AfriGadget

Anyway, as it turns out, there’s an entire website devoted this African innovation. http://www.afrigadget.com/ I highly recommend people keeping an eye on this. One project that particularly caught my eye on the site was the “Playground Pump” … a water pump that’s generated from a children’s playground merry-go-round, and then wouldn’t you know but I found out the same day that a colleague just visited them in Africa. Small world =)

Some of the pumps have also been coupled w/ HIV awareness campaigns.

Chris the advertising/public service announcements on the side of the tanks to pay for the pumps is one of the best things about this scheme. It is vital to ensure that projects like this are at the very least self sustaining after the initial investment. In future they may even become profit making. Clean water and a source of income which can be reinvested in the community.

Thanks for the comment.

[...] ZUNGU Web strategist in a White African’s skin Articles Posted: 6; Links Seeded: 7Member Since: 2/2006 WelcomeYou’ve made it to Newsvine! A place to read, write, and discuss the news. To get started:1. Click around and get comfortable. You can find wire news here faster than any site on the web, as well as contributions from people all around the world.2. Head over to the Help Section and read more about what you can do here.3. Sign up for a free Newsvine account and begin commenting, chatting, and writing your own column. (And replace this big space with something useful). BackyardWorld Cup 2006 Pick’emChat LobbyThe GreenhouseRecommended ArticlesMLB Scoreboard PlaypumpsNews Type: Other — Seeded on Mon Jun 5, 2006 11:53 PM EDTArticle Source: afrigadget.comtechnology, africa, children, development, water, africanStart Chatting10 !Seeded by zungu [...]

We are a small non-profit that provides free medical care to the children of Uganda and I am so excited about this children’s pump, I want to see what we can do to install one of these in one of our communities in Northeastern Uganda.
Does the $7000 include the cost of the borehole and the container or it that additional? I previously worked in the construction industry and I can’t think of a better contribution than to have our city’s contractors help in making this become a reality for our kids!!!

[...] You can say that the hand pumps are for the kids “to get that old-tyme experience”  (kids always line up to use the pumps at the kiddie-farms we visit) and to water the square foot gardens. A quick google search on “water pump kids playground” provides these links: – http://www.worldchan... – http://www.afrigadge... – http://mingo.info-sc... Of course, they should also be “operated” by one or two adults in case it’s not the right time for people to mix.  Or there could be other adaptations for respiratory protection? btw: http://www.squarefoo... is here.  Getting compost in huge quantities is a problem, too.  There was a wikipage about all this, somewhere … [...]

Chris the advertising/public service announcements on the side of the tanks to pay for the pumps is one of the best things about this scheme. It is vital to ensure that projects like this are at the very least self sustaining after the initial investment. In future they may even become profit making. Clean water and a source of income which can be reinvested in the community.

Thanks

[...] SocialEdge & AfriGadget are two blogs that implement the creative MakeZine spirit to sustainability and development. Both sites collect instances of social entrepreneurship & innovative technology application at its best. Here is one I liked best: One project that particularly caught my eye on the site was the “Playground Pump” … a water pump that’s generated from a children’s playground merry-go-round [...]

Comment on the “Playpump”

We appreciate the attention for the school water problem, but this “Playpump” is realy not the way to go.

It has been tried out many years ago in South Africa and it didnt work for many reasons.

- after a while, kids dont see the fun anymore
- tanks always empty, so you have to play before
you can drink
- if other people want water, theu have to look
for some kids to play first.
- the tanks are leaking, also through the taps
and water is lost
- advertisement only available in populated
areas, but there is often piped water, so
no need for this expensive system
- it is extremly expensive
- you have to buy 10 at the time at 8.000 to
10.000 US$ each, so it makes no sense for
one school
- maintenance is very complicated and expensive
after some years nobodfy will take care of
it, but “who realy cares anyway…?”

Conclussion:

It is a WatSan fake product, but very well presented by some clecer business guys who have no idea what the real problems and challaenges are in Africa.

These business man probably could care less that the money could be so much better spend for real sustainable activities, as long as they have their profits.

WatSan Consult
Paul van Beers
25 years experience in Rural Africa)

http://www.handpump.org

http://www.watsan.org

[...] and other parts, and could be used for other work. ‘Kids, charge Mommy and Daddy’s phones please!’ http://www.afrigadget.com/2006/06/04/playpumps/ (This also can be found through some United Nations programmes. This is just the first one that [...]

I am very interested in this water pump and it sounds good. And I would like to find out how to contact Paul van Beers to find out more about why he doesn’t like it and what he suggests is more sustainable. Thank you.

[...] site 1     site 2      site 3 [...]

Discussion Play-Pump continued …

(To Rebecca Ryan and others who reacted)

What a lot of people in the WatSan Sector dont like, is the “exploitation” of the water needs in Africa. This is clearly the case with the extreamly expensive and not sustainable Play-Pump. There are many things not OK, like for insance they claim to “give” to 2.500 people per pump water. This is nonsense. It shows that they have no idea on what they are talking about. Kids are at school and may use the wheel for one a short time before and after classes, before getting dizzy. if the pump gives a max of 1,5 m3/h, you are lucky to get a max of 1000 liters per day, which may serve 50 to 100 persons.

Any normal handpump will do the same, but is easier to use by others and so much cheaper! Imagine that with the Playpump, man, woman etc. first have to sit and get dizzy before they can have some water. Sorry…

A normal handpump serves everyone and is easier to maintain. Money counts in the end, we know that in Africa, but the people who sell the Ppaypump only see their own profit, seems??, or maybe they are not well informed and have seen Africa only from pictures and Kruger Safaris?

The problem is always maintenance, and handpumps were also problematic because of frequent breakdowns. That is why we promote a new maintenance free handpump, the AFRIPUMP, made in Holland, yes, the country that has some experience with water, which is now available for Africa.

More info on our website http://www.handpump.org

Sincerely
Paul van Beers
WatSan Consult

p.s. The good aspect of the Playpump is the advertising that could raise some money. On the Afripump this advertising is also possible.

[...] 60+ Sports. One Cart. Sponsored by: Amazon.com/sports/ [Found on Ads by Google] 2. Playpumps — AfriGadget Archive One project that particularly caught my eye on the site was the “Playground Pump” … a water [...]

This contraption seems to use child labor. That is BAD.

Just re-reading this, thought I’d add a few links to some writing I’ve been doing about the Playpump, including a user review of the PlayPump by a rural African woman.

A general discussion of the technology: http://thoughtsfrommalawi.blogspot.com/2009/08/playpump.html

A user-review by a rural African woman (from Chikwawa district, Malawi):
http://thoughtsfrommalawi.blogspot.com/2009/10/playpump-ii.html

A post about the challenges of getting the real story when visiting these things:
http://thoughtsfrommalawi.blogspot.com/2009/11/playpump-iii-challenge-of-taking-photos.html

Thanks,

Owen