes in strategic alliances and innovative partnerships in and beyond the WASH sector as the way forward, we've asked world-class experts to help us further increase the impact of our programs," said Catherine B. Bachand, CEO of One Drop. "With their guidance, we are primed to bring about One Drop's unique contribution towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, ensuring water and sanitation for all by 2030."

About One Drop
One Drop is an international non-profit organization created by Cirque du Soleil Founder Guy Laliberté. At the core of our mission is water as a transformative force to improve living conditions, as well as give communities the ability to care for themselves. We believe in the combined power of safe water for consumption and production while inspiring behavioral change towards water and proper hygiene practices through social arts. To do this, One Drop has developed the unique A∙B∙C for Sustainability™ intervention approach, an award-winning combination of strategic and operational initiatives designed to sustainably address access to safe water. To learn more, visit onedrop.org

Stephanie Weinstein, PR for One Drop, +1-514-923-1573, Stephanie.weinstein@onedrop.org