Solution proposed by : Cyril Mercier
Ekolo Mundo does not control the feasibility or viability of the proposed solutions
Structure : The Alternative Indigenous Development Foundation, Inc., or AIDFI
Philippines
Difficulty level :
The AIDFI Ram Pump is a refined version of a long-forgotten technology: the hydraulic ram pump. A ram pump is a device that harnesses the energy of falling water (hydropower) to lift a portion of that water to high elevations 24/7, meaning it requires no fuel or electricity to operate. Every day, our ram pumps provide water to over 295,000 people who previously had no access to it.
We implement the AIDFI ram pump as part of an end-to-end solution through a holistic approach: community engagement (organization, registration, and training), assistance with legal procedures, delivery and transportation, installation with community participation, training of local technicians, maintenance, and continuous monitoring via the AIDFI monitoring app.
In 2019, AIDFI began developing another innovation as part of the ram pump program: “the AIDFI Mechanical Water Kiosk,” which replaces communal faucets and the complicated collection system—along with its unfair distribution—with a more efficient, fair, and user-friendly collection system. The water kiosk allows users to obtain 20 liters with a one-peso coin or token via a gumball mechanism that mechanically releases the water through a three-compartment system operating simultaneously. The water kiosk can be used with the ram pump water system or any other water system in rural or urban settings.
To date, we have installed more than 595 ram pump water systems in the Philippines and have completed technology transfers to Afghanistan, Nepal, Colombia, and Mexico.
AIDFI: The Alternative Indigenous Development Foundation, Inc., or AIDFI for short, was the brainchild of four (4) individuals who rose through the ranks of the National Federation of Sugar Workers (NFSW), a labor organization focused on organizing and educating sugar workers. It emerged amid the collapse and crisis of the sugar industry in Negros.
The union transitioned from a farm lot program to the new land reform program, and given its focus on organizing and educating, this program became too large for the union to handle. The four individuals wanted to focus on providing basic services to agrarian reform communities through appropriate technologies and agricultural services, and therefore established AIDFI as a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO). AIDFI was established and registered as an NGO on July 4, 1992, with registration number ENO92000214 at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
