My name is Lisa Ferguson, I'm 22 years old and work for Asda in the P.I. department. On the 2nd of May I was given a fantastic opportunity to go to Malawi to help build water pumps for the people of Malawi.This all came about due to a partnership that Asda has with a company called Thirst Planet. Every bottle or pack of Thirsty Planet water sold a percentage is donated to an organisation called Pump aid. My store along with another store from Northern Ireland and two from England were given the opportunity to send someone from each of these stores because we had sold the highest volume in Thirst Planet bottled water.Imagine being a young girl who has to walk up to 10miles to an insect and diseased infected water source, filling buckets, bottles what ever you can carry and walking those 10 miles back. Using this water to wash yourself in and clean your dishes from the night before and then having to use the same water to drink and cook with. To us this is unimaginable. All we have to do is to turn a tap and we are guaranteed clean water that won’t run out!!! What I’ve learned from this trip is that the people in Africa don’t want pity or hand outs they want to work for a better future for their families. They are more that willing with the help of organisations to build water pumps themselves having been shown how. They just want to be able to work without having to worry about surviving from one day to the next. I have learnt that parents just want what we want for our children and that is for them to be happy, healthy and successful. One of the main things I have learnt is not to take water for granted, to be thankful for what I have. I have also learnt that getting clean water for everyone in Africa is not going to be quick or easy and that every organisation helping do this needs our help. It is so frustrating that I can’t convey just how emotional this was and how deeply affecting this trip was. To be honest this trip has done so much more than teach me the value of water but it’s truly changed me and has had a lasting effect. I feel that I’ve left so much out that I wanted to say but I just want to just thank everyone for the opportunity and making this experience a life changing one!!! Zikomo
