Usafi innovation

We are committed to providing the need to access effective hand washing solutions and clean water to help combat the Covid-19 pandemic, and other poor health related such as cholera, diarrhea, typhoid and hepatitis E.

A Somali mother and her sick child diagnosed with diarrhea; a preventable health risk, in the Dadaab refugee complex.

If scaled globally, the solution will prevent spread of the novel corona virus and other poor sanitation based diseases which are highly common in Kenya and the neighbouring countries, promote conservation of highly needed resources such as water and soap, promote proper hygiene practices as well as promote self-sufficiency in terms of energy.

42% of Kenyans, about 21 million, live under poverty line. This is 3 times the population of New York City. 45% of Kenyans living in the 'middle' class also do not have  consistent supply of water on a daily basis. Kenya, has 3 Refugee camps with about 300,000 Refugees. With limited access to basic necessities such as food, water, hygiene and energy at the refugee camps (Kakuma, Dadaab and Liboi) and among the 'middle' class, combating advent of Corona pandemic is difficult.

Children at Dadaab refugee camp collecting unhygienic water for use.

A good example is Nairobi, a densely populated area. Since its outbreak, the spread of the virus has not yet been contained even by the recent curfew measures. Walking along the street markets in Nairobi, one cannot but notice the few number of washing stations in place. Keeping the spread of Corona virus controlled requires a high level of hygiene. The available washing solutions require directly touching taps. The virus survives on metal surfaces for 5 days, which means possibility of transmission remains high through taps particularly in public places. With scarcity of water, there is also wastage with available washing setups.

Example of unhygienic water wasting setup.

The automated hand washing system is a station consisting of a barrel that holds soap and water, two taps opposite of each other, a motion sensor and a roof that holds the solar panel, battery and IoT devices.

When a person approaches the system, a sign of where to wave a hand to trigger the system is displayed. The person then puts their hands below the soap dispensing tap which dispenses soap for 1 sec. A countdown of 20 seconds is then displayed by an LCD screen which is the time to lather hands properly as directed by WHO. After 20 seconds of proper lathering, the person puts their hands below the water dispensing tap which dispenses clean water to rinse hands for 15 seconds. 

Using IoT gives us the means to dictate the amount of water plus soap per dispensation, do away with physical contact with the taps and reduce amount of water consumed per dispensation from 1.7 liters to 0.3 liters. With the barrel at a full capacity of 190 liters of water, the station is able to service more than 580 people before requiring refill. 

1. Our solution is committed to serving refugee camps (Dadaab, Liboi and Kakuma) where about 300,000 refugees reside.

 2. High density low income and slum areas such as Kibera, Kawangware, and Mathare.

3. Poorly resourced areas where water is scarce for example in Mandera, Wajir and garissa counties.

Clean water scarcity in Dadaab remains a pressing issue.

Part of our solid engagements are: 

1. Utilizing the skills of 'Jua Kali' (low income artisans) to provide employment opportunities for those that have been economically affected by the pandemic.

2. Training the target group from slum areas and refugee camps, to
sensitize them on proper hand washing practices and prevention of the spread of the virus. 

3. Working hand in hand with  those who live in slums towards a
change of cultural practices around hand washing and hygiene in general even post COVID-19 to avoid the risk of outbreak of poor hygiene based diseases, such as cholera, diarrhea and typhoid which are common.

Automated hand washing solutions will ensure proper usage of soap and especially water which is often a privilege to many. The system will moreover ensure no physical contact with taps hence reduce possibility of corona virus transmission around washing stations.

Approximately 19,500 Kenyans, including 17,100 children under 5years die each year from diarrhea and cholera. Nearly 90% of which is directly attributed to poor water, sanitation and hygiene. Contaminated water and poor sanitation are linked to transmission of diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea, hepatitis and recently Covid-19. Inadequate or inappropriately managed water and sanitation services expose individuals to preventable health risks.

A child suffering from cholera at kakuma refugee camp.

Introducing our system in these areas would mean easier access to clean water for proper hygiene thus preventing spread of health risk diseases such as covid-19 among these disadvantaged communities.

1. Our IoT enabled automated hand washing system is key in the prevention of transmission of the novel corona virus. This is because it ensures there is no contact between one person to another through turning on and off of taps.

2. By regulation of the water amounts that are released by the pumping system, water conservation is enhanced. This is because water is released as per needed, and not constantly flowing like with conventional systems.

3. The project is made possible by use of recycled plastic, E waste and repurposed metals, making it environmentally friendly. 

4. The space between the roof and the taps will be utilized for advertisements or spread the message of ways to fight the corona virus.

5. Data in terms of how many people have washed their hand at a certain station can be used for major advancements in the fight against this pandemic.

6. The washing barrel is highly modifiable. This means elements can be added or removed to suit a wide range of markets. For example, an indoors version is available for public washroom systems that doesn’t include the barrel or the solar panel.

