Caring Lisa relishes Malawi opportunity
A Newtownards supermarket worker is preparing for a dream trip to Africa where she’ll play a hands-on role in improving the lives of remote villagers.
Lisa Ferguson, aged 22, is part of a four-strong team of Asda colleagues that will travel to Malawi next month to support the pioneering work of ethical water brand Thirsty Planet and its charity partner, Pump Aid.
Millions of people in Malawi don’t have access to clean water, and many have to walk huge distances several times a day to collect water from unprotected wells, putting themselves and others at risk of disease. But Lisa and co will aim to change that by helping Pump Aid officials to build a water pump in a village – giving the community its first supply of clean, safe water.
Lisa qualified for the trip because the store where she works, at Ards Shopping Centre, was one of the four top sellers of Thirsty Planet water in the UK during a recent promotion.
“There was a notice up in the store explaining that someone from our branch would be chosen to go to Malawi, and anyone who was interested had to write an essay saying why they wanted to go,” explained Lisa, who flies to Malawi on 2 May.
“I based my essay on my desire to meet villagers in Malawi and witness first-hand their spirit and desire to get things done. They always seem to smile whenever you see pictures on TV, and I find that amazing – particularly when you consider the situation they currently face in terms of struggling to access clean water.
“We take it for granted that we can just turn on a tap if we want water, but the villagers there don’t have that luxury. It makes you appreciate more than ever just how lucky we are – and what a great job Thirsty Planet and Pump Aid are doing. I can’t wait to do my bit and help out.”Thirsty Planet provides people in Africa with clean water for life by making a guaranteed, specified donation to Pump Aid for every bottle sold. This mechanic has already helped to supply clean water for life to more than 800,000 people in Africa, and sales of the bottled water are currently funding a new water pump every six hours on average.
The pump Lisa will build is based on a 2,000-year-old Chinese design and costs just £250 to build. Many of the components are made by the community using easy-to-find materials such as plant fibres, so once in place it is entirely self-sustainable.
Paul Martin, managing director of Thirsty Planet’s parent company Waterbrands, said: “The pumps make a huge difference because without them villagers have to walk miles to the nearest water source several times a day – and even then, the water may be dirty or contaminated.
“Our aim is to supply clean water to 10 million people in Africa by 2015, and thanks to the hard work of people like Lisa, we’re well on the way to reaching that target.”