Play Pumps

It is not very often that you see a really creative, original and worthwhile idea. It is even less often that child labour in the third world seems like a good thing. Thanks to an organisation called PlayPumps International both of these things have happened at once. The idea of the PlayPump is very simple. A hand operated pump draws water from underground to an 2,500 litre tank 7 metres above ground level from where it is fed to a simple standing tap. If too much water is pumped into the tank the excess flows back down the bore hole.




The idea is simple enough but the clever part is that the pump takes the form of a merry-go-round that children enjoy playing with. The pumps are sited in schools, this means that children who spent much of their time collecting water are now able to get an education. The fact the play pump is so much fun has actually helped encourage children to attend school. Women who also play a major role in collecting water now have more time for family life.

If that wasn't clever enough the water tank is covered with posters that include public health information and commercial advertising, the revenue from which pays for the maintenance of the pump for at least 10 years.



The importance of clean water water in the developing world cannot be overstated. Half the people in the developing world are suffering from water related illness. Also water related illness accounts for 80% sickness in the world.

PlayPumps are doing work that provides real help for a third world communities on many levels. They are also attempting to install 100 pumps in 100 days if you want to help them go here.

Strange Dreams

Every now and then I fall into a strange sleep pattern where I wake up at about four in the morning and then go back to sleep where I have the most detailed, lucid and surreal dreams imaginable. The last one was a couple of weeks ago.

In the dream I was a multi-millionaire and I agreed to help a man start a donkey sanctuary. I told him to take as much money as he needed and left him to it. When I returned the sanctuary was built but had taken the form of a sixteen storey building. The fourth floor was where he had housed the Bengal tigers and the sixth floor contained and advanced system for remote controlling the tropical island of St Lucia which had been modified to allow it to be driven around the West Indies (possibly the whole World).

Unfortunately I woke before finding out if any of the remaining floors actually contained donkeys. Some people think dreams actually have meaning and if this is so then maybe my subconscious is telling me not to leave tasks to other people when I should be involved myself or maybe to be kind to donkeys. It might also be telling me to seize control of St Lucia (that seems more likely).

Anyone wishing to learn more about donkey sanctuary's go here.
Anyone wishing to learn more about Bengal Tigers go here.
Anyone wishing to learn more about St Lucia go here.
Anyone wishing to learn more about weird dreams go here.

That is all.