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9-Year-Old Kenyan Boy Invents Touch Free Hand Washing Machine, Gets Presidential Award
Writer: Reethu Ravi
Reethu, a story teller, a person often found between the pages of a book or contemplating the nuances of life.
India, 9 Jun 2020 9:27 AM GMT
Editor : Shweta Kothari |
A broadcast turned digital journalist, Shweta Kothari heads the newsroom at The Logical Indian. She has previously worked with CNBC and NewsX as a news anchor and senior correspondent. Shweta holds a masters degree in journalism from the university of Sussex, UK and started her career with work placement with BBC in Scotland.
Creatives : Abhishek M
" An engineer by profession, Abhishek is the creative producer of the team, graphic designing is his passion and travelling his get away. In more ways than one, he makes the content visually appealing."
Hailing from the Bungoma County in western Kenya, Stephen Wamukota is the youngest of 68 people to receive the award from President Uhuru Kenyatta.
As the world grapples with the coronavirus pandemic, a nine-year-old Kenyan boy was honoured with a presidential award after he came up with a wooden hand washing machine to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Hailing from the Bungoma County in western Kenya, Stephen Wamukota is the youngest of 68 people to receive the award from President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Wamukota built the semi-automatic machine using wood, nails and a small water tank. The machine has two foot pedals - one for releasing soap and the other for releasing water. It allows a user to wash their hands without touching any of the surfaces with their hands, hence reducing the chances of contracting the deadly virus.
Wamukota's father, James, said that his son came up with the idea after watching news reports about the virus and how to stay safe from it.
"The first time the president announced Covid-19 infection in our country, it was said that everyone should wash their hands regularly to prevent the virus. My son told me that time that he had come up with a structure to help make hand washing easier," James told CNN.
He added that Kenya's school curriculum, which teaches young children how to assemble and construct things, helped his son in implementing the idea. James, who works as an electrician, helped him with some adjustments to the machine.
Meanwhile, Wycliffe Wangamati, the governor of Bungoma County where the boy lives, has also promised him a scholarship for his primary and secondary education.
Bungoma Governor @GovWWangamati & senator @Cleophasmalala committed to scout for a special school that will help narture the creative talent of Stephen Wamukota, the 9 year-old who grabbed global headlines for pioneering a home-made hand-washing & sanitizer-dispensing machine. pic.twitter.com/6RPNNFZ9Wl
— BungomaDigital (@BungomaDigital) May 15, 2020
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