Chambe

Chambe hut has a stream running right by it which was great for an afternoon paddle and splash. It also has 'running water', in that there's a  tap-like pipe set up that continuously spews water. I guess it's water from the stream that is slightly diverted towards the hut, so creating a perfect spot for dish-washing and tooth-brushing. It made me think of my father. Always, eager to fix a leaky tap or pump, always on the look-out to improve access to clean water and minimise wastage. Splashingly generously I wasn't quite sure if he would improve of this 'approach'.

The topic of water pumps came up later in the day, talking to the Americans who were also staying at Chambe that night. A few of these guys are currently involved in water/ sanitation projects in Malawi and Mozambique and one of their tasks is the maintenance of water pumps. At this I perked my ears. Do you know of the Nsimbi pump? It turns out that the Nsimbi pump which my father helped/developed in the late 70's, early 80's is still in use. Parts are still available in Blantyre although other models are more common. In the following days we kept an eye out for this particular type of pump, didn't see it but nice to know it's out there.

You were probably not expecting a lesson in water pumps so I'll just add some pictures to make it more palatable. The 'Nsimbi' is not included but it's related to the Blair pump I think, and means steel or iron in Chichewa. It's a direct action hand pump for shallow wells. Invented in Malawi.

from a publication called Water for All published by the Zimbabwe Government and online here