“I learnt a lot from Pump Aid. The importance of keeping it small, manageable; keeping it within the grasp and ownership of real communities. The importance of simplicity. The importance of ingenuity rather than scale. The importance not just of goodwill, organisation, and money: but of an idea that will make a practical difference to people’s lives.”

Matthew Parris - The Times

Pump Aid was founded by Ian Thorpe just over ten years ago.

Having worked as a teacher in Zimbabwe and experiencing the devastating loss of pupils and fellow members of staff from preventable water related diseases, Ian began the work of putting into place a charity that would explore the potential of creating a simple pump, easy to implement, manage and maintain, the Elephant Pump – based on an ancient Chinese model, and installing that in as many villages in Southern parts of Africa, beginning in Zimbabwe and then Malawi.