Brilliant Idea for Humanity !
How cool is that!!!!"We all know kids have boundless amounts of energy and a need to play - so why not channel some of that energy into much needed rural infrastructure? That was the brilliant idea behind the PlayPump: a humanitarian design project that consists of a water pump hooked up to a small village merry-go-round. Access to clean drinking water is a huge concern in developing regions of the world, and now the PlayPump system is bringing clean water into the hardest hit regions of Sub-Saharan Africa, where it has been installed in rural villages and primary schools, so that kids can have fun while pumping all the clean, potable water that their families need."
ref:
http://www.inhabitots.com/2009/03/05/play-pump-the-merry-go-round-water-pump/
http://www.inhabitots.com/2009/03/05/play-pump-the-merry-go-round-water-pump/
Labels: design, everyday life, humanity
posted by _z. @ 10:07 AM
14 Comments:
hehehe amazing!!!
Really cool!!
I saw this a while back actually on the news... maybe BBC. I can't remember. yes, it's awesome. Africa needs a lot...
Depending on your perspective you can call this child labor....but if it can bring much needed water to these communities then why not.
Fadi
We need more ideas of the sort.
How can you think of it as child labor?
Children will play, and water will be pumped to the village. Do you think children cry if you you ask them to play a bit?
Do you think they need telling?
no man they will just play, and enjoy checking out the water from the other side!
This is brilliant! Everybody chips in, nothing to do with child labor, unless you call having fun and playing child labor.
There must be other applications who can be applied this way...
I am glad I am able to engage you in this debate. It is pictured as a game for children.....and they look like they are having fun indeed. Come back 1 month (or perhaps 1 year) later when they have been doing this day in and day out several hours a day and then we will find out if they are still having fun.
I am not being critical of original ideas that are community oriented but to picture this as a game for children is misguided. I can tell you that to 'require' children to do a repetitive job for a 'return' is equivalent to child labor no matter how you paint it. But like I said before, if the alternative option is not having water then this is much better despite the price.
Here's where I disagree.
You have the luxury of boredom because you (and I) have (or had) alternatives. When all a child has to play with is a stick and a "home made wheel" to run after, or a football made of branches and leafs, I think having such a toy is a luxury.
They can't be bored, because they don't have a wii to run back home to. Add to that, with the nativity rate they have in Africa, by the time kids grow out of this as a "toy" there will be other kids grown enough to start taking interest in this... and there's your cycle.
Also, I am sure that some grown ups will take part in this, as it is not just a toy... And I don't think much pumping is required, as you say, for several hours a day. They don't need much, they will just pump according to their needs (as they are used to having little or even no water; they don't know the meaning of wasting).
I remember as kids, we used to play with the same toy (or game) for years and years and never tire. When a friend of mine was the first to acquire a computer (a commodore 64), we flocked at his house for several years, only to play with the same, and only game he had... over and over again.
So I get that you are appreciative with the idea or the initiative, but are skeptical if it is going to be a definite solution... I don't know, I don't have the answer, but I can tell you that... I would have never gotten tired of a game unless I really grew out of it.. and then it will pass on to my little brother.
I don't like how you reappear briefly and then disappear without a trace.
Just checking on you. Hope all is well in _z.land.
A brilliant idea really, and apparently it's efficient they say 1400 litres/hr with a 16 rpm which is a remarkable performance, I hope it's not very hard to turn.
And about more ideas of the sort, engineers without borders is an NGO working on even more elaborate ideas and projects.
incredible photo!!
Waynak wloooo? ma32ool? are you ok? busy? disgusted?
dude, so what's your excuse for not writing?
no you're right guys. there are no excuses.
thank you.
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