Nine-Year-Old Inventor Receives National Award

Jun 09, 2020 by apost team

A 9-year-old boy from Kenya received the Presidential Order of Service for inventing a hand-washing machine that is operated by pedal to help curb the spread of coronavirus as people no longer have to touch the taps. 

The novel coronavirus of 2019, also known as COVID-19, has truly changed the world. For months, people have had to change their behavior. There's no more handshaking. People are wearing surgical or fabric masks whenever they head out in public. International travel has slowed to a crawl. And there's been a huge emphasis on sanitization. Everyone is cleaning high touch surfaces with alcohol or bleach. Moreover, people are cleaning their hands, too.

One of the first things to happen when COVID-19 started to spread was advice on hand cleanliness. Washing hands with soap and water kills the virus and makes it harder to transmit it. People have been reminded constantly that it's important to wash for 20 seconds to ensure handwashing is effective. Although hand sanitizer is a good back-up, it's actually less helpful than washing with good old soap and water. One problem with hand washing, though, is that usually, people have to touch the taps.

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In Kenya, one young boy found a way around this. By adapting a window frame, he made a hand washing machine that's operated by a pedal. One pedal tips soap into the palms. The other tips water from a tank onto the hands. All the washer needs to do is provide some agitation while the water pours over their hands.

This machine has made a big difference for young Stephen Wamukota's family and community. His father, a tradesman, was surprised to see that his son had used his work materials for the project. But he was also undeniably proud. He even provided some help, in the form of tightening the connections on the machine.

As Daily Nation reports, Stephen got the idea from watching people build and fix things in his community. Of course, the practical subjects he's learned at school have also been helpful. He was inspired to act by seeing news stories about the virus. COVID-19 has infected over 2,862 people in Kenya and killed over 85 of them. He wanted to be ready if the virus made its way to his community. In recognition of his industriousness and community spirit, Stephen was presented with the Presidential Order of Service.

What do you think of Stephen's invention? How are young people in your area responding to the challenges presented by the coronavirus? Let us know in the comments and be sure to pass this article along to others!