The "Hippo Roller" and the "Water Wheel". Two innovations making life easier for women....

[A HERETIC I AM]

in developing nations.

I'm sure most of you are aware that there are millions of women on this planet that must daily walk to a source of fresh water, sometimes for miles. The traditional way to transport the water back home was in open containers or even jugs or other containers with a removable top or cap, such as this;




These two innovations make this task much easier.

The "Hippo Roller";





And the "Water Wheel";


Until such time as the developing nations catch up to the first world with regards to water distribution, these two incredibly simple designs can make life much easier for many millions of women who are the primary transporters of water for their families.

Found here;


Hippo Roller

Water Wheel

[hlthe2b]

1. That is worth donating to, for sure

Incremental steps, but this is a good one.

[Marr]

2. Wow-- that's great.

Effective, simple, and I imagine, pretty cheap to produce.

[A HERETIC I AM]

3. Gratuitous self kick.

Actually, it isn't really gratuitous at all.

I think it is a bit of a shame really, that a story like this got so few views (only 190 before I did this kick, and I kicked it from the 3rd page), particularly from a board very often obsessed with women's issues.

What could be more important than water? Really. And the fact that millions upon millions of women's lives could be made easier by these devices.....

Edited to remove pointless editorializing.

[redqueen]

4. The arguing in the more contentious threads keeps it kicked,

so it stays more visible, and gets even more attention.

I just saw this for the first time. Thanks for kicking it.

[NCTraveler]

7. I do like this and don't think it is a bad thing.

I just don't see what it has to do with womens issues. It makes it easier for them to get the water back to the family. It does not change their societal status in any way. It would be like saying the microwave was a move forward in the fight for womens equality.

Like I said, this is a good thing. Probably very much worthy of a donation as the trek some of these women make daily is pretty remarkable. But like I said, it does nothing to change social stigma.

k&r.

[Grant Gibbs]

32. Hippo water roller changes social status of women, children (& men)

NCTraveler, the Hippo water roller has a broad based impact on communities. It gives women and children MORE TIME to do other important tasks around the household and it allows more children to ATTEND SCHOOL and secure a proper education.

We have seen how men, who generally consider collecting water a menial task, have become proud of the technology and have started collecting water using the Hippo roller.

The roller has given people the opportunity to grow more produce and earn a higher income from the potential increase in sales, due to higher yields.

Small-scale entrepreneurs - by using the Hippo Mobile Spaza, are also able to transport and display their goods more effectively, while at the same time protect their produce from the sun.

Compare the Hippo roller's Other Uses (selling produce, irrigation, emergency kit...)

[uppityperson]

34. welcome to DU, these look very useful and much easier than carrying jugs. Are you

involved with this company? Neat product you have. I will look at them more tomorrow, am interested in what they are made of, thickness, flexibility, etc, for friends in rural AK who haul water.

It is good to be able to lessen the time and energy for women, give them more time for education perhaps. And I like the thought of men being able to push them, help but not have to do "women's" work. Good job

[NCTraveler]

39. I don't agree that it changes the status of women.

As you said, gives them more time to do things around the house. Your point about children is spot on. Often children are used for this activity. I can definitely see how it would open up more time for them to learn and do other things. I fear that in many of these places that additional free time will just be used as a method to use them as labor in different ways. Often in these communities, the women do not gain greater equality from higher income. That is still the mans game. It does not change the womens status when it comes to equality.

Great post on your part and I do see the benefits in this product. I am not dismissing it. The advantages are huge and will make the lives of these women easier. That is extremely important.

Welcome to du. Truly appreciate your post.

[CTyankee]

17. Your editorializing wouldn't be "pointless." It is needed!

Thanks for the post!

[A HERETIC I AM]

22. I appreciate that.

It's just that I realized what I had written was little more than shit stirring, and there isn't really any need for that.

Not from me, anyway.

[1000words]

5. An elegant solution

Rec'd

[Gormy Cuss]

6. And the WonderBag

.....With help from an African seamstress, Collins made a prototype Wonderbag. A crock pot without wires, her invention would mean an end to women spending five hours or more a day cooking and hunting for firewood, a backbreaking chore made even more dangerous by rapists who have been known to prey on women who gather cook-fire fuel alone.

It would lessen deforestation. It would reduce the number of families sleeping in smoke-congested huts and the number of accidental burns, especially among children.

Cooking times would be drastically reduced, because all women would have to do is heat food to cooking temperature, then move the pot to the Wonderbag to finish cooking.

