A D.C. charity is in the midst of a fundraising campaign that would bring 100 water pumps to needy communities in South Africa in 100 days. But the pumps aren’t your traditional metal infrastructure; they double as playground equipment.

PlayPumps International got started in South Africa after a company there, Roundabout Outdoor, developed the technology to combat the clean water crisis in the region.

The merry-go-round-style equipment powers the water pump much like a windmill, Senior Vice President Nancy Murphy said.

After doing work in Africa for more than a decade, Johannesburg-based PlayPumps International this fall established a U.S. outpost in the District to aid its fundraising efforts.

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Since then, the number of installed pumps jumped from 600 to 900 with the help of large philanthropic institutions like D.C.’s Case Foundation, Dulles-based AOL, a $10 million commitment from the federal government and the participation of celebrities such as rapper Jay-Z.

The group is now targeting 10 countries rather than four.

In March, PlayPumps reached out to what Murphy called “everyman” donors for its 100 Pumps in 100 Days campaign, partnering with local companies and their employees, like Alexandria’s Motley Fool financial services firm, and schools such as T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria. The campaign ends June 29.

The Motley Fool has raised enough funds to buy three of the pumps, which cost $14,000 each, said Bill Mann, adviser to Motley Fool Global Gains, who said PlayPumps “leaped off the page” when his company tried to find an international campaign to assist.

“We found very few organizations that were able to create such an unbelievable change in people’s lives for such a small investment,” Mann said.

PlayPumps has set a goal of installing 4,000 pumps by 2010, Murphy said. She believes the effort particularly appeals to the D.C. community because of the area’s large population of African immigrants, including about 70,000 Ethiopians, and because it is easy to grasp.

“It’s kids smiling and laughing and we think this is very accessible to people,” Murphy said.

melissa.frederick@dcexaminer.com