AfriGadget

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Gadgets in Africa: Solving everyday problems with African ingenuity

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Site title: AfriGadget – Gadgets in Africa: Solving everyday problems with African ingenuity
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AfriGadget.com relaunch
Jun 22, 2018 · original
We’re back online with our old blog! What started in 2006 by Erik Hersman , founder/co-founder of Ushahidi.com , Brck.com and other ventures, was quickly turned into a group blog, which featured various authors from around the world. Our mission: To showcase innovative humans who come up with different solutions to problems in environments that lack industry norms, access to professional tools, a supply of the right materials or just anything that is not made in a factory. In Kenya, where most of our authors grew up or live in, this approach to problem solving is often called “jua kali” , as in “working under the hot sun” . Steve Daniels, former advisor at the now defunct Makeshift magazine, created a wonderful paper called “ Making Do – Innovation in Kenya’s Informal Sector ” in 2010 on this innovative culture that we never really mentioned on this blog: AfriGadget.com wouldn’t exist wi
The DIY Three-Wheeler
Aug 29, 2015 · original
Kevin Becker recently moved to Kenya and built this great DIY three-wheeler for his son. “My son wants to be outside all of the time. This three-wheel cart allows him to pedal himself around like Fred Flintstone, or I can push him from behind with the handle. The larger wheels are good for the rough terrain on our farm. He can turn the front wheel to steer himself, or I can tilt the cart back so the front wheel is off the ground when I need to steer.” The Three-Wheeler in action: https://www.afrigadget.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/video-1440795606.mp4.mp4 “Except for the wood, I used parts that I had on hand which I brought with me from the U.S., but I’m sure everything could be found here in Kenya. The wheels came from golf club bag carts, but any spare wheels, around 10″ diameter, should work. The rear handle and front wheel support are made from 1″ PVC. The front handle is 3/4″ PVC.
A Tablet for Africa?
Dec 22, 2014 · original
Guest post by Jay Cousins : For many of you reading this, the title of this article might lead you to a vision of one laptop per child – or some other Silicon Valley vision of progress for Africa. The technology I wish to discuss is slower and simpler. Full disclosure: it’s my invention. The Betabook is a portable whiteboard, which can be used with a smartphone for archiving, content creation, and social media sharing. During my time in Egypt working with the icehubs network, I tested the initial prototypes. Uses in this context included: Translation – through drawings (and the written text of others) I’ve been able to communicate with Deaf Egyptians in Aswan and others who cannot speak English. Improved communication – visual aids, allow for clearer communication of objectives or ideas Part’s list for Air Quality Kit – Preparing for a Hackidemia workshop in Alexandria – see previous pos
SK8OPIA – Skate Ethiopia
Jul 24, 2014 · original
These are great news from our Ethiopia-based partner iceaddis : a student recently designed a new wheel for skateboards that can be produced in Ethiopia – made and designed in Africa. Reinventing the wheel? Eh! Bauhaus product design student Daniel Scheidler presented his bachelor project on affordable and locally appropriate vehicles for individual transport in Ethiopia. Through extensive field research in Addis Ababa, Daniel concluded that new roads of good quality have been built across the city and the country, but owning a car is still far too costly for the great majority of the population, while the public transport system (buses & taxis) on the other hand is overcrowded. Derived from personal experience in the skateboard scene , Daniel’s proposed solution is a locally adapted type of skateboard, as a viable option for the daily transport needs of the urban masses. Of central impo
Maker Faire Africa comes to Jo’Burg
Jul 8, 2014 · original
Maker Faire Africa was first held in Ghana in 2009, then Kenya 2010, Egypt 2011, Nigeria 2012 and now in South Africa 2014. It’s been an amazing thing to be a part of, and the best is to be there and see the local ingenuity, the practical inventions that are made by some of the smartest and scrappiest people in Africa. Makers from across Africa will join ZA Makers for 4-days of meet-ups, mash-ups, workshops, and seed-starting ideas for new collaborations in open innovation across the continent. When: Sept 3-6, 2014 Where: WITS (University of the Witwatersrand), exact location TBD Who: You + all the other Makers, just sign up Maker Faire Africa 2014 will bring together over 5,000 attendees, along with featured inventors, world-class makers, self-made entrepreneurs & workshop experts from South Africa, across the continent, and around the world, to manufacture real solutions for some of Af
