Last March, Amelia—a journalist for Pumps and Systems Magazine—joined Design Outreach, a cooperating ministry in the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches, on a trip to Malawi and Zambia. Seeing the dry, hot African plains with limited water made her realize just how important clean water is. A portion of the story she wrote appears below. Click here to read the complete article. Also, read some of the back story related to her trip on the Design Outreach blog by clicking here.
Pump Technology Changes Communities
In the heart of the Kasungu District in the Central Region of Malawi, a 45-year-old grandmother of six stoops to slice fresh okra into a large woven basket. The red brick behind her glows against the backdrop of lush green Acacias, banana trees and broad tobacco leaves. It is the end of the rainy season, and soon the crops will be harvested and dry air will suck the life out of the ground.
Even during Malawi’s driest days, the bucket of clear, cool water sitting in the red dust by this woman’s feet will be filled again and again. Children will continue to drink, and gardens will still grow.
For Vickness Nyirenda and her neighbors in Zolomondo village, a simple hand pump has changed everything.
The Gift of Clean Water
In November 2013, Zolomondo received a gift that transformed the entire community: a deep-well, progressive cavity (PC) hand pump known as the LifePump.
Provided by humanitarian engineering nonprofit Design Outreach in partnership with World Vision and private donors, the LifePump is engineered to reach depths of 325 feet—more than twice that of a typical hand pump. It supplies a consistent flow of clean water, which for this community, is life-saving.
Click here to read the complete article.