Under the shared banner of Rotary International, two leaders from opposite sides of the world have come together with a unified purpose: bringing clean water to communities that need it most.
His Excellency Kithsiri Athulathmudali, former Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the State of Qatar, represents the East. For years, he has worked across Asia and neighboring regions, addressing complex challenges where access to clean water can transform entire communities.
Across the globe, Steve Bender has been advancing similar efforts throughout the Americas—building partnerships withvolunteers, and local leaders to design sustainable water systems.
Their paths crossed not by chance, but by calling.
They asked a simple but powerful question:
What if East and West didn’t just work in parallel—but truly worked together?
The answer revealed a compelling opportunity. His Excellency’s deep regional insight and grassroots engagement across the East align seamlessly with Steve Bender’s infrastructure expertise and expansive network throughout the Americas. Together, their combined strengths create the potential for impact far greater than either could achieve alone.
Inspired by this shared vision, and the mission behind One Million Drops, they are now preparing to launch a collaborative program rooted in collective action, where every contribution matters and every drop counts.
This partnership will take a major step forward with the formal signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and the official launch of the program at EarthX, home to The Rotary Experience, recognized as the world’s largest Rotary environmental and sustainability conference.
The Model
- His Excellency Kithsiri Athulathmudali leads initiatives across the East
- Steve Bender leads efforts across the Americas
- Every project is jointly supported, shared, and strengthened
The Mission
No community should be left behind because of geography.
Through this growing partnership, Rotary clubs around the world are joining forces—sharing resources, knowledge, and purpose. Wells are being built. Systems are being sustained. Lives are being changed.
Because when East meets West,
water flows—and so does hope.