Organization: Design Outreach Inc
Mission: Design Outreach (DO) is a Christian humanitarian engineering nonprofit organization whose mission is to create life-sustaining solutions that alleviate global poverty.
Activities: A main focus of Design Outreach is helping to transform communities in Sub-Saharan Africa and Haiti physically, economically, and spiritually. This includes the design, manufacturing, shipping, distribution, and support of appropriate technologies, including the LifePump, LifePumpLink, and LifeTap. Other technologies are under development in water, sanitation, hygiene, medical devices, and agriculture. In 2019, a total of 18 LifePumpLinks were installed along with 30 additional LifePumps. This translated to an estimated 15,000 new people served with safe and reliable water. A total of 111 LifePumps are installed or in transit to be installed in 8 countries. Partners included Harvesters International and The Water Project in Kenya, World Vision and Doxa Wells in Malawi, ODRINO, Water for Life, and Global Outreach in Haiti. Further trainer of trainer sessions for LifePump technicians, NGOs, missionaries, and government officials were conducted in Zambia and Malawi. The countries of Malawi and Zambia officially accepted the use of LifePump as part of their national water policy. A major part of this was the start of the DO Malawi Office lead by the Africa Field Director. Supply chain with tools, spare parts, and trained personnel were implemented in Malawi and Zambia. The LifeTap program completed 1 year of pilot testing with ODRINO in Haiti and with Water Mission in Kenya and improvements to the design were incorporated. Training trips for the trainer of trainer program was conducted in May and June in Malawi and Zambia. Sharing of LifePump information at the international stage was conducted by participating in the World Water Week in August. DO Malawi Office staff visited the US in August for planning meetings and providing updates. Additional upgrades with LifePumpLinks (satellite based remote sensing) and training was provided with teams in October in Malawi and November in Zambia. Sharing of DO projects and the DO Way of appropriate technology development was shared through a keynote speaking opportunity at ECHO Global Farms conference in November. Over $400k of volunteer pro-bono and in-kind gift and service was provided to DO for R&D and Field Programs activities. The manufacturing team conducted various studies and implemented redesigns for the manufacturability and cost reduction of LifePump.
The DO Malawi Office was opened in order support the growth of LifePump and other appropriate technologies in Malawi and neighboring Zambia. This includes visiting the LifePump communities for follow up assessment on impact and functionality of LifePumps over time. Doing so aids the further Research & Development efforts of LifePump and LifePumpLink (satellite based remote sensors) as well as associated tools and maintenance strategies. Advocating for change is conducted through the DO Malawi Office by meeting with missionaries, NGOs, and government officials on a regular basis and taking them to LifePump communities to see the difference. Stakeholder meetings are conducted with community leaders, as well as local, district, and national government officials. Outreach events include partnering with local church leaders who share the Gospel with communities. The Malawi Office serves as a warehouse hub for spare parts, tools, and LifePumps for future installations and maintenance. Trainings are conducted through the local staff to communities on proper Operations & Maintenance of LifePumps. Trainer of trainer program was conducted with trainings in partnership with SonSet Solutions. Prototype LifePumpLinks were installed on LifePumps in Malawi. LifePumpLink allows for the local Malawi Office staff to connect with communities before potential LifePump downtime.
NTEE category: International, Foreign Affairs & National Security
Secondary category: Community Improvement & Capacity Building