Cynthiya Koenig's 'Wello Waterwheel' a one stop solution to the water transportation woes of millions of Indians

Water : This is one subject on which there have been debates, arguments, suggestions, advise etc.   But I am sorry to add that there is no solution in hand to the water crisis which Indians face every year.   The main problem with India is the distance between the point of water and households.  Cynthiya's research has shown that women in rural households spend more than 6 hours of their day collecting water for their respective households.

Second problem listed by Cynthiya is that the water is too heavy for the womenfolk to carry on their heads.  Estimated 20 litres of water is carried by by each rural woman on her head on one trip.  This may lead to head pain, injury to neck and even infant mortality in some cases.  

Second of the major problems the rural women face is what I have said above.  Imagine a girl aged 17 years spending 6 hours of her day time, which can be used to educate her, being wasted on water transportation.  

At a age when the girl child should be educated, they are plying water for their families.  This quality time is wasted on transportation of water from the point of origin to their house.  And 70 % of girls aged between 15 and 17 drop out of school for the sole purpose of helping out their families.  This includes the perennial water transportation problems.  

Cynthiya and her team researched with the subject interacting with the rural women and taking their views into account before finding a very nice solution to this problem.

The Wello Waterwheel

The water wheel is a one stop answer to the problems of water transportation the rural women face.  It can carry enough water in one trip for a entire family and has a nice ergonomic cap to contain spills as well as insulate it from dirt and grime.  It has been built with sturdy plastic to withstand the sandy and rocky landscape of Rajasthan.  

You can be a part of this venture from the wellowater.org.  You can advertise on the wheel with your product or spread a social message like Polio Vaccination or Safe Sex on it.  The tech student can also use its dynamics to convert the energy that is put into it to some good use like charging mobile phones or powering emergency lamps.

This campaign was brought to you by Franklin Templeton Investments partnered the TEDxGateway Mumbai in December 2012.  You can also this and many ideas on www.ftideacaravan.com.

Cynthiya and her Wello Waterwheel : Check out this fantastic video explaining all about it.

And while Cynthiya is doing her bit, we should also promise ourselves to save water!!!