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Rope pumps provide drinking water

1,161 rope pumps provide drinking water to 85.701 people and irrigate 78.640 m².
more than 350 rural technicians maintain these pumps.
This and much more other news in the August newsletter of our partner SHIPO in Tanzania.

August 2011

Conditional Cash Transfers - not a golden bullit may be, but a very strong bullit nevertheless!

Conditional Cash Transfers (CCT’s) have a large promise for developing countries. ‘This is going to be the new hype for development aid in the coming decades’, says Tom de Veer, director of Foundation Connect International. ‘We are only just starting to see its potential.'

Connect International found that progress with its programs is too slow. We enhance development and yes, the poor people we assist achieve a lot of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG's). We have assisted one million people in the last few years in Africa, and of them about 250.000 have structurally achieved a number of the MDG's, notably the WASH (water, sanitation, hygiene) MDG's. But the pace is slow. Therefore we experiment with low interest rate credits to enable more poor people to purchase especially low cost WASH facilities (e.g. hand drilled boreholes equipped with rope pumps). But many people do not qualify for a loan from a bank and for those who do get one it often takes them over a year to pay back such credits. The pace therefore simply is too slow. Also other basic needs are fulfilled very slowly by poor households and in many places people are even drawn deeper in poverty over the years. Then we found all the evidence of CCT's, which simply fuels the development process in households, enhances local economies, and, we believe, also reduces birth rates (which are staggering high in developing countries, something which cannot go on if we want to preserve our planet ánd enhance people to get rid of poverty). That is why we are so enthusiastic about CCT's. It is a proven concept and it is very affordable. We want to add it as the last essential component to our SMART development concept. So let's go for it!

CCT's have the potential to lift tens of millions of poor people structurally out of poverty in the next decade, enabling people to achieve almost all the Millennium Development Goals in their households. For 40 Euro per beneficiary per year! Not to speak of the acceleration of local economies by CCT's ánd the large effect they will have on the reduction of population growth.

Something therefore that each oneself respecting development professional should know about!

Read further in the following order:

  1. Conditional Cash Transfers presentation.pdf
  2. Article CCT's Brazil + Mexico.doc
  3. Folder CCT's 1 page.pdf
  4. Conditional Cash Transfers - Let's do it together.pdf
  5. For the most interested persons: Folder CCT research English.pdf

YES we know:
To read all this is quite some homework, not a crying out one-liner without content. But is worth reading through it as CCT's definitely have the potential to change the future of developing countries. If we can make it happen. For that we need the support of every professional person and organization in the business. Let’s do this together!

Also look at the lecture by Joseph Hanlon on this subject: http://www.ssrc.org/features/view/joseph-hanlon-just-give-money-to-the-p...

AttachmentSize
FOLDER CCTs English 1 page.pdf19.98 KB
Conditional Cash Transfers - Lets do it together.pdf63.34 KB
Article CCTs Brazil+Mexico.pdf36.47 KB
FOLDER CCT research English.pdf135.84 KB
Conditional Cash Transfers presentation.pdf279.6 KB

News Bullitin Connect International

  1. Ester Mgina van Vugt, former internal director and Partner of CI, has left CI for a new job. Ester has worked for 7 years long at CI in Tanzania and The Netherlands. She has been the driving force behind our local partner organization SHIPO in Tanzania. In 2008 she moved back to the Netherlands with her family, to coordinate and supervise the projects and financial management of the local organization. Esther has a new job at a training institute in the North of The Netherlands. Though Ester is no longer internal director nor partner, she will remain active as a volunteer working for CI. CI wishes her all the best.
  2. The final report regarding TAZAMO project is completed. The report shows that the impact of the work of CI is very successful. Diseases such as diarrhea, malaria, cough, mortality and malnutrition among children has decreased by 10 to 18% compared to the initial situation of the entire population of 1 million poor people in Tanzania, Zambia and Mozambique. This is made possible with minimal cost: 0.5 Euro per beneficiary per year!
  3. The TAZAMO project illustrates that verifiable reporting on project results is possible. CI makes use of the Management Information System SMART INFO, to store all information and data regarding water points in Tanzania and Mozambique.
  4. In memory of Mrs. Wiese Crete van den Heuvel SHIPO will build a water point for a local clinic in Tanzania.
  5. Cycling for Charity (Fietsen voor het Goede Doel). "Cycling is Better" is an action to promote cycling to work in The Netherlands. Companies in The Hague region are free to join. The Haaglanden will contribute 500 Euro’s for every 100,000 kilometers cycled to two charities. CI is one of these two charities.
  6. What happens with your donations? CIGD (Centraal Informatiepunt Goede Doelen) created the website http://goededoelen.trouw.nl/ to provide donors information regarding the cash flow and success rate of charities in The Netherlands to create more transparency. CI scores exceptionally high with 10 out of 10 points.
  7. Fixed donors are becoming more important for CI due to the downsizing of funding by the Dutch Government (DGIS). Over the years CI has expanded its network and capacity in several countries, it would be a shame if these efforts go to waste due to a lack of funding. For only 2.50 Euro per month you can contribute to our Foundation. It would provide CI the opportunity to continue to invest in its SMART and cost-effective development concept.
  8. Social Media. CI is now active on twitter and Linkedin. Using social media should help inform our donors and other interested parties about the activities and results of CI’s work. Becoming an active player in social media should also lead to a larger audience and potential new funding.
  9. Fact Sheets: CI has produced fact sheets including drawings together with partner organizations in different countries. These fact sheets aim to assist self help groups in rural communities, also known as Village Action Groups (VAG's), to discuss and learn about priority subjects like; diseases, family, agriculture, livestock, housing, economy, human rights and Watsan. fact sheets
  10. Increase in donations by notarial act. If you donate to CI it is important to know that the CI donations are completely tax deductible.

