It is estimated that a third of the world’s hand pumps are no longer functioning. In many cases, drilled wells are abandoned because traditional hand pumps don’t reach deep enough into the ground to produce water. LifePump was developed by Design Outreach as a solution to the problem of broken hand pumps. It reaches deeper and lasts longer than current hand pumps on the market. Click here to learn more about how the technology works.

Organizations like Water for Good told us that they needed a hand pump that could reach deeper wells. Over the last few years, we have developed, tested, and optimized LifePump to meet all of the requirements traditional hand pumps fail to meet. We successfully installed our first two permanent LifePumps in Malawi in 2013. Because of the success of those installations, we began a pilot program with World Vision called the Hundred Pump Project, through which thousands of people gained access to safe, reliable water. We look forward to continuing this trend as we work with local partners, governments, and NGOs to expand the use of the LifePump across Africa and Haiti.

We will still graciously accept your philanthropic investment and combine it with other campaigns to complete a project. We encourage you to continue championing your cause throughout the course of the campaign to ensure the maximum number of people can be reached with safe and reliable water. Ask your teammates to help spread the word and get more circles of reminds, family, colleagues, and others to pitch in. Working with others to achieve your goal can help ensure success.

Absolutely! Please speak with them first about your project, and we will be happy to follow up with an email or call as necessary.

All it takes to be a successful fundraising champion is a willing heart to spread the word and champion the cause. We encourage each fundraising champion to donate to his or her own campaign so others will be more likely to give. Your main goal, however, is to help spread the word and encourage others to partner with us in this fight to solve the water crisis for good. For some people, that might mean sending letters to their closest family and friends. Others might host an event such as a bake sale or 5K. Others might feel more comfortable presenting to their coworkers about the work and mission of Design Outreach. You can spread the word about your campaign in whatever way is most comfortable for you. However you do it, don’t be overwhelmed by the numbers. The more people you tell, the more likely you’ll reach your goal. And remember: We are here to help! Feel free to reach out at any time, and we’d be happy to help.

You can contribute to the work of Design Outreach in many ways. You can start your own campaign, donate to an existing campaign, make a one-time donation or become a Sustainer by signing up for automatic monthly donations. If you choose to become a fundraising champion, the first step is to choose how much money you want to raise. $10,000 can provide one pump to a village, but any amount will help provide safe, reliable water. If you don’t raise the full $10,000, we will combine your funds with other campaigns to complete an entire project. The next step is to spread the word and invite others to raise awareness and help you meet your goal.

Our local partners drill the wells, install the pumps, and provide proper maintenance and training to ensure LifePump lasts as long as possible before needing service. All of this is done in partnership with the local communities where LifePumps are installed.

The population of each village varies, but one water source typically serves 300 to 400 people. It’s not uncommon for the pumps to be used 10, 12, or more hours per day, so LifePump was engineered to meet this demand.

We will certainly to do our best! We encourage our local partners provide us with pictures from the communities where LifePump is installed, but sometimes we cannot guarantee it. If these reports and photos are received, we will pass them along to you to share with your supporters.

We would love to speak with your group of supporters and share with them the work and mission of Design Outreach. Please contact us, and we can plan a visit.

We empower our local partners choose which communities to help based on need and permission from governments. They know these communities better than we do, so we allow them to take the lead on community selection.

Much like the U.S. government has standards and regulations for its water systems, African countries have standards for hand pumps. In most countries, the national standard is the Afridev or India Mark II, which are known to break down after six months or less and which reach only 50 meters. Because LifePump has a greater depth capacity and is engineered to last years without maintenance or service, local governments have noticed its sustainability.