Lowara helps Amref in Kenya Water? Yes, please
Lowara has contributed the project called "Water? Yes, please!" by donating submersible pumps, promotes the excavation of wells near villages, schools and rural hospitals.
AMREF (African Medical and Research Foundation), established in Kenya in 1957, is the main no-profit private health organisation in East Africa.
Currently, Amref handles about 140 projects in 14 different African countries: from Kenya to Uganda, from the Sudan to South Africa, from Mozambique to Tanzania.
Amref's main objective is to assist the development of health and social programs for the most disadvantaged populations through the active participation of the local communities. "Helping Africa to help itself": this slogan describes the Organisation's basic strategy and work method.
Over 80% of the funds collected by Amref Italy come from contributions by approximately 25,000 donors, fund collection programs and the co-operation of private companies.
Lowara is one of them!
One of the most serious problems experienced by the people living in Kenya's most arid regions is the water supply. Traditionally, women are expected to provide the water needed for domestic use, and this means walking up to 8 hours a day for a few litres of water which is often not suitable for drinking.
The use of contaminated water is the cause of the most common ailments: dysentery and intestinal infections. 90% of African ailments are transmitted through water: cholera, diarrhoea, trachoma and hydatid.
In Africa, 4 deaths out of 5 are caused by ailments connected with water (including malaria).
A health organisation that does not tackle the problem of draught fights a losing battle: what is the use of vaccinating people who are destined to die of thirst?
The project called "Water? Yes, please!", to which Lowara has contributed by donating submersible pumps, promotes the excavation of wells near villages, schools and rural hospitals, with the active participation of the local communities and the establishment of "technical" committees whose task is to supervise all the stages of construction and future maintenance operations.
What has mainly transpired from talks between Lowara and Thomas Simmons, Director of Amref Italy, is the desire to achieve enduring results from carefully planned strategies aimed at ensuring widespread benefits. The planned approach aims at identifying the largest possible number of people whose living conditions will benefit from the installation of the Lowara pumps.
Tommy Simmons writes us that: "We want to make sure that the conditions of those that are truly in need of help will be improved thanks to your support and we want this improvement to be long-lasting!".
One of the pumps donated by Lowara has already been installed in the Kajiado district, one of the most arid regions in east Africa, located in south-central Kenya and bordering Tanzania. The area is inhabited mainly by cattle-herding Masai tribes.
The local tribes are ready to provide the required labour and to participate in the water supply project, thus assuming responsibility for the structures designed to improve the quality of their lives.
Lowara has received a holographic letter from the representative of the local community, who declares that: "olkilority borehole iis the only resource for the entire district, supplying water to 3000 families, 5000 heads of cattle, and the entire school community."
This is what a single Lowara submersible pump can achieve in Africa!
About Lowara
Lowara Srl Montecchio Maggiore, Vicenza, (www.lowara.com) which is part of the ITT Industries group, is a leader in the manufacture of hydraulic pumps and water handling and control systems. It has 900 employees in Europe, 730 operating in Italy. In 2000 its consolidated sales totalled over 150 million dollars, or over 300 billion lire. ITT Industries, Inc. (www.itt.com) is a global, multi-industry company with leading positions and advanced technologies in its served markets. The company reported revenues of $4.8 billion in 2000 from its four segments: Connectors & Switches, Defense Products & Services, Pumps & Complementary Products and Specialty Products.ITT Industries employs approximately 38,000 people around the world. In addition to the New York Stock Exchange, ITT Industries' common stock is traded on the Midwest, Pacific, London, Frankfurt and Paris exchanges.
Source: Xylem Inc.
