In the 2020/2021 Winter edition of Field Notes, you will read about many of the exciting developments happening within DO that enable us to fulfill our mission.
Design Outreach Team is Growing – Join Us!
From Greg Bixler, CEO and Co-founder: “Men and Women wanted to save lives, transform communities, spread the Gospel and store up treasure in Heaven.” DO is growing – Join us on mission! We are excited about how God has continued to grow Design Outreach (DO). As we are growing, we need more full-time teammates. As I thought about outreach to … Read More
LifePumps™ in Guatemala—A New Partnership, A New Country
Last summer, Water for Life Guatemala co-founder Gary Bartholomew and several other team members traveled from Deer Park, Washington, to see a LifePump in action. They spent the day at the DO prototype shop at Exact Machine Corporation in Sunbury, Ohio, where they participated in LifePump installation training. Not long after that visit, they ordered 10 LifePumps for their work … Read More
Welcome Project Engineer Daniel Wang
When Daniel met with Design Outreach CEO Greg Bixler for the first time in February 2020, it was one of his first exposures to humanitarian engineering and a faith-based engineering organization. While he found it interesting, he thought his life was on a different track. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Daniel’s outlook for the future began to change. … Read More
Team Updates: Naja Robinson Promoted to Principal Engineer
Naja Robinson joined the Design Outreach team as a Project Engineer in May 2020 and quickly made an impact by guiding the summer internship program and the update of the LifePump field installation guide. Over the past year, she has shown leadership as she has led projects like the LifePumpLink dashboard project in partnership with E2 Infosystems. In her new … Read More
Bike Pedal Turns Result in LifePump Handle Turns – The Golden Cup Ride Returns for 2021
Last year, Design Outreach engineering volunteer Michael Cook felt called to raise funds for LifePumps for people in Malawi by riding a 1,300+ mile section of the Transamerica Bicycle Trail. His ride inspired co-workers from DePuy Synthes in Indiana to “match Michael’s miles” and support the fundraising effort, raising enough funds to provide five LifePumps that will be installed in … Read More
Board of Director Spotlight: Mary Mungai
“I know what it is like to drink dirty water and not even know that it is dirty. When I heard about the work of Design Outreach from a good friend in the Delaware Rotary, I was impressed by DO taking the time to do God’s work in Africa, the innovation of the LifePump, …it is not a band-aid solution.”
From Tears to Cheers
Families in rural communities that don’t have a well or a water pump installed depend on rivers, puddles, or any other open water sources prone to waterborne diseases. Young girls typically hold the responsibility of gathering and carrying heavy water containers several times a day.
Mission Partner Update: From the Frontlines of Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe
Recently, the Design Outreach team visited Africa and traveled to Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The three-country trip had been the first opportunity to travel in 2020. It provided an incredible opportunity to set up critical supply chain depots, install LifePumps, LifePumpLinks, provide training for local installers to continue the work, and set up the Malawi Field Office.
Postcards from Africa
The last few days in Malawi and Zambia have been great – in Malawi we’ve witnessed the installation of 2 new LifePumps (in Mtenje and Chikwandawala villages), provided further Training of Trainers, started setting up our Malawi LifePump warehouse, and met with the Bwaila Rotary Club. In Zambia met with the local government and the NGO Living Water International.