Water for All

By Toni Parsons

As the West hobbles along after the economic meltdown, Africa’s problems remain by and large the same. Specifically malaria, HIV and its related illnesses and access to clean drinking water wreak havoc, killing off millions annually. The West struggles for money and Africa struggles for survival.

Which makes it all the more gratifying that a London based entrepreneur should be so concerned about access to clean water in Africa that he not only came up with a workable solution, but implemented it and ensured that it is sustainable. It is a solution that provides a clean, reliable water source to a community, in proximity to their living areas and schools. Even more inconceivable, this solution depends upon children playing to provide the water. It really does sound too good to be true.

The solution itself is elementary. Windmills have been pumping water since 500AD and have proved to be both reliable and low maintenance. Children have been playing on roundabouts probably since the invention of the wheel. In theory, turn the windmill on its side, replace the blades with a roundabout, and hey presto – you have a roundabout that pumps water. In effect, what you have is a ‘Playpump’. Children play on the roundabout that pumps water from a borehole and stores it in tanks ready for use.

Few communities have the resources to fund such equipment, and the current economic climate isn’t going to generate funds easily. Duncan Goose created a plan that would bring in a stream of funds used specifically to fund ‘Playpumps’.

Called ‘One Water’, the brand is growing in the UK and USA, rapidly catching on with big names and in turn filtering down to the street. The launch coincided conveniently with the Live8 concert in 2005 and became the brand of choice for the stars at the concert.

For every bottle sold, all of the profits go toward installing a ‘Playpump’ in a community that needs it. Ingenious, really – first world people buying water on the go in train stations or subways and in restaurants, with dollars and pounds being converted into African currencies, creating reliable water sources. For installing the pumps, One Water uses local contractors, creating work opportunities for local people. Revenue for advertising boards on the side of water storage tanks pays for a free text helpline ensuring that a team of trained professionals will attend to the pump and repair it should there be a problem.

The result is a community where the children are required to play in order to supply water. Instead of walking long distances to get water daily, children can now attend school and women can devote time and effort elsewhere, safe in the knowledge that they have safe and reliable water nearby.

At a time where fewer and fewer resources will be donated to areas that are strapped for funds, a sustainable plan that seems to work solely around benefiting a community that needs it is invaluable. It certainly allows one to believe that people with a social conscience, willing to put their money where their mouths are really do exist. Refreshing seems a poor pun. Inspiring? Unquestionably.

Take a look here: http://www.onedifference.org/uk/water/