July 2011

Rope pump most sustainable handpump in Njombe

An investigation of Geodata and WaterAid in the Njombe area in the south of Tanzania indicated that 90% of all rope pumps visited were functioning. Other handpumps in this area are SWN80 and NIRA/TANIRA of which 63% and 17% were functioning respectively.

Connect International trained local workshops in this area and over 1150 pumps have now been produced of which some 30% are sold independant from donations for example to private families. Rope pumps are 5 to 8 times cheaper than piston pumps and can pump from wells to 35 meters deep. In this pump range the rope pump proves to be an affordable, repairable and therefore sustainable handpump solution.

January 2011

AIDFI, partner of Connect in the Philippines, has won the 'World Challenge 10 competition'

Auke Idzenga, our representative to AIDFI, takes the prize in receipt

AIDFI, Connect International's locale partnerorganisation in de Philippines have won the prestigieuze 'World Challenge 10 competition' with here Ram Pump Project.

CONGRATULATION AIDFI!!!!

Under here the official BBC press paper.

AIDFI’s Ram Pump Project Wins
prestigious World Challenge 10 competition
London, 4 December 2010. This Saturday, BBC World News broadcasts the final programme of the World Challenge 10 series, announcing The Only Way is Up the Alternative Indigenous Development Foundation Inc.’s (AIDFI) Ram Pump Project as the winner. Based in the Philippines the initiative uses the power of a river’s flow to literally push water uphill without any other energy source.

The hydraulic ram pump has been around for a couple of centuries but has failed to date to realise its potential. AIDFI is determined to see it come into its own and has devised a way of using the pump which has proved a boon for poor villagers living in mountainous regions. The ram pump can save both hours of back breaking work carrying water uphill and cash where expensive water pumps are replaced. AIDFI has introduced the pump to over 170 villages and has plans to spread the benefits far and wide among poor communities.

Now in its sixth year, World Challenge is more popular than ever with more than 167,000 people around the world voting online for their favourite finalist – up 40,000 on last year’s votes. This year 800 nominations were received from over 70 countries from which the final 12 projects featured in World Challenge 2010 were selected. The final programme airs on BBC World News this weekend, showcasing the presentation ceremony hosted by the BBC’s award-winning presenter Zeinab Badawi. The Only Way is Up Project will receive a US$20,000 prize grant from Shell. Details will also appear in Newsweek magazine.

Two runner-up projects will each be awarded US$10,000 by Shell. The first runner-up is Pass It On, a Peruvian initiative from Sierra Productiva a federation of small –scale subsistence farmers teaching organic techniques to dramatically improve production from both livestock and crops. Second runner-up is A Class Apart, a project from Guatemala with the aim of building a school from recycled waste such as car tyres and bottles.

Paul Gibbs, Head of Programmes, BBC World News says: “The World Challenge competition is a deserved favourite with BBC World News viewers. The competition continues to highlight these fantastic projects and raise awareness globally in the field of sustainable development.”

Rhona Murphy, Publisher and Managing Director, Newsweek International says: “World Challenge underlines international support for individuals and groups showing an entrepreneurial approach to environmental and community-driven projects. We hope that through World Challenge, more people will be inspired to put similar ideas into action.”

Malcolm Brinded, Executive Director of the Upstream International Business, Shell said: "Access to energy is critical to driving development and improving people's quality of life. This year's winner of World Challenge, a hydraulic pump delivering water to remote villages, could not be a clearer demonstration of that. At Shell, we are committed to using new technology to deliver a lower carbon energy future, and it's exciting to see that same ambition in action in the World Challenge competition."

World Challenge is a global competition rewarding grass roots projects that give something back to their communities. It is run by BBC World News, the BBC’s international news channel, and Newsweek, the weekly global current affairs magazine, in association with Shell. This year’s series included a special programme, World Challenge: Down To Business, which saw sustainable business advisor Leo Johnson visit two previous finalists to give them business advice to help raise global awareness of their projects.

December 2010