“We are so thankful for this pump, for the work you are doing…you came just in time…” – Edison, a community member from Kunopeta, Zimbabwe.
Edison shared these words of gratitude with Project Engineer Daniel Wang during a LifePump™ installation in his community. He was referring to the fact that the dry season in Zimbabwe is coming soon. In the past, the community would run out of water or drink dirty water to survive.
Daniel, joined by fellow engineers Naja Robinson, Principal Engineer and Hannah Tilley, Project Engineer, experienced fieldwork in Africa for the first time on this trip. Abe Wright, Design Outreach (DO) co-founder and chief technology officer, led the team. They worked alongside Zimbabwe mission partner Karanda Mission Hospital, and collectively, they installed 14 LifePumps in six days – an aggressive and impressive pace.
The experience made an impression on each of the engineers. They were able to work through challenges in the field, meet incredible people, and see the reality of how the engineering work they do makes a difference. As a result, all involved have a renewed commitment to DO’s mission to providing reliable, safe water to communities in need.
Daniel summed it up well when he said, “having consistent access to water and being able to wake up the next morning and always depend on it being there – that is the biggest gamechanger for these communities. When you know that you are going to be able to wash your hands, eat and drink safely, and have water for your crops and animals, that is a really big deal.”
Watch the replay of Virtual Coffee: Stories from Zimbabwe to hear all the stories and see photos from the DO Team’s work in Zimbabwe.
