Dowa District Project Autumn 2021
Pump Aid started work in April 2021 in the Dowa District, located in central Malawi. Our project aim is to build a network of ‘water entrepreneurs’ who provide much needed repair and maintenance services to community water pumps, and offer low cost household and irrigation pumps for self-investment by rural households.
The challenges in Dowa district and across Malawi is as follows:
Functionality
Up to 50% of community pumps are broken or partially functional, and without repair and service will soon become non-functional.
Irrigation
Less than 10% of small scale farmers use irrigation. This severely limits food productivity and contributes to 40%+ food insecurity.
Convenience
Barely 5% of households have a convenient water supply, meaning women and girls walk long distances to collect water from a community pump.
With funding from the Waterloo Foundation Janet Alexander Memorial Grant, Pump Aid is training entrepreneurs to fix broken water pumps, and set up a regular maintenance service through annual service contracts and to sell low cost pumps to households. By supporting businesses to become profitable and marketing their services and products, we can develop a more sustainable fix to broken pumps and convenient supplies for domestic and irrigation use.
In April 2021, Pump Aid started the process of recruiting and training pump mechanics and well diggers in Dowa District. Working with the District Water Office, we invited applications to the ‘project’ and after a tough process we selected 21 budding entrepreneurs to train, support and mentoring over 2 years.
Technical Training
We trained pump mechanics in repair, maintenance and installation of a range pumps. This means more communities and people can get their pumps fixed, serviced, and installed. A bigger customer base and more revenue for the entrepreneurs.
Business Training
Initial classroom based business training is supplemented by regular mentoring and marketing support.
THESE ARE THE RESULTS TO DATE…
21
pump mechanics and well-diggers have undergone initial training.
38,000
people have access to water due to the regular servicing of the 152 pumps
152
community pumps are now being regularly serviced
19,000
women and girls have a considerably shorter journey to collect water
29
broken water pumps have been restored to functionality
64
household and irrigation pumps sold in Dowa
Area mechanic Maggie Paul was one of the first budding entrepreneurs selected for the training programme in Dowa district. At 32 years old, Maggie is raising pump functionality across her district by repairing and maintaining a variety of community water points.
“I see hope of a brighter future with the knowledge and expertise I have acquired from this training because we have learnt to take this work of area mechanic as a business.”
Pictured: area mechanic Maggie servicing an Afridev pump
Thank you to our friends at the Waterloo Foundation for making this project possible. To support our work in Dowa, you can make a donation to the Janet Alexander memorial fund.
