Last month, thanks to generous donor funding, we installed three PlayPumps in the Northern Cape, one of the driest areas of South Africa. All three schools reported a very serious shortage of water. They all had to rely on water from the community and when the community pumps broke the school could go for three to four days without any water. 
At Metsimantis Primary, they had an old hand pump which had been broken for many years. The school had to rely on the unreliable community water because there are no municipal deliveries. At Cardington Primary the school had a broken hand pump and so they had to collect water from the neighbours on a daily basis. In the hot summer months the children were often sent home early. Badihile Primary had a broken electrical pump and no resources to mend it. They also had to collect water from the village. All three schools have to make use of pit toilets. 
The three PlayPumps were installed in June this year. Now instead of having nothing to do in their dry and dusty school yards they are able to play and enjoy themselves on the PlayPump while pumping life giving water. They have reliable water to drink, cook with, wash hands, clean classrooms and maybe start a vegetable garden. in June we also visited and maintained 38 of our existing PlayPumps in Mpumalanga and Limpopo. We do not mind whether it is a small donation towards maintenance or a larger one towards providing a school with reliable water, but any and all assistance will help us continue providing clean drinking water to those in need. sandra.hayes@playpumps.co.za 011 543 7928
