By Chandler Brandes

Jarui Desai ’18 had no intention of starting a nonprofit. But after teaming up with current UofL senior Praneeth Goli and recognizing the critical need for access to clean water, the Droplet Water Project was born.

“I’ve always tried to go out in the community and help them with what is a viable need,” said Desai, who earned a double major in finance and computer information systems from UofL’s College of Business. “I think now that I’m older, and hopefully have more of an impact and influence, I want to expand that globally in a way that I’m able to touch people’s lives.

The Droplet Water Project, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide access to clean drinking water in underdeveloped areas, combines Desai’s desire to give back to the community with the goal of improving global efforts of the right to safe water.

“We’ve been able to open other people’s minds up and get them to realize world topics.”  - Jarui Desai

Desai and her team are eager to increase student and youth involvement with their cause, something she said sets Droplet Water Project apart from other clean-water initiatives. By engaging youth, students, and other members of the community, they’re able to expand their worldview for a global perspective.

After scoping different places and hiring on-site engineers to test the water in those locations, Desai assesses where they could make the biggest impact based on the results. After choosing a location, she works to secure funding, figure out the logistics, and ensure legal compliance. Completed projects in India and Colombia have already provided nearly 2,000 children with clean drinking water.

For Desai, the most rewarding part in her role as the Head of Value Protection is seeing the projects completed. “For the kids, it was exciting to have someone from a different country come in and play with them, but also provide them water,” she said. “But it’s not just the children; it’s the teachers, and their friends and families. The whole village now has access to clean water.”

While there have been challenges with starting a non-profit from the ground up, Desai loves helping others see the value in giving back without receiving an incentive. “There are other individuals that people can’t see right now that are in need,” she said. “We’ve been able to open other people’s minds up and get them to realize world topics.”

Future clean-water projects in India are already in the works for this year, and the team is hoping to expand both domestically and abroad in the future. No matter where their initiatives take them, Desai and the Droplet Water Project will continue to bring communities together around the globe, one drop of water at a time.

Interested in helping their cause? Visit www.dropletwaterproject.org and follow them on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.