Doing Well and Doing Good

My wife and I get most of our broadcast news coverage from two PBS shows - Frontline and NOW.

Recently on Frontline World, we saw a very inspiring segment that involved a 50+ entrepreneur who has used remarkable imagination and steely determination to make a difference in Africa.

One of the greatest health challenges among the peoples of sub-Saharan Africa is finding easy, reliable access to fresh drinking water.

In many villages getting access to any drinking water demands that members of the village, often the women of the tribes, hike miles to the closest stream or leaky pump to fetch water. Not only is the task exhausting, but often the result is consumption of tainted water which can lead to waterborne diseases, such as cholera, an often fatal disease among children.

Into this seeming hopeless environment stepped Trevor Field, a successful South African entrepreneur with a well-developed social conscience.

An engineer by training, Field knew from past business experience that many of the villages sat on top of water springs, but there was no affordable way for the people on top to access the water.

So, was born the "Play Pump".

The idea behind this technique is rooted in childhood play, specifically the merry-go-round, a common feature on school playgrounds when I was growing up in the 50's.

A circular device, closely resembling a colorful merry-go-round, is connected to a well drilling below it, and to pipping connected to a small tower holding a water tank at the top.

The water is pumped by the children of the village taking turns to continuously turn the merry-go-round until water accumulates in the elevated tank, which uses height to create water pressure and permit easy flow of the clean spring water whenever the villages desire.

Watch the 26 minute video clip from Frontline to learn more. Visit: http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/rough/2005/10/south_africa_th.html

I was blown away once again by the power to act in the benefit of others that groups of entrepreneurs can generate. Many of us become self-employed in order to "do well and do good" at the same time and the Play Pump is a perfect example of this generosity in action.

At the end of June, the Play Pump non-profit enterprise, headquartered in Washington, D.C., will end its promotion: "100 Pumps In 100 Days".

Each pump costs $14,000 to manufacture and place, so I don't expect that too many of us BoomerPreneurs are in position to pledge a pump all by ourselves. But even a small donation - $50 or $100 - when accumulated from hundreds of entrepreneurs can give a significant financial boost to the campaign.

Learn how you can contribute at: http://www.playpumps.org/site/c.hqLNIXOEKrF/b.2589391/k.83AF/Make_a_Donation.htm