Salas O’Brien raises funds to bring clean water to Malawi

At Salas O’Brien, our commitment to making a positive impact extends far beyond the work we do for our clients. Team members in our Columbus, OH, office recently exemplified this spirit, raising over $1,600 through a golf fundraiser to help provide a sustainable water source for the community of Matope Primary School in Malawi.

Salas O’Brien team members at the golf fundraiser at Clover Valley Golf Club.

This initiative supports the installation of a LifePump™, a groundbreaking hand pump developed by humanitarian engineering nonprofit Design Outreach. For nearly 1,000 individuals who live near or attend Matope Primary School, LifePump™ will bring a dependable and safe water source to a community that has long struggled with water insecurity. Currently, residents walk over a mile to access a crowded and unreliable pump—or face the dangers of collecting water from the crocodile-inhabited Shire River.

More than 35 Salas O’Brien team members came together on October 11, 2024, for a golf outing at Clover Valley Golf Club in Johnstown, OH, raising $755 through participation and donations. Salas O’Brien proudly matched this amount dollar for dollar and added additional funds equaling the volunteer hours invested by the team, resulting in a total contribution of $1,670.02. On November 14, 2024, a check was presented to Design Outreach at a ceremony held in the Columbus office.

Left to right: Nathan Demski, Lucas Bryan, Doug Carrera, DO co-founder, Abe Wright, Andy Lee, DO Chief Stewardship Officer, and Rhonda Davis

Supporting Long-Term Sustainability

The funds raised by Salas O’Brien will directly support the installation of a LifePump™ at Matope Primary School. Designed to last decades with minimal maintenance, LifePump™ reaches greater depths and provides more reliable access than traditional hand pumps. Equipped with LifePumpLink™ monitoring technology, it ensures sustainable operation to meet the community’s ongoing water needs.

By supporting this initiative, Salas O’Brien team members not only contributed to a single project but also aligned with Design Outreach’s broader mission: addressing global challenges such as water scarcity, sanitation, and health services through engineering innovation.

Join the Movement

Salas O’Brien is proud to stand alongside Design Outreach in their efforts to solve critical issues affecting the world’s most vulnerable communities. To learn more about Design Outreach’s mission, watch this video or visit their website at doutreach.org.

To track the progress of the Matope Primary School project or contribute to this life-changing campaign, visit this link. Together, we can make a difference—one pump, one community at a time.