aim The aim of the Hippo Water Roller Project is to reduce the number of people without adequate access to water by 1% = 10 million people.
reach The Hippo water roller is now in use in 21 African countries including South Africa, Angola, Botswana, Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The project is also currently involved in assisting people who do not have access to clean drinking water in South America and India.
benefits The efficiency of the Hippo roller gives people more time to do other important tasks around the household and allows children to attend school. The consequence of easier access to water is far reaching, with social, health and economic benefits:
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Social impact– Extensive amounts of time and energy is saved which can now be directed to other important household tasks. Thanks to the Hippo water roller, women can now braid their hair, which is a practice previously impossible because they had to carry water on their heads. It has also decreased the rate at which women experience hair loss, thus generating higher levels of self-confidence and dignity. Even men, who generally consider collecting water a menial task, are proud of the technology and have started collecting water using the Hippo roller.
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Improvements to health and sanitation: More water means a better quality of life through increased hygiene and cleanliness resulting in fewer medical problems. Rolling rather than carrying heavy buckets of water reduces the strain on the skeletal frame reducing the possibilities of physical injury.
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Economic productivity – More time, energy and better health are important ingredients for improved productivity, food production and income generation. 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.
The Hippo water roller brings more than just improved access to water!
