SOUTHMINSTER Church of England primary school have restored the lives of up to 1000 African people,
simply by drinking water.
The school on the Dengie peninsula has sponsored a well in the Manicaland Province of trouble-torn Zimbabwe by entering into a partnership with the charity Pump Aid, and locally-based AquAid water coolers.
The scheme simply means that for every four water coolers a school or business have, they earn the right to have a well installed in Zimbabwe with the inscription of their name on the well itself.
Each well takes approximately four months to construct, and the members of each village are educated in both its construction and maintenance to ensure self-sufficiency takes place.
The scheme is the brainchild of Ian Thorpe, chief executive of Pump Aid, who designed the Pump based on ancient Chinese technology.
Mr Thorpe saw children dying in schools when he visited on a gap year. He set to work to solve the problem of the 1.2billion people who do not have fresh water - 4,500 die each day due to water-borne diseases.
Since the partnership began four years ago, Pump Aid has been able to install enough wells to service more than one million people have been assisted with support from people like Southminster Primary School.
Karen Harden, who coordinates the School Council said: "We are delighted to be part of a unique scheme.
"To think that whilst we are encouraging our children to drink more water for their own health's sake, we are also saving lives in another part of the world, is quite staggering.
"We love the partnership idea, and want to encourage our students to think about the wider aspects of helping other people also.
"Long may the relationship with AquAid and Pump Aid continue."
Peter Hansen, the AquAid sales director adds: "We are privileged to be a part of this scheme. To
improve the quality of life locally and globally is quite a tall order.
"However, in this small way, we are able to make a difference. To think that lives can be this affected
by water is staggering, and we look forward to continuing our relationship with Southminster School for a long time to come."
For information on the scheme, call 01268 412626
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