7. The system will service a higher number of people approximately more than 600 before requiring refill.

8. Research is underway, however for technological improvements that can apply in the commercial sector, to provide income to ensure that the project remains viable for a longer period of time.

Our solution relies on Internet of Things technology in a simple yet innovative way. By incorporating the use of motion sensors, we have set up code that ensures that the water pumping mechanism is triggered once the sensor detects motion (done by the swiping of the hands) and promotes uptake of the soap and the water.

Further additions to our solution will lead to the incorporation of more sensors that enable a notification system that monitors the level of water in storage, and informs the management (us) when a refill is required.  

We also plan to add on a data management system that will analyse and collect relevant data on various factors such as water quality, preservation and usage. 

Our system will connect to Sigfox network for data collection.

Further modifications of the hand washing system may entail setting up a mechanism for recycling used water.  

We have conducted trial testing on the product and can be able to verify that it works efficiently through the YouTube link below.

We expect our solution to prevent the spread of the novel corona virus and other contact diseases by ensuring that there is reduction of direct contact from person to person through taps in hand washing. In addition, we aim to directly combat the spread of the virus as hand washing has been recommended by the World Health Organisation as a means of destroying the viral particles.

Our project seeks to improve the quality of life of people withing the aforementioned areas, by improving their sanitary practices. Also, we aim to reduce the numbers of people that die from outbreaks of preventable hygiene related disease such as Cholera and diarrhea in sub Saharan Africa.

Currently, our solution consists of only a single barrel that works to serve an average of about 600 people. We are hoping to have produced at least 800 barrels, which are expected to serve at 220,000 people,  the entirety of the population of Dadaab refugee camp which is the largest refugee camp in Africa.

In five years,we hope to have expanded our reach to have fully covered at least four refugee camps in East and Central Africa and the entirety of Kibera and Mathare slums, which average the largest slum population globally.

Within the next year, we are hoping to have a massive impact on the general trajectory of infections of corona virus in the country, and by extension, in the region. We also hope to facilitate conservation of much needed resources such as water within the country. 

Within the next five years, we are hoping to have expanded our product to different applications, aside from basic hand washing such as:"

1. Automated shower systems that reduce water wastage in the refugee camps and slums, promoting water conservation.
2. We also aim to invest in water recycling systems by incorporating the showers in a way they collect water during bathing and direct it to a central place where it is recycled and properly stored. This clean water can then be used for domestic purposes, to facilitate further hygiene or used for agricultural aquaponics purposes. 
3. We also hope to achieve environmental conservation by reducing on amounts of plastic and other forms of waste within the ecosystem by recycling them and using them in the physical build of our systems.

The most challenging barrier we are currently facing is a shortage of funding to enable the mass production of our system. Since the hand washing system is aimed at low income areas, it is going to be challenging to demand payment in these areas for the services provided. 

Our project is reliant on financial assistance through funds such as the MIT Solve challenge to facilitate mass production of the IoT washing system.

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We currently have a total of five people, all from low income backgrounds. 

Our team is well positioned to deliver this solution as a large number of the people within the team comprises of people from low income areas themselves. We mainly come from the slums and have seen first hand the threat that is posed to people living within these societies in terms of infections through Covid-19, and other diseases such as Cholera. Most of us, have by extension, come into contact with hygiene based diseases. The desire to come up with this solution therefore stems predominantly from a "making a difference and impacting lives in our societies" point of view, as opposed to a "making profits" point of view.

In addition, we have a qualified team of experts that have been working together to make this project work and to improve on it. Mark Mutaiti is proficient at Programming in C++, Philip mburu is exemplary in electronics and wiring, Alvin kiiru and Shabaya Deche are experts in physical designs. Kendi Muchungi is a specialist in technical projects with more than five years of experience in different projects that have impacted many lives and earned great recognition. Therefore through each team member contribution and working together as a team towards a common goal, we are able to deliver 'quality' and at be at a good position to deliver this solution.

At the moment of writing this, we are not in any partnerships with any organisation.

Our key customers are people living in disadvantaged conditions, people such as refugees and slum dwellers. The key service we are providing them is protection from infectious diseases by ensuring that they maintain high hygiene standards, while at the same time being kept safe from infections. 

We provide this service by the use of our IoT enabled hand washing system. Its automation guarantees that there is no contact between person to person through manual taps in washing stations, thus protecting them from Covid-19 infections.

In addition, poor hygiene standards coupled with high levels of congestion and poor drainage expose these individuals to a significantly high degree of infection to other diseases such as Cholera. With improved hygiene comes a strategy that significantly aids in the war against such diseases.

Poor hygiene and drainage in Major slams in Kenya exposes individuals to health risks.

At the time of writing this, there has been a spike in the number of cases of Covid 19 in Kibera slum. The number of cases recorded daily estimates at around half of the total number of cases experienced daily nationwide.  With the situation expected to escalate as time goes by, it is imperative to ensure that people within these areas have adequate access to hand washing facilities.

Rising cases of Covid-19 in kibera slam in Kenya puts at risk the densely settled population.

