Corinne Bailey-Rae
Corinne has been a Goodwill Ambassador for Pump Aid since 2007. She is very passionate about the issues of water and sanitation and has spoken in the media about why she is helping to raise the awareness about the work of Pump Aid and the obstacles people are facing without access to water and sanitation.
Corinne visited a Pump Aid project in Malawi in 2007. She spent time with the Pump Aid team assisting them and the community in building an Elephant Toilet. She also met members of the community whom Pump Aid has worked with, hearing about the issues that they face and how technologies such as the Elephant Pump and Elephant Toilet have improved their health, hygiene and living conditions for the better.
Corinne has already helped Pump Aid through her endorsement of Thirsty Planet, and continues to make an effort to raise the awareness on the issues of water and sanitation. To highlight World Water Day she took part in the 20 litre challenge - getting through a day using no more than 20 litres of water which is the quantity millions of Africans survive on each day. Corrine commented to the Yorkshire Evening Post:
"I thought it was going to be easy but it turned out to be difficult in terms of how much you take for granted the fact that we have access to clean running water"
Thirsty Planet launched on 22 March 2007, World Water Day, and with the support of Corinne's great work, and Pump Aid's ambition, they have managed to reach thousands of people who were once living with unsafe water supplies, and provide sustainable access to clean water.
Corinne continues to be a fantastic supporter and Ambassodor of Pump Aid's works. Speaking to The Times newspaper in March 2010:
"I hooked up with Pump Aid, which helps villages dig wells so the women - its always the women - don't have to walk miles to get water. It's not only tiring, but often dangerous. In some parts of the world, there are many sexual assaults on women and girls as they leave the village.
It was quite an eye opener going to these rural villages. I could hardly lift the buckets the girls used when they were full; I thought my neck was going to snap. I know it is a terrible cliche and patronising to say they were poor but happy, but they certainly had something we have lost, the way they look after each other."