"With all that freed-up time, they could start businesses, look after their kids, go to school, start small-scale farms," Collins said...

http://www.sfgate.com/food/article/Wonderbag-insulated-cooker-helps-African-women-5112097.php#photo-5585698

[redqueen]

9. OK, now that is really something. nt

Awesome idea.

[Gormy Cuss]

10. And they're being made in Africa so they've created jobs.

It looks like Amazon sold out at least for now. The deal was that for every one purchased on Amazon a second would be distributed free to an African family.

[redqueen]

15. Oh that makes so much difference.

So, so much. Thanks for posting this.

[Butterbean]

24. I almost bought one of those for my mom for Xmas.

I should get one for her for her bday, she'll love it.

[myrna minx]

8. These are wonderful inventions. K&R!

[zappaman]

11. Love it!

Kick and Rec!

[Liberal_in_LA]

12. great inventions. i always wondered why wheeled carts werent donated

[LadyHawkAZ]

13. K&R

[Boudica the Lyoness]

14. You never see the men hauling water

It seems to me they don't do bugger all.

[1000words]

16. Yes, let's make this inspiring story an extension of DU's gender war drama

[Boudica the Lyoness]

29. In the silly DU gender wars, I'm usually on the blokes side..

But no when it comes to the obvious stuff - like women carrying all kinds of stuff on their heads and the fellers nowhere to be seen.

As far as the ridiculous gender war on DU - even though I have been an active feminist, the shit on DU, all the man hating, made me switch sides. (As far as DU goes).

I always stand up for he under dog.

[Sheldon Cooper]

41. lol

[redqueen]

42. No shit.

Criticizing rape culture and harmful gender norms = "man hating" ...

[Sheldon Cooper]

44. 'on the side of the underdog'

[redqueen]

45. Yeah.

Things that make you go 'hmmmmmmm'

[Grant Gibbs]

33. Men are starting to use the Hippo water roller

We find that men (at least in Africa) who generally consider collecting water a menial task, are proud of the technology and have started collecting water using the Hippo roller. No more carrying water buckets on your head, more like pushing a wheelbarrow (which is more acceptable thing for men to do). The Hippo water roller is also used for irrigation and as a shop stand, even more acceptable for men to do. Read more (and compare Other Uses): hipporoller.org/product

[redqueen]

43. Is it manufactured somewhere in Africa? nt

[dipsydoodle]

18. What's surprising is that they didn't think of it earlier.

In the UK we had lawn rollers like that in the seventies.

For this purpose I have thought a ball would be a better shape : goes round corners easier.

I'm pleased this use has been figured anyway.

Edit ot add - I dont why they are $150 - they're half that price on Amazon here in the UK.

[1000words]

21. It doubles as a storage vessel

Ball shape would be great for transporting, but would make storage nearly impossible

[Donald Ian Rankin]

23. I suspect they're a lot cleverer than they look.

Try rolling a cylinder full - or, even harder, partially full - of water some time, and you'll find it takes much more work than a solid cylinder, for complicated physics reasons.

I suspect that these devices will have a trick for dealing with that - perhaps an inner skin that doesn't rotate, or something like that.

If they don't, there might well be room on the market for one that does...

[dipsydoodle]

25. Funnily enough what you've described

is the busted full size cricket pitch cast iron roller in my garden. That was origianally fitted with cast iron quadrants inside which rotated freely on the axle. I just use it as an ornament.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

27. That makes sense.

If the heavy thing is rotating, it will have a lot of rotational kinetic energy, so you'll need to do more work to start it moving than if it's stationary and only a light thing is moving.

[nomorenomore08]

19. Imagine, if we were to take even 5-10% of our military budget and spend it on developing nations'

infrastructure... Millions more people could have access to clean drinking water practically overnight.

[Matariki]

36. and consequently creating significantly less need for said military budget

if there was a good and fair distribution of resources worldwide

[mstinamotorcity2]

20. kick and

rec

[Demo_Chris]

26. Kick!

[kentauros]

28. The Watercone is another device for getting fresh water:

Watercone



(more detail here)

[countryjake]

30. kickety

[TroglodyteScholar]

31. Kick!

[Matariki]

35. Very cool.

[Grant Gibbs]

37. Difference in capacity

The Hippo roller carries 90 litres (24 gallons) of water inside a rolling wheel.
A Hippo roller filled with 90 L water effectively weighs only 10 kilograms (22 pounds) on level ground.

The WaterWheel is a smaller version and can carry up to 50L.

[LuvNewcastle]

38. K&R

I hope they're able to get a lot of these to the people who need them.

[blogslut]

40. Also, the Q Drum

http://www.qdrum.co.za/about-q-drum

Many more simple yet life-changing designs here:

http://www.designother90.org/