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On the occasion of World Water Day on March 22, ONE DROP will host its inaugural ONE NIGHT for ONE DROP in Las Vegas. For one incredible evening, guest performers, celebrities, international leaders, neighbors, philanthropists, and global citizens will come together to make a dream a reality—a world where every human being has access to water and can live in dignity and health. ONE DROP spoke to Jerry Nadal, Senior Vice President, Resident Show Division at Cirque du Soleil and ONE NIGHT for ONE DROP conductor who strongly believes that the success of the event will rely in large part on the priceless contribution of its committed volunteers.

What is your role with regards to the ONE NIGHT FOR ONE DROP preparations?
I’m a bit like the conductor of an orchestra who makes sure all the parts are working and that everybody is doing their jobs. I’m coordinating and assisting where I’m needed.

What does volunteer support mean to your team and what do you have in store for them?
You know, Cirque du Soleil has always encouraged a lot of volunteerism here in Las Vegas. Whenever we’ve organized any kind of an event, we’ve had tremendous response. I think it’s a natural extension of what people here generally do. Vegas is a very generous community and I think Cirque employees really exemplify that. We couldn’t possibly pull an event like this off without their valued support.

You can’t possibly imagine how many talented and committed people it takes to pull an event of this magnitude off! It’s mind-boggling! Cirque du Soleil, MGM Resort and Treasure Island volunteers are so generous with their time. No efforts are spared. And how about the guest performers who did not hesitate one second to jump on this bandwagon. The unique show that will be unveiled at the Bellagio that night promises to be memorable. Let me assure you the guests will also be very well taken care of by our dedicated volunteers.

Let’s not forget the events leading up to ONE NIGHT. Our four hundred plus volunteers will be kept very busy, I assure you! For example, at the Walk for Water* and Run Away with Cirque du Soleil, they will do everything from making sure the runners have water, to running the booths that Cirque has to man—other companies will be donating goods and services. Also, on the Walk for Water, we’ll have people interspersed over the course of the route giving first aid, it’s a long walk. And the list goes on…

If you had a wish to make on behalf of water, what would it be?
I wish that people were aware of how critical the issue is with water even here in the US and especially right here in Nevada. We live in the desert. Because we can turn on the tap and flush our toilets, I don’t think people realize how scarce the resource is. Obviously you want everybody to have access to water but I think unless people are aware of the problems and its scarcity, then you’ll never manage to find a long-term solution.

Check out our next newsletter for more juicy details pertaining to the once-in-a-lifetime ONE NIGHT for ONE DROP extravaganza!

*Walk for Water, an initiative of Scott Stevens, Head of Carpentry—KÀ will be taking place on March 21. During this 22-mile walk, 500 to 800 men will carry water from Lake Las Vegas to the Bellagio to highlight the plight of women and children who are disproportionately affected by water-related issues.

ONE DROP's Project Haiti, carried out with Oxfam-Québec and funded in part by your donations and the Royal Bank of Canada, was implemented to support reconstruction efforts in Léogâne, one of the areas most devastated by the earthquake of January 2010.

Three years after this tragedy, ONE DROP is proud to see the many positive impacts of its initiative on the living conditions of severely affected populations. Thanks to you, by the end of the project in October 2013, ONE DROP will have rehabilitated 221 wells and built five communal water centres supplying much-needed water to a number of communities. Moreover, the rehabilitation of 1.5 kilometers of irrigation canals and mass distribution of seeds will have allowed for cultivation of about 4,000 hectares of land. 

By the end of the project, ONE DROP plans to have made significant and lasting improvements to the lives of no less than 21,650 families through Project Haiti. "I don't need to walk down to the river any more. I can wash my kids with safe water close to home. The well keeps us all healthy and secure," explains Marie Fenelon Oriental, a project participant.

Change lives by giving to ONE DROP so that we can continue implementing water access initiatives in various countries around the world, such as Haiti.

As part of Project India, ONE DROP has encouraged young Indians to express their water-related thoughts by using newly acquired skills such as filming with a camera, developing a storyline and editing. They then travelled to 2 villages with an aim to apply these skills by creating short films pertaining to local water and sanitation issues. Six new shorts were created as a result.

The apprentices will continue on to twenty-four other villages. Some of the films created will be screened there to help create awareness of water-related issues. Thus far, audience reception has been so enthusiastic that villagers have demanded these shorts be shown instead of Bollywood films on Bakul workshop movie nights. By the end of the project, 40 films will have been produced, 10 of which will be polished and packaged to be presented in film festivals around the world and to be used as tools for outreach and education! Thank you to our partners Adobe Films, Bakul Foundation and Gram Vikas for ensuring these workshops’ smooth sailing.

