For many years, the people in Bangladesh and their crops suffered due to difficulties accessing water. Most villagers drank water from hand-dug wells or ponds that were shared with bathing cows and water buffaloes. Cholera and diarrhea flourished, and each year hundreds of thousands of deaths resulted from drinking contaminated water. The lack of access to water also hampered the use of irrigation in farming, which was the occupation of most villagers. This distressing situation prompted various organizations to import and subsidize diesel and cast-iron pumps that, based on their experience in other contexts, they believed would solve the problem. Unfortunately, these imported technologies cost too much money to purchase, require expensive fuel to operate, and cannot be easily repaired locally when they break down. Little wonder that farmers resisted these imposed attempts at change. Enter George Klassen, a North American engineer employed by Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), who had been working alongside Bangladeshi farmers in the fields for several years, contributing to community building and earning their trust. Despite his emphasis on building relationships and mutual understanding, Klassen at first had few concrete results to show for his efforts. However, he did have the insight that these rural farmers required a pump that could be operated by one person, could be manufactured locally, and was an affordable low-tech option that could be serviced locally. With that understanding, he was able to develop a “rower pump” (so named because operating it requires a motion that looks like rowing a boat). Klassen’s good working relationship with farmers had two additional positive benefits. First, the farmers had learned to trust him and were thus motivated and willing to work alongside him in refining the rower pump. Second, Klassen benefited greatly from the knowledge that farmers shared with him as they developed and tested many different prototypes. They experimented with different designs, talked about how to deliver the product, learned from one another, and worked together to achieve what none could have done alone.
After the prototype had been developed, other staff at MCC developed relationships with local businesses to build, sell, and service the pumps. This effort led to the development of a local infrastructure of expertise in the installation, repair, and inventory of parts. MCC workers also did field tests and trained people to use the pump. In the early years, MCC workers also provided subsidies for the pump, but with clear plans to phase out the organization’s involvement to ensure that the pump would be self-supporting. Today the use of the rower pump has become second nature to Bangladeshi farmers, enabling access to water for irrigation and safe drinking water for the whole village.
1. Identify each of the four steps in the change process that introduced the rower pump to Bangladeshi agriculture. Why did attempts to introduce cast-iron pumps and diesel-powered pumps fail?
2. Which steps do you think were the most challenging to manage?