Our path to financial sustainability involves the creation of a plug n play solution for commercial purposes and creation of a market segment on a sliding scale so as to subsidize the cost of installations of the system in high traffic, water scarce and financially excluded communities. 

Taking the example of a PlayStation or a TV set which are plug n play,  this solution will be sort of a box with a circuit board inside and connecting ports outside such that a customer is able to buy a small box, take it home and install it where he/she needs it. For example in the kitchen or connect it to a tap. 

In addition, we are working on the collection and sale of anonymized data to non government entities pertaining to hygiene patterns, information on pockets of affected locations and testing water for other diseases so as to facilitate provision of information to the relevant parties. 

We believe, great leaders are those who directly or indirectly impact the lives of their communities and become of value rather than focusing on personal success. We are are deeply committed to bring a change in our community by improving people's life style and mostly health. We are therefore applying to Solve MIT because we have a great solution to the worlds most pressuring challenges which in our case are poor health, diseases and pandemics. Lack of funding being our greatest barrier, we are therefore seeking help from Solve in order to get financial support from a supportive community of funders and experts to advance on our innovative work through solve mentorship programs. 

If our solution is selected, we will be able to overcome our greatest barrier and get an opportunity to deploy our solution to impact and change the lives of needy refugees and people from low income backgrounds. For example,  funding will enable us to increase the use of local and low income artisans who will be involved in fashioning our project designs such as the barrels. 

Having rooted from these backgrounds, being life changers in the most disadvantaged families and communities, is our greatest motivation throughout Solve application. 

To be done soon!!

We would also like to partner with global goodwill organisations like the red cross society, United nations and also WHO who have a footing in the low income areas. We can utilize such a partnership to be able to gauge other areas that may be in need of sanitary practices, water conservation, health sector improvement and free energy.

We would also like to partner with MIT solve and MIT faculty of engineering so as to improve our solution further by doing more research while taking advantage of MIT resources to make our solution a global goal towards zero health risks, water and energy conservation as well as improved technology around the sub-saharan Africa. 

MIT solver team will give us mentorship, advice and moreover connect us with other financial supporters. 

The entire basis of our project is aimed at preventing infection of corona virus between one person to another through tap surfaces. \\\e are actively sourcing for a solution that seeks to improve the health and by extension, lives of the target areas. 

We intend to use The Elevate Prize for Health Security to further research on modifications that we can make on our design to make it even more efficient, and effective. In addition, the prize will go a long way in facilitating mass production, helping us reach even more people in need. 

Our project utilizes IoT to prevent the spread of dangerous contagious diseases that are life threatening.

We intend to use the AI for humanity prize to carry out more research in the field of AI with the aim of advancing our solution to make it more adaptable to any circumstance so as to ensure its benefits are maximized.  We are also thinking to use the prize to financially support purchasing of more AI related devices to make a our solution 99% efficient.

Proper hygiene is very vital to every human being, from young ones to the old. However, basing our conclusions from nature, it is clear that women and girls are more prior to proper bathing as compared to men and boys. 

We will be adapting our solution to automated showering stations at the refugee camps and slam areas, thus addressing the need for women and girls to easily access water for bathing. This will be a chance to appreciate women and girls in our societies.

The purified and recycled water from our systems, will also be used for small kitchen gardens to support women and girls who are culturally expected to provide nourishment with quick and ready access to vegetables. We will be encouraging them to form cooperatives and sell surplus to nearby communities or even among themselves. 

Through such innovative interventions, we will have given women a girls a "voice" in the community as part of our mission to promote gender equality among the most vulnerable groups in Kenya and even neighbouring countries.

The Innovation for women prize, will give us an opportunity to create a circular eco-system that recycles and treats water which will be used to support aquaponics and vegetables allowing women to make businesses out of this, hence promoting women employment and food security in our target areas. The above intervention will allow every family in the refugee and slam areas, to get a balanced diet which is often a privilege to many. Balanced diet will promote healthy breast milk for women in the society hence healthy babies and also help solve malnutrition, common in slams and refugee camps

We are therefore qualified and deserve the Innovation for women prize, to change these words into actions and advance the lives of women and girls in the society.

The primary target for our solution is low income areas, refugee camps being one of the KEY sectors we want to focus on. We believe that by catering for these areas, we help to improve the lifestyles of people there, and promote a sense of well being, even in such tumultuous conditions. 

The Andan Prize for Innovation in Refugee Inclusion will help us not only work on increased ,mass production, but also further research into modifications and improvements that facilitate production of better, more efficient models. 

Our project satisfies a variety of the UN standard development goals the main one being SDG 6 (Water and Sanitation), this is because we are recycling water to find solutions towards prevention of spread of diseases such as Covid 19 and Cholera. There other standard development goals such as SDG 13 (Climate action) Through recycling of water in high resource scarcity areas and usage of recycled material to develop the model.

SDG 1 is also satisfied. By sourcing manpower for implementation of the project, we achieve reduction in poverty levels for these societies.