The Sunday News
Allan Foti, Sunday News Correspondent
WHEN most people think of an inventor, they assume he or she is an engineer. But for Bulawayo’s Gwabalanda resident Thulani Chauke, that is not the case.
Chauke, who has lived in Gwabalanda for more than 30 years having grown up in the neighbourhood, is a teacher by profession.
“I am actually a qualified high school teacher, but I’ve always been playing around with crazy little inventions and I finally decided to quit my job and concentrate on making my passion make money for me. I hope one of them turns out to be pretty successful soon,” he said.
Although Chauke has created many useful gadgets over the years, one he said was more successful was the bicycle-powered peanut butter-making machine, a gadget that both saves on power and is more efficient.
“I resigned from teaching and now plan to live happily ever after inventing useful gadgets and fidgeting with existing ones. I was at a funeral and then I got into this hand washing thing,” Chauke said, referring to his invention the Hygenic Hand Washer, a unique contraption that combines technology with hygiene to be a hands-free, foot-operated hand washing gadget.
Chauke originally came up with the idea after seeing a bucket version of the hand washing machine developed by an NGO to help rural communities at risk of water borne diseases due to lack of running water.
“I travelled to the rural areas and came across a contraption that was designed to mitigate hygiene in areas without running water. However, it got me thinking. I realised that even in urban communities where running water is readily available people are still at risk. So I started putzing around,” he said.
He said he realised people use their dirty or germ and bacteria-infected hands to open taps and then handle the same faucets with clean hands ensuring that whatever germs were on the hands prior to washing find their way back after washing.
Since then, Chauke has developed many models of the hand washer. The patented gadget eliminates the need to handle faucets.
“To wash your hands, you just tap on the foot lever which in turn opens a valve that lets water run from the tank to a tap. One washes their hands by opening the tap using a foot pedal and then a spring valve automatically closes the tap,” Chauke explains to Sunday Life.
Chauke originally saw a similar contraption being useful to guard against diseases such as cholera, but as he continued to develop is invention he began to realise that he could also adapt it to save water as well.
“As I continued to work on my gadget I realised that there was a lot of water being wasted and I decided to work on making it save the precious liquid as well,” Chauke explained.
As far as competitors go, Chauke said there are only a couple that have the same concept but work a bit differently.
He explained it is similar to a smartphone. Before you have the hygienic hand washer/smartphone you don’t miss it because you don’t know what you are missing. However, once you have had the hygienic handwasher/smartphone, you miss it and can’t go back to a regular tap or flip phone.
Chauke will be exhibiting his clever invention at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair this year. The brand will have its complete range of handwashers to suit organisations and facilities of any size.
“It is a good way to reach a lot of people from a hands-on perspective. One of the best ways to spread the word about this very useful gadget,” he confirmed.
Chauke hopes Government and NGOs will be swayed to order his product for both rural and urban communities. He challenged relevant authorities to avail research grants to allow him and other like minded colleagues to create innovations that will help local communities and contribute to economic development.-@AllanFoti
