Frequently Asked Questions
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What is a PlayPump® water system?
A PlayPump system is a child's merry-go-round (roundabout) attached to a water pump that provides clean drinking water and public service messages to schools and communities in sub-Saharan Africa.
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What countries do you work in?
PlayPumps International has identified 10 countries in sub-Saharan Africa as its focus countries through 2010, with the goal of providing approximately 10 million people with access to safe drinking water. Our countries include: Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.
PlayPumps International has already established operations in South Africa, Lesotho, Mozambique, Swaziland, and Zambia-with over 1000 pumps providing access to clean water and play to date. In 2008, we will be expanding into Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, and Uganda, and in 2009, we will begin implementation in Ethiopia.
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How do you get started in the ten countries you will work in?
Expansion into a new country requires a variety of steps beginning with the initial country analysis that takes place months before implementation even begins. Our teams must do on-the-ground research, needs assessments, water testing, site evaluations, and consult with other groups and stakeholders in the area in order to find the best sites. For this reason, when we first expand into a new country we do so with a pilot program of 100 pumps within 150km radius. After launching and testing our pilot sites, we will continue to expand our reach through a similar approach.
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Can you start working in my country? We are committed to delivering high quality programs to our 10 target countries in sub-Saharan Africa and are unable to take requests for expansion into new countries. However, we will keep our website updated if we expand into new regions.
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How much does a PlayPump system cost?
You can donate a fully installed PlayPump water system to a community for just US$14,000 (±R 90,000). The donation includes:
Equipment: Merry-go-round and pump, 2,500 liter (660 gallon) sealed storage tank, 7 meter (22 foot) tank stand with boards, standpipe with tap and water runoff, and all necessary piping.
Set-up: Country scoping, geo-hydro census, borehole assessment, site evaluation, water testing, community orientation, local crew training, specialized surface, transport, and system installation.
Operating: Organizational support (6% of total donation) for management of the U.S. and South Africa offices.
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Can you donate a PlayPump water system to a particular village?
We will try to accommodate such requests, given that the village is in a region and country where we are working. If that is the case, please email us at info@playpumps.org and include the following information that will help us determine if there is a good match:
- village name
- district/province/region name
- size of the community
- current water source for the community
- do boreholes exist in the community and where
- any other organizations working the area
- name and contact information of someone in that community
We are unable to accept requests for communities in countries outside of our current focus. PlayPump systems are not available for individual sale.
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What are the benefits of the PlayPump water system?
- PlayPump systems increase access to clean drinking water. More than 1.1 billion people worldwide do not have access to clean water. A single pump can bring safe, clean drinking water to thousands.
- PlayPump systems improve sanitation and hygiene. Water-related illnesses resulting from unsafe water and lack of sanitation are the single largest cause of disease worldwide. Every 15 seconds a child dies from a preventable disease that came from unsafe water . The PlayPump systems provide access to essential, clean water that keeps people healthy. International partners, such as Save the Children, often provide health education and training in communities where the systems are installed.
- PlayPump systems help reduce the impact of HIV/AIDS. PlayPumps International is working in countries with some of the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rates. The PlayPump water storage tank billboards provide social messages, many of which are dedicated to education about how to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS, raise awareness and reduce stigma. For people living with HIV/AIDS, clean water and sanitation is especially vital to good health and the ability to take medicines. The PlayPump water system won The World Bank's Development Marketplace Award in 2000 for its effectiveness at both pumping water and communicating HIV/AIDS messages.
- PlayPump systems help reduce barriers to education. Many schools in Africa do not have safe drinking water, latrines or hand-washing facilities. 443 million school days are lost each year due to water-related illnesses that keep children out of school and compromise their ability to learn when they do attend . PlayPump systems are often installed near schools and can provide safe, clean drinking water to millions of children, improving their health and their access to education.
- PlayPump systems promote play. In rural Africa, there are few safe, well-maintained playgrounds and places for play. Often undervalued because it appears so simple, play is a powerful tool through which young people learn about themselves, gain respect for each other, break down gender stereotypes, and stimulate their bodies and minds. PlayPump systems inspire kids to play, giving joy while fostering self-confidence and interpersonal skills.
- PlayPump systems increase opportunities for women and girls. In many areas of sub-Saharan Africa women and girls must walk an average of five miles (8 kilometers) to the nearest water source every day, returning with a five gallon (19 liter) container of water that weighs about 40 lbs (18 kilograms) . By eliminating this difficult and sometimes dangerous journey, PlayPump systems enable girls to attend school and allow women to care for their children and engage in income generating activities. Playing on a PlayPump merry-go-round also engages boys in water collection.
