|  Green Empowerment has partnered with the Alternative Indigenous Development Foundation, Inc (AIDFI), a group dedicated to appropriate technologies on Negros Island, Philippines to bring water for drinking and irrigation to many communities. With the installation of community faucets in the village receiving water from hydraulic ram pumps, children no longer have to haul water and poor communities benefit economically from growing vegetables and other high-value crops. These locally manufactured pumps, which require no electricity, deliver water to upland communities that would otherwise have dirty and/or insufficient water. The first particpatory projects described below directly benefit about 3600 residents. Early projects with Green Empowerment: San Juan: This pilot project was completed by AIDFI with Green Empowerment support. Forty families now enjoy potable water in their village without the burden of hauling water uphill by hand. Bongavilla: 2 ram pumps in this community irrigate corn fields recently gained by landless peasants in a land-reform act. Barangay Mambugsay: 2 ram pumps irrigate fields of sustainably grown lemongrass. The community cooperative uses the lemongrass to make essential oils in a solar-powered distiller. This integrated community project, based on renewable energy, is a great boost for this economically-depressed community by doubling the income of small farmers. The lemongrass enriches the soil and is rotated with other crops. AIDFI designed and installed the lemongrass distiller, and Green Empowerment secured the donation of solar panels to power the community project. In February 2004, Green Empowerment donated and shipped 4 solar panels to AIDFI for the essential oil distiller for a micro-enterprise project.  Cantawayan: The ram pump is used primarily to bring clean drinking water to these villagers that now have to carry water long distances. Barangay Inayawan: The ram pumps in these 2 communities are primarily used for irrigation, adding greatly to the communities’ ability to grow basic crops. See the initial (2005) Project Profile (pdf) for more details. 2008 - Latest ram pump projects With Green Empowerment assistance, AID Foundation (AIDFI) has developed a 12-site regional development plan on the island of Negros, bordering or inside the North Negros Forest Rerve and Mt Kanlaon Natural Park. As they receive ram pump water distribution systems, the villagers will be trained and organized to protect this sensitive environment. Green Empowerment funded initial feasibility studies in 2007. Now new funds raised through Green Empowerment in 2008 allow AIDFI to raise complementary local funding from Local Government Units or other local political entities, and proceed with implementation. See the completion report & photos for the site of Amin/ Isabela completed in February 2008. See the latest implementation status and funding needs. If you wish to donate funds for this project, please go to our donate page and at the question "How Should We Use Your Donation? " select that you want your gift to go to Water for Villages. What is a Hydraulic Ram Pump? Hydraulic ram pumps are local technology appropriate for these rural areas. They are simple mechanical devices used to pump water uphill for irrigation and potable water distribution. They do not use any electricity. They have only two moving parts, making them easy to build and maintain. AIDFI manufactures them locally on Negros Island. How does a Hydraulic Ram Pump Work? Ram pumps use the momentum of a large amount of water in a stream running down a hill to push a smaller amount of water a much greater distance uphill. For example, if there is a 10-foot fall, the ram pump can push about 10 percent of the water 60 feet uphill. Water flows through a valve in the pump and builds up speed. When the water reaches its highest speed, the valve slams shut, and the flowing water becomes high pressure. The high-pressure water forces a second valve to open and flows through a pressure tank up a delivery pipe. The ram pump works in this manner continuously, 24 hours a day. The water pushed uphill flows into a tank at the top of the hill. At the tank, there will either be a tap or distribution lines to deliver to water to other taps around the community, to irrigate fields or both.
 Improving the Technology
While variations on the ram pump have been used for hundreds of years, there had never been a precise and systematic testing of the technology. Therefore, Green Empowerment funded systematic tests by AIDFI on results obtained with various components, so that each field site can be optimally matched with an appropriate pump. These tests demonstrated that AIDFI's ram pump model can deliver water in conditions of height and efficiency unmatched by older models. As a result of their work, AIDFI won an International Ashden Award for Sustainable Energy in June 2007. Transferring Knowledge
In addition to including basic ram pump site selection parameters in our Site Selection and Feasibility Guide, we expect to have a larger impact on the problem of water distribution worldwide by including Ram Pumps in our technical training material so that individuals and nonprofits can spread knowledge about implementation of this well proven (but not well known) technology. This training material has already been used for workshops in Portland, Oregon, in 2007 and 2008, and in Quito, Ecuador in 2008. We are also actively assisting AIDFI in finding organizations outside of the Philippines willing to enter knowledge and technology transfer agreements with AIDFI. | 
