For millions of rural African communities, the water crisis is serious. Lack of water is especially hard on children, with five times as many children dying of unclean water as from AIDS.

 

To provide safe and clean drinking water, South African entrepreneur Trevor Field devised a water system called PlayPump. PlayPump is a merry-go-round attached to a water pump, a storage tank and a tap. When kids play and spin the merry-go-round, they can pump up to 370 gallons an hour from a well. Moreover, the community does not incur any cost because two of the storage tank’s four sides are leased for commercial advertising, which covers the maintenance costs, while the other two are for health and educational messages. Field’s goal is to install 4,000 PlayPumps in 10 different countries, providing 10 million African people with clean drinking water.

In November 2006, when some American students in Connecticut, California and Iowa learned about the PlayPump design, they were inspired to help by selling bottled water in front of a yoga studio and grocery stores. Teachers also signed up for daily water delivery, and local businesses bought from them in bulk. In only six months, the students raised US$14,000, the amount needed to install a PlayPump for Masana Primary School in South Africa.

When the PlayPump was delivered, the South African students were very happy! They showed their appreciation by performing a song of thanks for the American students.

Source:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/22380927#22380927
http://dailynightly.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/12/23/532345.aspx

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