Pedaling for the People of Malawi: Introducing the Pump Rehabilitation Program
When Michael Cook mapped out a bicycle ride from Cincinnati to Cleveland to support the people of Malawi, he had no idea the route was nearly the same length as Lake Malawi. Sometimes, the Lord has a way of connecting the dots.
This September, DO’s Engineering Solutions Director will load more than 50 pounds of gear onto his bicycle and ride 326 miles along the Ohio to Erie Trail. Over six days, he’ll pedal an average of 55 to 60 miles each day before sleeping in a tent each night.
Michael’s goal is to raise $30,000 to restore four Afridev hand pumps through DO’s new Pump Rehabilitation Program.
The Need for the Program:
Every day across Malawi, millions of people rely on Afridev hand pumps for safe drinking water. Yet nearly one in three of those pumps is no longer working, leaving an estimated 4 million people without reliable access to clean water.
In many cases, the water source is still there, but after years of breakdowns and costly maintenance, the pump has fallen into disrepair. Design Outreach’s new Pump Rehabilitation Program is designed to bring these pumps back to life and supply them with long-lasting MaxLife components.
This program will run alongside our MaxLife™ Centralizer Bridging Initiative, our large-scale effort to reach all of Malawi with the MaxLife Centralizer, a simple and affordable part designed to address up to 75% of Afridev failures. While the MaxLife™ Centralizer Bridging Initiative improves the reliability of pumps that are still at least somewhat functional, the Pump Rehabilitation Program focuses on pumps that have completely failed—an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 in Malawi alone. These are existing water points that once served communities but now sit silent. Each one represents an opportunity to restore safe water, strengthen a community, and open the door to sharing the Gospel.
Michael has completed fundraising rides for Design Outreach before—including a ride along the eastern shore of Lake Michigan and another across the country on an e-bike—but this one is different. After six trips to Malawi, he says the country and its people have become a part of him.
“I no longer feel like a visitor,” he said. “God has changed something in my heart where it feels like I’m more like one of our Malawian team. It’s so inspiring to be there.”
Cycling for Change:
As Michael rides, he will be thinking of the many individuals he has met in Malawi who continue to inspire him. “I’m doing this ride to lift the burden from our dear friends in Malawi,” he said. “It represents the women who carry 40-pound buckets of water on their heads. It’s like walking 300 miles in the sandals of my friends.”
Watch for more information about how you can follow Michael’s journey and help restore safe water to communities by supporting his ride.
