Pump Aid is an international

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

organisation that was set up in 1998. It is headquartered in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

and delivers all its services in

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

, mostly in

Malawi Malawi, officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeast, and Mozambique to the east, south, and southwest. Malawi spans over and ...

. Pump Aid is a

WASH Wash or the Wash may refer to: Industry and sanitation * WASH or WaSH, "water, sanitation and hygiene", three related public health issues * Wash (distilling), the liquid produced by the fermentation step in the production of distilled beverages ...

(Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) NGO and is part of a worldwide programme committed to the delivery of the UN’s

Sustainable Development Goals The ''2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development'', adopted by all United Nations (UN) members in 2015, created 17 world Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The aim of these global goals is "peace and prosperity for people and the planet" – wh ...

and the total eradication of water poverty by 2030. Pump Aid had offices in Malawi and London, and as of 2018 employed approximately 23 people, 70% of whom were based in Africa. Most of whom are national staff in Malawi trained in well-digging and water-pump installation.

History

Pump Aid was founded in 1998 by three teachers working in a rural primary school in

Zimbabwe file:Zimbabwe, relief map.jpg, upright=1.22, Zimbabwe, relief map Zimbabwe, officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Bots ...

. Two of their pupils fell ill from contaminated water and died. These teachers realised the need for health superseded the need for education and so set up Pump Aid to provide wells in rural communities. The Zimbabwe government estimates that 10% of that country's rural population now accesses water through pumps supplied by Pump Aid. In 2006, Pump Aid began working in Malawi where the bulk of its projects are now based. Malawi is the sixth poorest country in the world (by GDP per capita) and is ranked 170 (out of 188) on the

UN Human Development Index The Human Development Index (HDI) is a statistical composite index of life expectancy, education (mean years of schooling completed and expected years of schooling upon entering the education system), and per capita income indicators, which ...

. 85% of Malawi's population is engaged in and relies on rain-fed small-scale farming and only 11% of small-scale farmers have access to any form of irrigation. Celebrity supporters of the charity have included

Corinne Bailey Rae Corinne Jacqueline Bailey Rae (; née Bailey; born 26 February 1979) is a British singer and songwriter. She is best known for her 2006 single "Put Your Records On". Bailey Rae was named the number-one predicted breakthrough act of 2006 in an a ...

Kym Marsh Kimberley Gail Marsh (previously Ryder, Lomas and Ratcliff; born 13 June 1976) is an English actress, television presenter and singer. In 2001, she won a place in the band Hear'Say as a result of appearing on the reality television series ''Pop ...

, and Ben Nealon.

Elephant Pump

Pump Aid's improved access to rural WASH programme is based around its take on a traditional rope and washer pump, known as the Elephant Pump. The Elephant Pump, based on a year-old Chinese design, is a

rope pump A rope pump is a type of pump that uses a loose-hanging rope, which is lowered into a well and drawn up through a long pipe, with its bottom end submerged in water. Round disks or knots, matching the diameter of the pipe, are attached to the rope, ...

consisting of a "rope, a plastic pipe, some rubber washers and a winding wheel". It was designed both to be low cost, with a price, and to be easily serviced and maintained by the local community. A 2015 study of 338 pumps in Malawi indicated a significant proportion conformed to water quality standards, and that local community members indicated that repairs are mostly considered "easy". The name "Elephant Pump" refers to the pump's strength, shape, and reliability. As of 2009 the Elephant Pump has provided clean water to people living in rural areas of

and Malawi.

Awards and recognition

* Winner of the 2005 and 2008 St Andrews Prize for the Environment * Winner, International aid and development, UK Charity Awards 2017

References

{{Authority control Water and the environment Development charities based in the United Kingdom Water-related charities Foreign charities operating in Malawi Organisations based in the London Borough of Hackney 1998 establishments in England