Freeworld in Africa
Freeworld is proud to support the Hippo Water Roller project in South Africa. This is helping people right now where it’s needed the most. The Hippo Roller is proof that great design can bring positive social changes. Originally designed by Pettie Petzer and Johan Jonker as a military landmine detection device during the apartheid period in South Africa, the Hippo Roller transports approximately five times the normal amount of water with far less effort than by the traditional method.
Here’s why the Hippo Water Roller is awesome:
- Locally Manufactured which supports sustainable communities
- Improves women’s health. Since they no longer have to carry weight on their heads, the risk of neck and back injuries is eliminated.
- Increases water loads from 5 gallons to 20 gallons a trip. Families are able to bathe and eat better than before.
- Can easily be used as a drip irrigation system to grow gardens that were previously too difficult to maintain.
- A social shift is happening in the villages because men love the wow factor of the new technology and are taking responsibility to bring the water back to the village.
Can you imagine the men getting competitive and racing to see how much water they can bring water back to the village? Pretty cool.
There are some very nice similarities between this product and our work in the digital world. We strive to make our online experience extremely user-friendly. The Hippo Roller is easy to use and it’s innovative design is making a real difference in the world.