See for yourself by clicking on the play button (on the image) and accessing one of these short films.  

The BIG ONE for ONE DROP recently won BLUFF Reader's Choice Award  for “Best Final Table of 2012”. The One Drop final table included Antonio Esfandiari, Sam Trickett, Guy Laliberté, Brian Rast, Phil Hellmuth, David Einhorn, Richard Yong and Bobby Baldwin. The BIG ONE for ONE DROP also won 4^th place in the Top 10 Stories of 2012 according to Poker News.

The first edition of the tournament, with a $1,000,000 entry fee, gathered 48 players which took place on July 2012 raised $5.3 million in support of ONE DROP. After a successful sold-out debut, WSOP (World Series of Poker) plan to hold the very first “The Little One for ONE DROP” with an entry fee of $ 1,111 in support of ONE DROP. The following year, the WSOP will host the 2^nd edition of The BIG ONE for ONE DROP.

Three years after the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12, 2010, ONE DROP is pleased to announce the positive impact of its water access and sanitation project in the Léogâne region, the earthquake's epicentre. In collaboration with OXFAM-Québec and thanks to funding from the Royal Bank of Canada, the ONE DROP Project will positively impact 108,000 men, women and children by October 2013.

Despite Hurricane Sandy passing through the Caribbean recently, efforts in the field continue to significantly improve living conditions for the people of Léogâne thanks to a promising and sustainable approach.

"The Léogâne community and all the Haitian people continue to inspire us with their courage and their resilience. We are proud to be able to contribute to the efforts of the Haitian people in rebuilding their country and improving their living conditions. For three years now, we have watched our actions make a real difference," declared Catherine B. Bachand, Executive Director of ONE DROP.

An in-depth approach to rebuilding

Since 2010, rehabilitation of 1,500 metres of irrigation canals and mass distribution of seeds have allowed for cultivation of about 4,000 hectares of land. Although these reconstruction efforts were hard hit by Sandy passing through, the irrigation systems have nevertheless made it possible to quickly resume agricultural and livestock activities and food production.

The 221 rehabilitated wells and structures built as part of the project weathered the storm. Indeed, since it opened in March 2012, the Bolloc Water Community Centre (WCC) in Léogâne has provided continuous access to 7,500 litres of potable water each day, for showers and wash houses. 2,000 people a month visit the centre which is powered by a solar energy system. Two new centres will open soon and three others will be built in 2013.

And that is not all. There is still a lot to do and the ONE DROP project plans to eventually improve the lives of 21,650 families. "I don't need to walk down to the river any more. I can wash my kids with clean water close to home. The well keeps us all healthy and safe," explains Marie Fenelon Oriental, a project participant. Thousands of jobs will have been created in the region. The project will not only facilitate access to clean water for thousands of people, but it will also build capacity among the population.

In addition to its technical aspect, Project Haiti emphasizes social art as a tool for promoting awareness and mobilization. Through the multidisciplinary show "Ayiti Pawol Lapli ak Lakansyèl" (Haiti, Words of Rain and Rainbow), created in 2010 by the Atelier TOTO B in collaboration with Le Théâtre des petites lanternes in Sherbrooke, ONE DROP has already raised the awareness of 63,000 spectators from Port-au-Prince and Léogâne about local water issues. The rallying of communities around this type of social art is a significant asset in promoting sustainable changes in behaviour and consequently water conservation.

"The complementary aspects of our intervention have undoubtedly contributed to a positive, enduring impact on the targeted communities in Haiti. Until the project ends in October 2013, we will continue to emphasize our multifaceted approach to facilitate water access in the Léogâne region," explains Danielle Valiquette, Director of International Water Access and Management Programs.

Sad anniversary

ONE DROP will mark this sad anniversary with a public reading of the show Ayiti Pawol Lapli ak Lankansyel (Haiti, Words of Rain and Rainbow) at 5:00 pm on Saturday January 12, 2013 at the Maison d'Haïti, in Montreal, Canada, jointly with its social art partner Le Théâtre des Petites lanternes.

ONE DROP in Haiti

ONE DROP's Project Haiti, realized in collaboration with Oxfam-Québec, was implemented to support reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts in the Léogâne community, one of the areas most devastated by the earthquake in January 2010. About 180,000 people live in the intervention areas targeted by the initiative. Through Project Haiti, ONE DROP and Oxfam-Québec are trying to promote community involvement in rebuilding the country, create awareness of water, hygiene and sanitation issues, facilitate access to clean water in sufficient quantities and increase agricultural activity to ensure community survival and generate income.