Jenica Dizon-Mountford: A thirst for serving others
Two billion people, one in four, still don't have access to safely managed drinking water. Let that sink in as you open a chilled bottle of Evian. For Jenica Dizon-Mountford, clean water isn't just an advocacy; it's a basic human right.
Unsafe water is responsible for more than a million deaths each year and is a leading risk factor for cholera, typhoid and childhood malnutrition. “Water is the foundation of everything, health, education, livelihoods. Without clean water, communities cannot thrive,” says Jenica, Philippines Country Director of the NGO Waves For Water.
Growing up, her parents, her mother a doctor who went on medical missions, instilled that privilege was a means of uplifting others. “I understood from a young age that our family had a lot of privilege, and we needed to use that to uplift communities.”
'Finding Nemo' reflections
Born in the archipelagic Philippines, Jenica started scuba diving at nine; the ocean was her first advocacy. In 2015 she volunteered for Waves For Water, and after super typhoon Ferdie in 2016 she led a disaster-response mission in Batanes that changed her life. Waiting at a port, she asked fishermen about their catch and saw reef fish, the “Dory” of Finding Nemo. She assumed they were for sale; instead, they would be the families' next meal.
That was very humbling. I realised I had such a myopic view of development. I cared more about the fish than the people, and at the end of the day, it's people that matter.
“My background in marine conservation and sustainability made me realise water is at the heart of both environmental and human well-being,” says Jenica, who earned a Master's in Water and Sanitation Development from Cranfield University. “I saw firsthand how the absence of clean water turns crises into humanitarian emergencies.”
Riding the waves
Becoming Waves For Water's Director of Operations in her early 20s, one of her biggest hurdles was being taken seriously in a male-dominated WASH field. “There was always an assumption that I lacked experience simply because I was young. But I never felt the need to position myself as a trailblazer. Instead, I leaned into my role as a bridge, a connector, someone who helps sustain, scale and refine existing solutions rather than creating entirely new ones.” Over time, people stopped seeing her age and started seeing the results.
Being part of Women of the World keeps her moving forward. “With my fellow alumni cheering me on, it keeps me inspired. The WOW group and one-on-one coaching helped me unpack the tension of a major life transition, gave language to my emotions, and offered tools to reframe this season as part of a deeper alignment with my purpose.”
Scale of impact
Reaching clean water for all, she says, takes a multi-layer approach: decentralised, point-of-use solutions for immediate impact; better governance so access isn't dictated by geography or politics; and community empowerment so people are trained to maintain their own water systems.
Under her leadership Waves For Water Philippines has reached every province in the country, impacting over two million people, and become self-sustaining through local fundraising. “My proudest moments are the full-circle stories, revisiting communities years later and seeing that the solutions we implemented are still working, still changing lives.” Wherever her next space is, her deeply rooted sense of service will light the path.