- PlayPump systems help spur economic development. More than 40 billion work hours are lost in Africa every year to the need to fetch drinking water . Access to clean drinking water through a PlayPump system helps return time and health to people, enabling their communities to survive -- and even thrive. With a PlayPump system installed, the need for clean drinking water no longer drains a community; instead, the ready availability of water enables individuals to take on more sustaining activities and productive work.
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How do PlayPump water systems work?
The PlayPump water system is a child's merry-go-round attached to a water pump, a storage tank, and a tap. While the children have fun spinning on the merry-go-round, they draw clean water from underground into the storage tank. The stored water comes out of a tap with the turn of a handle. Each PlayPump system reserves two of its four storage tank billboards for powerful public service messages, delivered at the very heart of the community. Companies may use the other two billboards for advertising, generating income which makes system maintenance self-supporting for at least ten years.
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Can the PlayPump system be operated by an adult?
The PlayPump system is very easy to use. Children can play on the merry-go-round, or adults can spin it by hand. The more people involved, the greater the production of water. The system requires less effort than the usual type of manually operated pump.
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How much water can be pumped and stored through a PlayPump system?
The PlayPump water system is capable of producing up to 1,400 liters (370 gallons) of water per hour at a rate of 16 rotations per minute, from a depth of 40 meters (131 feet). It is effective up to a depth of 100 meters (328 feet). The system's storage tank can hold 2,500 liters (660 gallons) of water.
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How does the advertising work?
The billboards surrounding the storage tank provide powerful health and educational messages, as well as commercial advertising to communities. Two of the four billboards are reserved for public service announcements (PSAs), and the remaining two can be used for advertisements. Revenues from the sale of the advertising space cover the cost to maintain the PlayPump systems so that the community does not incur any cost. Each PlayPump system has a maintenance guarantee of at least 10 years.
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Who are some of the advertisers? Many of the local companies advertising on the billboards make bread, tea, soap and other staples. International telecommunications companies like Vodacom, a mobile telephone network, and consumer goods companies like Colgate-Palmolive and Unilever also advertise their products.
The billboards will never advertise tobacco, liquor, or other products that are inappropriate for children. In addition, PlayPumps International's advertising partner, Roundabout Outdoor, takes great care in making sure that both public service announcements and commercial advertising are sensitive to the local community's culture.
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Does PlayPumps International make the pumps?
PlayPumps International contracts with the South African company Outdoor Fabrication and Steelworks to manufacture the pump in Johannesburg. This collaboration has created job opportunities for dozens of South Africans, and continues to grow.
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Does PlayPumps International install the pumps?
PlayPumps International contracts with Roundabout Outdoor, a South African company with a social mission, to install and maintain the PlayPump water systems. Roundabout Outdoor hires and trains local and regional crews in the areas where PlayPump systems are installed, spurring job creation, community involvement and ownership at the local level.
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What role does the community play?
Working hand-in-hand with local governments and community leaders, the PlayPump system is introduced to communities to ensure community involvement and ownership from the beginning. Once a community has agreed that it wants a pump, a community liaison is appointed. Roundabout Outdoor then trains a local crew to install and maintain the pump, giving jobs to local workers.
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What is a borehole?
A borehole is a deep hole drilled into the ground and encased in steel in order to extract water from below the earth's surface. The cost of drilling a borehole varies across Africa.
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Does PlayPumps International drill boreholes?
PlayPumps International does not drill boreholes; it partners with host country governments and other organizations that currently have drilling programs.
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What type of borehole is required for the PlayPump system? The PlayPump water system will fit onto a 165, 127, or 100 millimeter borehole. The ideal borehole depth is 60 meters (200 feet), but the system is functional between 30 and 100 meters (100 and 330 feet). Each identified borehole undergoes a series of geo-hydrological tests as well as water chemical tests to ensure that the water source is suitable for human consumption.
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How many PlayPump water systems have been installed, and where are they?
To date, more than 1000 PlayPump water systems have been installed in rural and peri-urban communities in sub-Saharan Africa, improving the health and wellbeing of millions of people.
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What are the future plans for PlayPumps International?
Over the next few years, PlayPump® water systems will be installed throughout sub-Saharan Africa, with the goal of reaching up to 10 million people by 2010. Mor than 1000 PlayPump systems have been donated to communities in South Africa, Lesotho, Mozambique, Swaziland, and Zambia. Expansion to Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, and Uganda, will occur this year and next.
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Do you have volunteer opportunities in Africa?
We do not currently have volunteer opportunities in the field because we work with local partners and crews. However, there are many ways in which you can make a positive impact on reversing Africa's water crisis, some of which are highlighted on our Take Action.
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