Cynthia Koenig could barely lift her 5 gallon bucket of water, let alone carry it 2 miles. By the time she arrived at her home in rural Guatemala, most of her water – her daily ration for cooking and drinking – had splashed away.
Although the ecotourism work that brought Koenig to Guatemala n has nothing to do with water issues, it's hard to ignore the toll that collecting water takes on members of your community.
Worldwide, more than a billion people do not have reliable access to a source of safe water.
“The task of collecting enough water to meet a family's basic needs often falls to women, who spend up to several hours a day carrying heavy containers of water over long distances,” says Koenig. br />More than a billion people worldwide do not have reliable access to a source of safe water, according to the World Water Council. On average, the trip to a clean water source is over 3 miles. Once there, collection vestibules are limited to plastic, steel or clay pots. Koenig has learned firsthand that these options are neither efficient nor ergonomic.
“Years later, in a graduate course, I started thinking about water harvesting,” says Koenig. "How could I reduce the time and the physical load? »
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Koenig has developed the WaterWheel, a reinforced 45 liter orb mounted on an axle to allow the user to run water from its source. The design was praised and stakeholders clamored to invest in Wello, Koenig's new social enterprise based in India.
Since 2012, Wello has helped over 75,000 people around the world to obtain waterwheels , enabling them to access the basic UN sanitation standards of 20 liters per person per day. WaterWheel users also report a significant reduction in chronic pain now that they are no longer carrying large pots of water on their heads. For these populations, health truly is wealth:after obtaining a waterwheel, users report increases in income ranging from 20 to 120%.
“By using the WaterWheel, people reduce the time they devote almost 50% to water collection", explains Koenig. “That means more time to work, go to school, or pursue other opportunities.”
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This article originally appeared in the April 2017 issue of SUCCESS magazine.Photos courtesy of Cythina Koenig
