Trevor Field and the PlayPumps of Africa
| Case Code: LDEN057 Case Length: 21 Pages Period: 1998-2008 Pub Date: 2009 Teaching Note: Available |
Price: Rs.500 Organization : Roundbout Outdoor, Playpumps International Industry :Social Sector Countries : Africa Themes: Entrepreneurship, Social Entrepreneurship, Base of the Pyramid |
Abstract Case Intro 1 Case Intro 2 Excerpts
Excerpts
Playpumps - A Social Innovation
The PlayPump water systems were installed in places such as school playgrounds, clinics, and community centers. According to Field, "It's a positive displacement water pump, and as the children spin around, it transfers their energy into vertical or reciprocal motion, and that pumps water from an underground borehole or well to the surface where it's stored in a tank for future use."....
The Playpump & Sustainability
Experts felt that the PlayPump was a social innovation that was also sustainable. Herman Diale, Eskom's corporate social investment consultant, said, "Eskom decided to get involved because of the project's sustainability and the viability of improving the quality of life for rural communities. The project also holds social and environmental benefits... The PlayPumps are an innovative way of introducing sustainable, inventive technology to draw water."...
Scaling Up
Many investors were attracted by the simple yet ingenious technology and the business model that supported the installation of PlayPumps, and since the late 1990s, RO was able to scale up significantly. PI worked collaboratively with government agencies, corporations, NGOs, and individuals to raise funds for the various projects...
Challenges
Experts felt that RO and PI faced various challenges in meeting its stated mission. The challenges started with finding groundwater sources. This was followed by rigorous testing to ensure that the quality of water was good and that the bore-well recharge was sustainable...
Looking Ahead
By mid-2008, PI/RO had set up more than 1,000 PlayPumps in five countries and was in the process of expanding to five more in sub-Saharan Africa. It was committed to reaching its ambitious target of setting up 4,000 pumps by 2010 and serving 10 million people. According to the company, moving into new countries was proving the viability of its business model for sub-Saharan Africa...
Exhibits
Exhibit I: The Water Problem
Exhibit II: PI's Statement of Financial Position: Fiscal Year Ending February 28, 2007
Exhibit III: PI's Statement of Activities: Fiscal Year Ending February 28, 2007
Exhibit IV: A Photograph of Children Playing on the PlayPump
Exhibit V: PlayPump Water Systems: How they Help Achieve UN's Millennium Development Goals
Exhibit VI: Countries Where PlayPumps Were Installed And Future Expansion Plans
Exhibit VII: A List of RO and PI's Partners
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