In Malawi climate change have make water security even more difficult and costly to achieve.
Climate change also reintroduce water security challenges in countries that for a hundred years
have enjoyed reliable water supplies and few, if any, water shocks. Much of the developing
world has to cope with droughts and/or the growing risk of flooding. Extreme variability of
precipitation is expected to place 2.8 billion people at risk of water shortages.
The project with support from our partners from Ireland aimed at promoting natural resources
management of sustainable, adoptable and replicable local technologies of improving
soil/water conservation and forestation leading to the reduction of food insecurity at
household level.
In order to respond to the shortage of water and low access to clean and safe water among
rural areas, YARD adopted a chine rope pump.
This project use an innovative technology adopted in Malawi only by YARD from Pump aid of
Zimbabwe called the Elephant Pump. The Elephant has proved itself to be sustainable since
spare parts can be manufactured from waste materials found in any African homestead. This
project established a sustainable supplies of clean water (and improved sanitation) for around
81,000 poor people including a large number of AIDS orphans who will be able to remain in
school due to the nutrition gardens established for dry-season irrigation (using the same
Elephant Pumps).
Rope pumps have been around for centuries, emerging first in China. A loop of rope, if driven at
sufficient speed, can pull water up from a well more efficiently than standard pump designs.
The rope can be made from any material, and the volume brought up by the rope's motion can
be increased with pistons spaced along the cable. The Elephant Pump is an improved version of
the rope pump, designed by a group called Pump Aid, founded by Ian Thorpe. Their goal was to
make a clean water system that would be as efficient, as inexpensive, as locally-appropriate and
as
Firstly introduced in Zimbabwe, in Malawi YARD was the key partner and trained its staff in
Elephant Pump installations and management . YARD is the only organization that adopted the
Elephant Pump and currently being promoted under its Integrated Health Water and
Sanitation.
Background to the Elephant Pumps
The elephant pumps is being promoted under the Integrated Health, water and Sanitation
Project (I-HEWASA), that is being implemented in Blantyre rural by Youth Action in Relief and
Development, YARD. The project aimed at improving the quality of life for rural marginalized
communities by upgrading the water supply and sanitation facilities and provision of Health
Education that ensure beneficiary communities sustain such installations and live a healthy and
productive life.
The key to YARD's success has been the innovative and effective Elephant Pump. YARD is the
only local organization in Malawi that has adopted and promotes the elephant pumps. It is now
the champions of the pumps in Malawi with support from our partners in Ireland, YARD
adopted the Chinese rope design using locally available materials in 2006. Elephant Pump was
introduced in Malawi by Pump Aid and YARD was the only organization that established a
partnership with an aim of adopting the technology.
How the elephant pump is made
Wells are dug by hand but YARD Technical Team may need to help to remove rocks and heavily
impacted earth. YARD never uses mechanical diggers because it would deprive someone a job
and increase cost. In addition as we work in rural
and remote locations it would be impossible to bring in machinery. YARD promotes the
community participation in all the elephant pump installation processes.
As the Pump handle is turned, water is drawn up by plastic washers attached to a rope. The
Pumps are so easy to use that children as young as five years old can manage to pump out a
bucket full of water.
The pump can lift water from as deep as 50m and produce 1 litre of water every second. The
location of a well is determined by geographical formations and vegetation growth with input
made by YARD Technical Team.
The Elephant Pump is encased in concrete to prevent any contamination, ensuring that a clean
sustainable supply of water is provided for the local community for many years to come.
When a Pump is built, beneficiaries receive a training workshop so that they can maintain
the Pump using easy to find materials such as plant fibres. Often nutrition gardens are set