Hand pumps - Which one do you prefer: Afridev or Nira?

Petrensa, a community in the Bosomtwe-Atwima-Kwanwomah (BAK) in the Ashanti Region of Ghana, harbours about 100 inhabitants. Predominantly a farming community with mainly food crop cultivation some individuals have also taken to cocoa farming, and are hopeful of a better livelihood should their first harvest be lean. With more than half their population being women, it is not so surprising that the fetching of water for daily household activities is mostly carried out by them. On the average, a typical Petrensa woman fetches about a 100 litres of water from any of the community’s four (4) water point sources, mainly handpumps, for such activities as bathing, washing of clothes, and cooking daily.

Out of the four (4) water point sources at Petrensa, three (3) are Afridev handpumps and the other is Nira handpump. Reasons for using any of these four water points ranged from proximity of the source to the individual’s house, to the taste of the water the water point dispenses. However, the most endearing reason has to do with the ease of operation of handpumps servicing these boreholes. Two of the water points (1 Afridev, 1 Nira) are centrally located in the community whereas the other two are located close to its northern and southern boundaries respectively.

Dwellers say they prefer the use of Nira which they have locally tagged as “Apompi Joe” to the Afridev, which they have aliased “Kreden-kreden”, an onomatopoeic term referring to the noisy sound the Afridev makes while in pumping action. One community member remarks that the Afridev produces more noise than water. Another complained that she expends almost all her energy before she gets a single bucket-full of water each morning. Therefore, the Nira is more patronized than the Afridev. But is the Nira indeed better than the Afridev?

Another observation and interaction in the community produced a twist of some kind to the above argument. Some information from the community’s Water and Sanitation (WATSAN) Board shows that Afridev, centrally placed in the community, was the oldest among 4 point sources. Records are that the Afridev is just about 3 weeks old at the time of visit. It enjoys quite a considerable frequency of access compared to its older companion. An interaction with a community member at this point source, he admits the better ease of operation as compared to the older one. He apparently seems gratified as he wore an infectious smile throughout the rather short period he spent getting his 30 litre container filled to the brim.

Generally, comparing the use of both pumps, the Nira and Afridev, is not static. It differs from each community. Community members tend to cling to newer stuff quickly, sadly forgetting about the antique. The Nira handpump in Petrensa is more patronized because it is newer and better maintained than its centrally located Afridev counterpart which has served the community for more than 12 years. The story of the first handpump in Petrensa clearly epitomizes this assertion. Certainly both the Afridev and Nira handpumps are good for the African terrain. However, the long term performances of these handpumps greatly depend on its maintenance regimen. The culture of maintenance should therefore be given a brighter spotlight in the Operation and Maintenance (O&M) manuals attached to these handpumps to help prolong their effective lifespan.