CUSTOMERS of the local Co-op stores are helping to provide clean drinking water for a million people in Africa.

Sales of Co-op’s Fairbourne Springs mineral water have raised enough money to build 400 unique roundabout water pumps in African villages in South Africa, Malawi, Lesotho and Swaziland.

The pumps are powered by children playing on roundabouts, which stores water in tanks that become available to the whole community.

The pumps have so far provided enough water to fill 140 Olympic-sized swimming pools, giving a million people access to safe water.

This has changed the lives of many villagers who would previously have walked for hours every day to collect water.

12-year-old Lerato Mogap used to spend three hours a day gathering water for her sick mum and younger brother.

Now that a PlayPump has been installed in her village – Skuinsdrift, in the North West Province of South Africa – Lerato has time to study towards her dream of becoming a nurse.

Anglia Co-operative Group sales and development manager, Andy Arbon, said: “It’s such a simple idea but, just by buying bottles of Fairbourne Springs water, you can make a real difference to lives in Africa.”