Reaching remote communities with life-saving safe water
We work hand in hand with the people of Zimbabwe. All initiatives are community led making them more sustainable.
Water Wells
Many villages use wells they have dug by hand and place logs over the opening to stand on while drawing water. These wells can collapse dangerously and sometimes livestock or even people fall into them. If they are not deep enough, wells may go dry late in the dry season. Also, when the rains begin, storm runoff washes debris into them, polluting the water if the opening is not raised and protected.
Costs of building a well: $2500 (this includes a solar-powered pump)
Our goal is to build wells that filter the water for communities and reduce the risk of families drinking contaminated water.
Water Purifiers
In Zimbabwe, access to clean and safe drinking water remains a significant challenge. Water purifiers have emerged as a vital technology to address this issue. These devices employ various mechanisms, such as filtration, reverse osmosis, and ultraviolet disinfection, to remove harmful contaminants and microorganisms from water sources. By providing access to purified water, water purifiers help prevent waterborne diseases, improve overall health, and contribute to the well-being of communities across Africa.
LifeStraw’s membrane ultrafilter pores are 0.02 micron —10 times smaller than the pores of the membrane microfilter. Both technologies work via the same mechanism, but ultrafilters also block viruses due to the smaller pore size. When dirty water enters the ultrafilter, the microscopic pores block viruses, bacteria, parasites, microplastics, dirt, and other turbidity forms. Clean water passes through the pores in the membranes making the water microbiologically safe to drink. Because of the smaller pore size, ultrafilters often have a slower flow rate or require more pressure to purify water than microfilters. LifeStraw Membrane Ultrafilters are capable of removing 99.999% (log 5) of viruses (including Rotavirus), 99.999999% (log 8) of bacteria (including E. coli and Salmonella), 99.999% (log 5) of parasites (Giardia and Cryptosporidium), and 99.999% (log 5) of microplastics. We classify our products that use membrane ultrafiltration technology as purifiers because they remove virus.
