Malawi, Chris Carr Asda Employee

This trip excelled all my expectations. You have ideas in your head about what it will be like; I thought about my trip to Sri Lanka, thinking I was quite informed. The reality though is something else. The high light for me was when we actually had the pump working and we could see the expressions on people’s faces. The children staring in shock or amazement, I’m not sure which, was so satisfying.  The work that Pump Aid has managed to achieve is superb and if they can manage to get further products up and running it’s exciting to think about what more they could achieve and that they could hit their target of 10,000 pumps over the next 5 years. I learnt too that the sanitation side of things is also massively important. It’s one thing providing clean water for people but that is only part of the problem. Much of the disease the Malawian people suffer from is sanitation related. This is where the Elephant toilets are incredibly important, disposing of waste safely and helping to prevent contamination.  It’s clear to see the impact Pump Aid and Thirsty Planet are having on the people of Malawi. It’s summed up when you look at the reaction of the homesteads to a Pump Aid vehicle. When we arrived the children came flooding from their homes to chase us down the street, already knowing exactly where the pump would be and so full of excitement. That’s the greatest thing I will take from this experience- that Pump Aid is a magical organisation and that for one week I was a part of it. Not only that but a little thing that I did has changed people’s lives forever and of that, I am immensely proud.  I would like take this opportunity to thank the whole team. Thirsty Planet, thank you for awarding me this once in a lifetime opportunity. It is something that has changed my life and will stay with me forever. To each of you: Chris,Tony, James, Simon,Lisa and Amy, thank you for your wonderful company. It made the week easier.

Regards

Chris Carr