Solar powered water pump

The problem:
For millions of poor people around the world, and especially in Africa and parts of South America, the biggest problem they face is hunger. Every day is a struggle to survive when there is not enough food. Many of these people grow their own crops, in an effort to feed themselves. But when drought hits - an increasingly frequent occurrence due to climate change - their precious crops die and they are left with nothing.

The solution:
In many places, groundwater is often accessible at relatively shallow depths (up to 30 metres - the maximum realistic depth of a hand-dug or hand-drilled well).

To raise water using a hand-pump is hard work. Maize growing at the height of the season on a small plot needs about 5,000 litres per day. To lift this amount of water from a modest 10 metre depth would take one person about six hours. But this amount of water can easily be delivered by a modestly sized solar panel. We have developed a new form of solar rope pump, that could have huge benefits for poor people in rural communities. We urgently need funds to trial the pump and evaluate its effectiveness.

Outcomes:
Save poor people from hunger by helping them irrigate their crops
Save families from waterborne disease, such as cholera, by providing safe, clean water
Improve families' income by increasing food production, so they have sufficient to eat and sell
Eliminate the need for hand-pumps, freeing up time and labour to spend on more productive activities, such as farming.

To meet the people involved, watch videos and read updates from the field, go to blog.

Light up the developing world