Household Pumps
Bringing water closer to home
Water is essential for health, and for us to use it when we need to – to stay hydrated, and regularly wash our hands – it needs to be convenient. Some villages are simply too far away from their community water points, and our research showed that people wanted to invest in their own assets, and had the means to purchase household pumps.
A choice to invest
After conducting research with rural households, we devided that we want to give rural Malawians a choice. A choice to invest, to choose their investment and to choose how they use it. Our household pump is a simple rope and washer design with covering, which prevents contamination. These can be installed by our water entrepreneurs at the owners choosing; whether just outside their home, or in a central point in the village.
This is part of our pump investment scheme. The pump is sold at a price affordable for rural households, and installed at a place of their choosing. This reduces the average distance to a water pump from 500m to 11m.
Sustainability
This reduces demand and wear on community water points meaning less queues for those who use them, and eliminating the need to queue altogether for the households that own the pump. The investment relieves women and girls of an enormous burden, which means they have more time with family, to go to school and to make a living. The customer can also hold us accountable as a seller, and we can connect them with our water entrepreneurs for repairs and spare parts.
IMPACT
Ownership
People can make a choice as to what they own, and look after their assets
Empowerment
Women have more time with more convenient access to water
Sustainability
Pump is easy to use and maintain, and spare parts can be sourced locally
Health
Clean and safe water for hard to reach communities
