Water Pump Merry-go-Round

Posted on February 10, 2008  Comments (6)

I wrote about PlayPumps in 2006: Safe Water Through Play. This video by National Geographic gives more detail on PlayPumps and water needs in general. Some facts from KnowH2O

  • A child dies every 15 seconds from diseases related to unsafe water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene.
  • 1.1 billion people worldwide lack access to safe drinking water.
  • 40 billion hours each year are spent collecting water in sub-Saharan Africa, equal to over 19 million full-time employees.
  • Every $1 invested in water yields an economic return worth $8 in saved time, increased productivity and reduced healthcare costs. (UNDP)
  • In many areas of sub-Saharan Africa women and girls often walk an average of five miles to the nearest water source every day. If a woman only had to carry water for one hour a day, she could earn an additional US $100 a year.

    • Related: Water and Electricity for All – Microfinancing Entrepreneurs

    6 Responses to “Water Pump Merry-go-Round”

    1. Curious Cat Science and Engineering Blog » Reducing Poverty
      October 15th, 2008 @ 12:31 pm

      We have highlighted various uses of appropriate technology, many of which help those in poverty improve their lives…

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      September 7th, 2009 @ 11:59 am

      Awesome, I love to see people using engineering to make life better for those that can truly use help…

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      March 4th, 2012 @ 7:50 pm

      Fisher develops and markets moneymaking tools such as low-cost, human-powered irrigation pumps that improve the lives of small-scale rural farmers – the majority of the poor in sub-Saharan Africa…

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      March 4th, 2012 @ 8:06 pm

      400 million people in India and 1.2 billion people worldwide do not have electric power at home. Mera Gao Power provides a wonderful market solution. Mera Gao Power can install solar power systems at a low cost that can be paid back in just 2 years by charging only 50 cents a month to users…

    6. Pay Attention to the Results that Matter » Curious Cat Management Improvement Blog
      June 27th, 2012 @ 8:57 am

      […] on the site and letting children playing on it provide the energy. It sounded great and I wrote about it on my engineering blog. Many others found it exciting and funded it with tens of millions (The USA government, Steven Case […]

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