How Strong Girl, Cynthia Koenig, is changing lives

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Strong Girl, Cynthia Koenig

If you’re reading this blog from a home with running water, it only took a simple turn of the wrist to turn on the tap. But many, many women and girls in the world spend hours a day collecting and carrying water. Girls carry water instead of going to school. Women must collect water instead of helping make money to support the family or pursuing an education or career.

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The WaterWheel

With the invention of the WaterWheel, women can get water faster and easier. Instead of carrying Jerry jugs on their heads, they can push twice as much water home. Now Cynthia Koenig spends her days trying to get the WaterWheel to the people who need it most in India.

In 1991, two South Africans invented the Hippo Water Roller for use in Africa. On their website, they offer the following stats:

  • Every day, millions of women and children in developing countries are forced to walk an average 6 km per day, carrying heavy loads of water, typically in heavy 20L (kg) containers balanced on their head.
  • Women worldwide spend 200 million hours each day to collect their families’ water.
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Hippo Water Roller

But Africa’s Hippo Water Roller, won’t work in India because the terrain and needs of Indian women are different. That’s why the WaterWheel invention is so important.

The Wello website states the following about the WaterWheel:

It’s…CONVENIENT.
Women spend over 25% of their time each day collecting water. With the WaterWheel, they can now transport 50L at once – between 3 and 5 times the amount of water possible as compared to traditional methods: this means MORE water in less time!

It’s…HYGIENIC
The WaterWheel’s cap-in-cap design prevents recontamination at the point of use. The single most effective strategy to reduce incidents of diarrheal disease (the second leading cause of death in children under the age of 5, according to the WHO)

It’s…HIGH QUALITY.
The WaterWheel is manufactured from high-quality, human-safe plastics. It’s a smart investment: long lasting and is durable enough to handle the roughest terrain.

It’s..AESTHETICALLY PLEASING.
The WaterWheel’s form was inspired by the shape of the traditional matka – both aesthetically pleasing and a clear indication of the WaterWheel’s intended purpose (clean water!).

AND it’s…AFFORDABLE.
In recognition of the fact that the people who need the WaterWheel the most have the least ability to pay for it, we developed an innovative business model that will enable us to offer the WaterWheel at an affordable price. Local manufacturing (in Ahmedabad, India) and CSR partnerships help us keep costs as low as possible.

Strong Girl, Cynthia Koenig, makes the case for the WaterWheel in the video below.

Strong Girls change the world. That’s why it’s important not to remain a victim but to fight hard to be a victor. Someone needs your influence in their life.Ask God to show you what you can do to improve the life of someone else. It’s what your strength is for.

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Tweet this: Someone needs your influence in their life. It’s what your strength is for.

 

Comments 2

  1. Where do we get WATER WHEELS in India? We have drought situation in Maharashtra and would like our people to know about this very innovative stuff.

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