For years we have been intrigued with the possibility of finding a manually operated water pump that would allow local farmers to irrigate crops of tomatoes, onions, and peppers during the Ghanaian dry season. Ghana is mostly flat not far above sea level, resulting in ground water only 10-20 feet below the surface. Farmers with low-lying land come together and hand dig large holes (wells) which fill with muddy water November-February. In a Herculean task under baking sun, each farmer then waters his crops twice per day by repeatedly dipping a 5 gallon container into the well and carrying the water to his 1-2 acres of of crops. Believe me, these farmers could all pose without touch ups for a men’s body building magazine. However, hernia’s, back problems, and utter exhaustion cause many to take a year off periodically with significant negative impact on the family and their ability to pay for health care and school fees.

We thought that if anyone deserves some assistance, it would be these hardworking men trying to support their families. Initially, we found the perfect foot irrigation pumps in both Kenya and India. When we looked into shipping and Ghanaian customs tax, the cost became prohibitive,

Then, 1 year ago we learned of a terrific private company, Burro, that was selling foot pumps in Ghana. Burro was founded by Whit Alexander of Seattle and he has published a very interesting book about his experiences titled “Bright Lights, No City”. Shortly after sending Whit an email, we had purchased a foot pump for under $200 and Burro had transported it to the north of Ghana in anticipation of our next visit.

For the culmination of this particular adventure, on last Saturday we went to set up the pump at the farm of a dedicated and successful local farmer named Bruce Lee. His garden consists of one-and-a-half acres of tomatoes, with some onions and peppers. In less than an hour we had the lengthy hoses connected while his wife stood eagerly nearby with a swarm of young boys eager to try the pumping. We waited with anticipation as the pump was primed and the hose began to fill. As the outlet hose became round with water, Bruce Lee started running to un-kink the hose and follow the progress of the water, we knew at this point that the water flow was going to be even stronger than anticipated. As the water sprayed from the handle, the delighted look on Bruce Lee’s face made it obvious that using this pump to water the garden was going to save hours of work and allow him to expand his garden. In order to make this economically feasible, we will loan Bruce Lee the pump for this dry season which will allow him to buy the pump with the earnings from his crops.