to provide clean water for drinking and irrigation"

Introduction to Pump Aid

The Elephant Pump

Pump Aid installs Elephant Pumps in rural schools and communities to provide clean water for drinking and irrigation.  The Elephant Pump was developed in Zimbabwe and is based on a 2000 year-old Chinese design.

The pumps are simple in design and can be maintained by the beneficiaries themselves. They are made from cheap local materials, and are enclosed in brick housing so that contamination is avoided. Elephant pumps provide clean drinking water, and are used to irrigate crops during the dry season or through periods when rains fail, as they have done in recent months.

The Elephant Pump costs £200 (US $300) to install (direct labour costs and materials). This is in sharp contrast to many existing pumps, which are inappropriate, expensive, and often break down.

The Pump Aid Team

The field personnel of Pump Aid, which are 18 in total, are all members of the local community in rural areas of Eastern Zimbabwe.  They are familiar with water related problems, understand the needs of the rural communities and are aware of cultural considerations.

Pump Aid is regisered as a charity in the UK, with trustees in Britain and Zimbabwe.  The majority of funding has come from the UK.  Ian Thorpe is the Executive Director of Pump Aid; he has directed development projects in rural areas of Zimbabwe for ten years and speaks fluent Shona.

Local Participation

Pump Aid believes in a fully participatory approach to development. Letters of application from schools or villagers are received and 'Pre-Pump Case-Studies' are conducted. These studies investigate existing systems of water usage and determine how much an Elephant Pump would benefit the community. The beneficiaries are involved at all stages of construction and contribute to the process by making bricks, collecting sand, and providing labour to dig a deep well and assist during pump installation. A high degree of beneficiary involvement leads to a strong sense of ownership once the pump is built and also an understanding of how the pump works. This empowers the beneficiaries to undertake maintenance and any repairs as and when they are needed.

Pump Aid Today and in the Future

Pump Aid has installed over 1500 pumps (2005). Currently installing approx 30

    per month.

Pilot pumps have just been completed in Malawi and Mozambique.

Schools are being prioritised for assistance as one pump can provide clean

    water for more than 500 children, their teachers and a number of local

    families. The current situation in schools is particularly acute and some are

    being closed down, due to poor water supply.

The AIDS pandemic in Africa heightens the need for clean water for families   

    affected by HIV and for children (mostly AIDS orphans) at the growing number

    of orphanages.

Pump Aid is confident of continued success in Zimbabwe and plans steady

    expansion into other poverty-stricken areas of Africa.  They are open to

    suggestions of collaboration with other organisations (governmental and non

    governmental) and are willing to exchange ideas.

Click here for an outline of the History of Pump Aid

Click here for 'My Story' - Ian Thorpe : Executive Director

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