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Play Pumps: Fresh Drinking Water Powered by Childs Play

Page history last edited by block8group6 15 years, 11 months ago

Bennion, Jackie.  “Rough Cut South Africa: The Play Pump.”  PBS.  24 October 2005.  7 April 2008.  <http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/rough/2005/10/south_africa_th.html>

            This website contains a short PBS video clip as well as written commentary from Jackie Bennion, Senior Interactive Producer at PBS.  PBS is a provider of documentaries and educational material to non-commercial television stations around the United States,and is a well-known source of credible stories.  The PBS video clip on the site is clearly in favor of the Play Pump initiative and does interviews with Trevor Field, the social entrepreneur who began the campaign, as well as local children in South Africa who play on thepumps every day.  The website notes that there has been “overwhelming interest from Web viewers,” which may be true but may also help create excitement for PBS in general.

     The website has followed up on what Play Pumps International is doing, highlighting the importance of Laura Bush and Bill Clinton’s announcement of $16.4 million in U.S. government grants and other foundations as well as the goal to raise another $45 million by 2010.  The article provides some background for the situation there by describing how in the 1800s, settlers brought nonnative seeds and plants with them that began to soak up much of the available water.  This keeps water from the streams and wetlands.  The articlalso mentions that the growing population is another important cause.

            The article describes Trevor Field in a positive light, as someone who wanted to give back after doing well in the advertising business.  After seeing the women waste hours and energy every day to pump water, he joined up with an inventor to create the play pump. The article describes the pump as “so inventive, so cost-efficient and so much fun for the kids that World Bank recognized it as one of the best new grassroots ideas.”  Clearly, the PBS article sheds a positive light on this initiative and doesn’t provide any instances of criticism, if any were available.

 

“Why pumping water is child’s play.”  BBC News.  25 April 2005.  7 April 2008.  <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4461265.stm>

            This BBC article highlights Roundabout Outdoors, a company in South Africa that builds play-pumps where children can play and pump water for African villages at the same time.  The article describes basically how the play pump works, using quotes from its  creator, Trevor Field.  It also describes how much investment is necessary to build them (about $9000 for each play pump) and how advertisement billboards are used to raise funds to maintain them.  It also explains that Roundabout Outdoor partners with such as theSouth African Department of Water Affairs and Forestry.  The article mostly just describes the facts surrounding the initiative without making any opinionated judgment statements, which is what a reliable and credible new source as BBC News is expected to do.

 

Grassroots Business Initiative.  International Finance Corporation website.  <http://www.ifc.org/ifcext/gbo.nsf/Content/Playpumps>

            The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is a member of the World Bank Group that provides loans, equity, financing and management products as well as advisory services to support the private sectors of developing countries.  With 179 member countries in the IFC and the support of the World Bank Group, it is a credible source of information. 

            This website describes the initiatives that the IFC is involved with in developing countries, and this page in particular explains their involvement with play pumps.  It explains briefly what play pumps are and the South African advertising company, Roundabout Outdoor, that created this innovation.  It explains the amount of water it provides, the number of wells built so far, and what the Grassroots Business Initiative (GBI) at IFC is doing with Roundabout Outdoor.  According to this article, GBI plans to help Roundabout Outdoor expand further into Africa beginning with Mozambique, Swaziland, and Uganda.  It includes a rough overview of these planned projects.

            In addition, GBI seems to have an innovate approach to expanding the scope of the play pumps by working with Roundabout Outdoor on building them in amusement parks in developed countries where people will also have the opportunity to donate to the programs.  The website only gives a very brief overview of these planned programs with little description of expected costs and benefits.  However, it does provide links to the play pumps website where more information can be found.

 

 

Play Pumps International.  March 28, 2008 <http://www.playpumps.org>

 

 

     The Playpump can provide easy access to clean drinking water, bring joy to children, and lead to improvements in health, education, gender equality, and economic development. It also provides one of the only ways to reach rural and peri-urban communities with

potentially life saving public health messages.  The system consists of a merry-go-round, a 2,500 liter tank, and a tap.  Advertisements are placed on top the tank.  Children play on the merry go round, which pumps the water from the ground into the tank. 

These systems are very sustainable and can be maintained with minimum effort. They are perfect for rural Africa.  Their current big initiative is “100 Pumps in 100 Days”. 

     Play Pumps was developed by the former executive of Roundabout Outdoor, a South African advertising company.  The Play Pumps use the revenue from the advertisements to generate the cash flows to pay for the maintence of the system in each village.  

 

 

 

 

McConnell, Kathryn.  "Initiative Aims To Help Millions in Africa Access Clean Water"  America. gov  September 20, 2006.  April 8, 2008.  <http://www.america.gov/st/washfile-english/2006/September/20060920141330AKllennoCcM0.2921564.html>

 

  The US  is partnering with two major nonprofit organizations to mak an effort to aid Africa with its water problem.   The US is pledging $10 million toward a goal of $60 million to fund the PlayPumps Alliance initiative according to First Lady Laura Bush, who spoke at the  

Clinton Global Initiative's annual meeting.  The U.S. has been making a concerted effort to develop partnerships for sustainable international development, addressing disease, health, education, water, etc. . The first lady called for all to help out and join the initiative. 

 

 

 

Fisher-Thompson, Jim.  “U.S. Congress Examines Drinking Water Crisis in Africa.” 17 May 2007.  April 14, 2008.  <http://www.america.gov/st/washfile-english/2007/May/200705171308471EJrehsiF9.121341e-02.html>

 

 

     The United States government, noting the recent problems in Africa, has begun investigating into the crisis surrounding availability of water in Africa.  Africa is one of the more impoverished regions in the world, lacking clean water which kills 4,900 children per day. 

 USAid has begun working with African partners to help meet the UN’s Millennium goals.  USAid funded $91.6 million in programs from 2006-2007.  USAid also encourages private funding from US corporations including partnerships such as the Hilton (hotel) Foundation

 (the West African Water Initiative), the Coca Cola Company (Community Watershed Partnerships Program) and the Case Foundation (the PlayPumps Alliance). 

      Additionally, The PlayPump is innovative but simple technology also "spurs economic progress through the development of manufacturing, distribution, parts supply and maintenance services associated with the pump technology.” 

 

 

 

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