Imagine having to walk for seven miles a day to find water – and even when you get some, it comes from a contaminated source.
That was the reality for a community living in Manicaland, a province in the north eastern highlands of Zimbabwe, until water cooler supplier AquAid stepped in with a little help from the team at Onecom.
We use AquAid to help keep our teams hydrated through the working day and with each purchase, an automatic donation is made to The Africa Trust.
These funds are used to build ‘Elephant Pumps’, a modified version of an age-old Chinese rope pulley system. We’re proud to say that “our” well has now been built and has been finished off with the Onecom name on its front.
The pump has the capability of producing up to 10,000 litres of drinking water per day to more than 300 people within the community who would previously have to go in search of water – a task that usually falls to children or women.
Elephant Pumps are built by an experienced Africa Trust team leader, with the assistance of the local community, using readily available materials which are sourced locally.
This allows for the community to easily repair the pump should they need to, extending its life. Of the 8,000 pumps installed, 95% are still in operation today – a figure 40% above the average for the continent. We’re proud to have played a small part in this very worthwhile project.