Pump Aid
Pump Aid is a new
and rapidly expanding charity that has taken an innovative approach to
providing water and sanitation solutions to communities in rural Africa. Pump Aid was founded by rural Zimbabweans who
developed a low-cost rope and washer pump called the elephant pump, made out
of local resources.
The technology emerged as a winner in the World Bank Development Marketplace competition 2006 and since then we have grown from strength to strength.
Pump Aid is unique because the technology used allows communities to maintain their pumps without any external support. In order to create a sense of ownership the communities have to contribute to and help build the pump and attend maintenance workshops. This creates real ownership and also empowers communities to have control over their own water resource.
Pump Aid has given over one million people access to a sustainable water supply.
