Clean Water - Problem and Challenge
Daniel Mansoe, teacher from the "Hinterland" of Axim, who attended both of our workshops in 2017 and 2018 has become really enthusiastic to apply the ideas of projetc work on current problems in his school-area. In addition, his nearly "scientific" approach has brought acknowledgment to him by the school-authoritiys. We watch his various activites and can take part in the results by many pictures he sends to Germany.
He describes all projects very extendedly. Read about his attempts to provide clean and safe water to his children and teach them how to use traditional knowledge to stay healthy. If Daniel had some chemical advices to test water after treatment this would be very helpful and could prove the effects of treatment. Nevertheless, treating water in this way is at least better than drink it without any treatment!
See some links we used during our workshops.
Access to Clean Water (Project by Daniel Mansoe, March 2019)
Water gives life but can also kill when you drink it unsafe.
In Africa especially at the slum area, many people - especially children - die of water borne diseases especially bihalzia. This innocent children might have become presidents, farmers, doctors etc to support economic growth in the world. But before they have the chance to grow up safely, they are infected by spoilt water. How can we solve this situation especially in Africa.
Having access to clean water is very scarce in sub-saharan Africa. People mostly depend on water from the stream, lakes, ponds and lagoons which also serves as source of water for other animals. But hope is not lost, all these source of unsafe water can be made clean and safe. For this reason, the coordinator of Bachmann Water is Life Club, Mr. Daniel Manso collaborates with some lower primary pupils of Avrebo M/A Basic School in the Nzema East District of the Western Region of Ghana to research on how to purify water using the traditional method. A research which was solely sponsored by the coordinator.
(Daniel Mansoe, March 2019)
Instruction: step by step
- Collect the water you want to filter from the source with a clean basin or bucket.
- Fetch for a fine sand about half of a 1000mls of bottle.
- Put the sand in a third water full of bucket and stir it using a wooden ladle to get the dirt particles suspended in the water.
- Pour the water from the sand.
- Put the sand in a light tasted salt solution and leave it for about 10mins
- Pour the solution from the sand and dry the sand in the sun for about 20min to get the water evaporated from the sand. Heat the sand at a temperature of about 100 to 130 degrees.
- Collect some pebbles and wash them with light tasted salt solution and dry them in the sun for about 7mins
- Collect some pieces of charcoal from a medication plant and grind them.
- Mount a traditional reservoir using a funnel with the pebbles at the bottom, followed by the sand and then the grinded charcoal.
- Pass the water to be filtered in the funnel with the charcoal, sand and pebbles and collect them using a clean bucket.Note: Don't forget to put four pieces of charcoal into the water to be filtered while the preparing for the filtration process.
- Afterwards, boil the water and filter it again into a traditional pot or bucket using a cotton wool or a clean napkin.
- Allow the water to cool down and it is ready and safe for drinking.
Analysis
Traditionally
- from the medication plant is used to remove toxic from water and also kill or dysfunction some bacteria in water.
- The sand serves as a filter.
- The pebbles add taste to the water and make it good for drinking.
- Salt serves as a sterilizing agent for removing dirt and germs in many homes.
Scientifically
- The carbon in the charcoal mostly in "activated charcoal" is used to remove toxic from the water and it also kill germs
- Sand and pebbles are used to track dirt from water during filtration.
- Salt solution to some extent is used to kill germs especially on fruits.
- Boiling water is a safe method to kill up to 95 % many germs