The Mukombe – Zimbabwe’s Tippy Tap
Apr 6, 2014 · original
Dr. Peter Morgan, winner of the 2013 Stockholm Water Prize and resident of Zimbabwe, recently shared the design of The Mukombe on the forum of the Sustainable Sanitation Alliance . The Mukombe is a hand washing device – a “tippy tap” as it is commonly known within the Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) scene – as it just requires a little tip to provide the user with just enough water to wash the hands. In water-arid areas, such a simple device can be essential to hygiene. Naturally occuring Mukombe “(The Mukombe) was first conceived by Dr Jim Watt when he worked in Zimbabwe as a Salvation Army doctor in Chiweshe in the late 1970′s. (…) This vegetable had a hard shell and could be used as a gourd or calabash for carrying water and other commodities. It is commonly grown in the fields. The great innovation was to turn this common plant into a hand washing device. (…) Many years ago I made
You are what you breathe
Jan 27, 2014 · original
When was the last time you noticed the air you are breathing ? Do you know how it affects you and your health? Egypt leads the list of the most polluted cities in the world, in terms of particulate matter. Moreover, according to the latest report by the WHO, every Cairo resident’s daily share of air pollution is equivalent to smoking a pack of cigarettes a day. This motivated the makers from icealex hub in Alexandria Egypt to work on solving this global problem. Their solution: Build an air quality monitoring kit The kit uses Arduino, gas, humidity and temperature sensors, RGB LEDs and an LCD screen to detect and measure air pollution. The Afrimakers team wishes to understand and map pollutants in their local environment and identify main pollution sources and best strategies of individual protection. The idea was inspired by the Air Quality Egg project, which is based on Arduino, allowi
A Urine Powered Generator
Nov 5, 2012 · original
Possibly one of the more unexpected products at Maker Faire Africa this year in Lagos is a urine powered generator, created by four girls. The girls are Duro-Aina Adebola (14), Akindele Abiola (14), Faleke Oluwatoyin (14) and Bello Eniola (15). 1 Liter of urine gives you 6 hours of electricity. The system works like this: Urine is put into an electrolytic cell, which separates out the hydrogen. The hydrogen goes into a water filter for purification, which then gets pushed into the gas cylinder. The gas cylinder pushes hydrogen into a cylinder of liquid borax, which is used to remove the moisture from the hydrogen gas. This purified hydrogen gas is pushed into the generator. Along the whole way there are one-way valves for security, but let’s be honest that this is something of an explosive device…
Blade-less wind turbine blows fresh air into power generation
Sep 20, 2012 · original
A guest post by Kahenya, Founder of Simple Community The name William Kamkwamba might not sound familiar to many, but he is one of the most significant technology game changers in Africa. He did not design the most glamorous device on the planet, and neither was his creation unique. However, it was extremely significant. Using just a book, Kamkwamba, now 25, designed and built a windmill that generated electricity and pumped water in his home village in Malawi. This was significant because he proved that it was possible to build things with instant grassroots impact that did not require a business plan, a website, a marketing strategy, a funding strategy or even a glamorous launch. He gained instant fame. Kamkwamba managed to ensure that he could meet his immediate power needs using tree branches and scrap material. He was able to generate electricity and pump water using pure green ener
Bulb 2.0 and Maker Faire Africa 2012
Sep 10, 2012 · original
For the price of Kshs. 30 /= (EUR 0.27 or USD 0.35) you’ll manage to pick up this kerosine lamp from a kiosk in Kibera, Kenya: Certainly a great visual update to the famous tin can paraffin lamp which sells for a slightly higher price and requires additional soldering. Kerosine (or paraffin) lamps are the alternative to modern solar LED lights, and also to the (otherwise great) daylight indoor illumination via filled water bottles (invented by Alfredo Mozer in Brazil in 2002). Thx, Majala ! In other news: Maker Faire Africa is coming up again. Yay! Maker Faire Africa on November 5th and 6th 2012 in Lagos, Nigeria. If you are a maker , please consider registering with their website. Further info will be available soon. Oh, and if you’re on Facebook , please check out our recently relaunched page . All are welcome!

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