Malawi Trip 2008
You can read about somewhere, see it on the TV and Google it on the internet, but however much research you do nothing’s going to help you get under its skin quite like being there. After more than a year of producing and selling Thirsty Planet three staff members got the chance to see exactly where the money raised by Thirsty Planet goes.
Tony, Chris and James went to Malawi, one of the countries where our partner charity Pump Aid is focusing its work, to help build a pump and find out what life is like for people who’ve had to walk miles several times a day to fetch water for their family.
They were accompanied by four colleagues from Asda who had won an essay competition to land a place on this once-in-a-lifetime trip. Here are some of the highlights from their diaries:
Simon Durent, grocery manager,High Wycombe/Stevenage
I feel honoured to have been allowed to go to Malawi to see how my efforts and my store’s efforts to sell Thirsty Planet water funded the building of Elephant pumps. I think Thirsty Planet is a brilliant way of helping to fund Pump Aid. I will certainly see how I can help to sell more water in my store. The main things I learned on my trip to Malawi was how important water is, where I took it for granted before. Pump Aid and Thirsty Planet are working really hard to bring clean water to Malawi. Pump Aid people have got their heads screwed on bringing water, toilets, irrigation and education. The quality of life they bring is just amazing. Keep up the good work Thirsty Planet and Pump Aid.
Mike Carr, goods-in controller, Cape Hill, Smethwick
Monday night was quite an experience. We stayed as guests in the village overnight. A feast was put on for us and after dinner the villagers performed for us, singing and dancing. It was really touching to be welcomed so warmly.
You have ideas in your head about what it will be like. The reality though is something else. The highlight for me was when we actually had the pump working and we could see the expression on people’s faces. The children staring in shock or amazement, I’m not sure which, was so satisfying.
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, 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 for one week I was 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.
Lisa Ferguson, product inventory assistant, Newtownards, Northern Ireland
This trip opened my eyes to what we as a society take for granted. I knew this trip would be difficult but until you’re there, talking to the villagers, sitting eating with them, playing with their children and really connecting with them you will never understand how difficult a life it is for them.
Imagine being a young girl who has to walk up to 10 miles to an insect and disease-infected water source, filling buckets and walking 10 miles back. Using this water to wash yourself in and clean your dishes from the night before, and having to use the same water to drink and cook with. To us this is unimaginable. All we have to do is turn on a tap and we are guaranteed water that won’t run out.
With these pumps provided by Thirsty Planet people can grow crops and feed their families and have livestock. These pumps open up a world of opportunity for these people and you can tell they are so happy to have them.
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 just want to work without having to worry about surviving from one day to the next. Parents just want what we want for our children, and that is for them to be happy, healthy and successful.
Ami Craig, HR department, Bangor, Northern Ireland
The night spent in the village gave me a true understanding of what it must be like to live in such a village. The villagers were so welcoming and did all they could to make our stay comfortable.
Pump Aid and Thirsty Planet’s efforts are saving lives in Malawi, giving communities new skills, the chance to grow more crops and a better likelihood that their kids will go to school.