The Water Capsule

A study done by the UN revealed that only 24% of Sub-Saharan
have access to safe drinking water.

As for Malawi, 80% do not have access to clean running water.

Over 63% of Malawians, particularly in rural areas, solely rely on
boreholes. Leaving 37% with no access to clean water at all.

There are over 27,000 boreholes in Malawi and
only 19.1% of these have been tested for
adequate water quality as set by the WHO

Studies have shown that ground water can
contain disease causing microorganisms such as
E.coli, leading to health problems, especially
diarrhoea, particularly among children

1 out of 5 children under five die of
gastrointestinal diseases per year in Malawi,
often caused by inadequate water quality.

A water filtration device.

This is a cylindrical device that contains 3 layers of organic matter used to remove microorganisms and heavy metal objects from borehole water sources. 

This device is mounted at the mouth of the borehole to filter out all impurities and make water safe to drink instantly.

The filter works through a process of absorption. Adsorption binds
impurities chemically on the surface of the filter.

Organic compounds such as fecal coliforms bond to the surface of the
carbon molecules as water passes through the filters.

The filter has a life span of 6-12 months in the water filter

The target population for this device is all borehole users in low-resource settings such as Malawi and the Sub-Saharan region.

The university has strategic partnerships with other universities in the south and north where reverse engineering of the technology can be replicated to cater for the target communities. 

Apart from that there are exchange programmes to support staff and students set up startups in different locations that can support commercialisation of new products through university led programmes.

We are in the process of developing a prototype for the target population to test the solution.

I want to make an impact and I also I need the funds to realise this dream of helping millions get access to clean water.

Our solution is unique because unlike many other alternatives available have a waiting period but the water capsule uses organic substances and requires no harmful chemicals to carry out the process.

It is easy to install and can be made using locally available materials which makes it more sustainable and affordable for low-income populations targeted.

Our solution will have a positive output on the general health of the population which will reduce waterborne-related illnesses and improve access to clean water and sanitation. Therefore people will be more productive with their time and there will be a reduced mortality rate caused by waterborne diseases.

It will also support sustainable development goal number six which is access to clean water and sanitation thereby elevating accessibility the fundamental right to have access to clean water.

It will also reduce mortality rates among infants who at 1 out of 5 children under five die of gastrointestinal diseases per year in Malawi, often caused by inadequate water quality.

Our water capsule comes equipped with a chip to support geolocation mapping of the borehole fitted with the filter. That will help people find locations with boreholes that have clean water as there are many boreholes.

Apart from that the mobile phone application will also have a simple AI incorporated to it to show how busy the location is compared to other boreholes in close proximity. 

This will help in decision-making algorithms to save time and effort for moving around locating places where one can access a borehole with clean water

I am confident that this technology will work because of how difficult it is to access clean water which is a basic need for all. 

Those people solely relying on using borehole water, have a hard time  planning their activities for the day as they spend so much time at the borehole because of over crowding. With a chance to check and monitor borehole traffic one can make informed choices to decide on how they can access alternative places to save time.

Publicly available evidence of such use is currently not available but as of now we know that there are over 27,000 boreholes in Malawi and only 19.1% of these have been tested for adequate water quality as set by the WHO. This is going to be big step for our borehole water use.

Fulltime staff comprises of 4 people. 

1. Dr. Emmanuel Likoya (Climate Science expert)
2. Zalerapi Chirwa Mhango (Technology Transfer Officer ), Female
3. Harold Yapuwa (Water Science Expert)
4. Doris Msungama (Water science researcher), Female youth

And there are two more on part-time staff allocation.

1. Paul Macheso (AI Expert)
2. John Tembo (Digital Solutions Developer)

We have been working on the water capsule for the past two years. As a new technology, we have been trying to assess how best we can roll it out and give it the community for sustainability. 

But the research carried out to generate the solution has taken longer than three years. It took a lot of time to test water samples and get to a point to design and develop the anticipated solution.Limited time and resources affected the stage.

The team set up for the mobile application started working on the solution in January.

My team embodies diversity, comprising a mix of seasoned experts and young professionals in the early stages of their careers, who are entrusted with key responsibilities. Additionally, the team includes women and girls to ensure gender balance and representation

 Our water science team includes an expert and a youth female researcher, product design and development works hand in hand with the climate expert for proper solution development to mitigate climate-related risks associated with the solution, the digital team for mobile application development.

The water science team conducted the collection and testing of water samples to ascertain the most suitable filter for the solution.

The technology transfer office together with the climate expert worked as the fabrication team on product design, development and fabrication of the filter together with the researcher and water expert.

Additionally, our digital team is working part-time to develop a mobile application that will seamlessly integrate with the water capsule. This app will include features such as geo-mapping borehole locations equipped with the water capsule. Furthermore, the chip embedded in the capsule will notify users about the duration of filter usage and provide updates on traffic conditions among the tagged locations. The mobile application will be an open sources. Plans to incorporate a block chain feature to the app are going to be considered in the near future once the solution is rolled out successfully.

Since our target customers are mobile phone users and borehole users, we want our mobile application to be the one making money.

We intend to roll out the application as an open source to generate revenue through the use of paid advertisements and paid features to remove adverts for users. 

Once the app is rolled out, we will also add features for blockchain to accommodate those who sell water products to communities and local services such as restaurants as well as laundry services.

We will partner with the Ministry of Health, non-governmental organizations and other government departments to promote the use of the facilities and applications. 

Our devices will be installed for free but the people will be required to buy the filter every six months for replacement. local leaders will be responsible for overseeing the maintenance of the devices in their communities in the same way they manage borehole accessibility. 

The cost of developing and implementing these devices will be recovered through donor and development partners and sponsored advertisements to be used as the platform for use will be an open source platform.