U of A med students' simple clay pots make huge difference to Kenyans' drinking water.
But the deceptively simple clay pot has the potential to make a huge difference to the health of people without access to clean drinking water.
Local potter Musa Omumia reviews new designs for Kenyan Ceramic Project prototypes.
How it works is that the wet clay is blended with a specific ratio of organic material — or temper — that burns off in the firing process, making the material water-permeable. “So, essentially you get a porous pot that lets water through, but not bacteria,” says Saleh.
They also made a believer out of U of A biology professor — and winner of the University of Alberta Cup, the U of A’s highest academic honour — Mike Belosevic. It was Belosevic who gave Saleh and three other students access to a research lab, after they’d recruited a local potter, Lorris Williams, to help create their filter.
Saleh became interested in the topic of clean water while researching HIV transmission rates from breast milk in Ecuador, which lead to the question of why women were breastfeeding if they have HIV. It boiled down to the fact that the possible risk of HIV was less threatening than the immediate risk of dysentery.
But, after seven weeks, the students managed to arrange for a local sugar factory to provide all the necessary organic temper materials. “It’s a waste product from their production, completely renewable and completely free. We found sources of clay from a village of potters and now we have a preliminary workshop set up,” says Saleh, adding that UNICEF has bought into the project.
For more info on the Kenya Ceramic Project go to www.kenyanceramics.org.
Close to half of all Kenyans do not have access to clean, safe drinking water. Donations to the Kenya Ceramic Project help to ensure continued production of water-filtering ceramic pots in a community-based factory located in Western Kenya. Financial support of the project is 100% tax deductible and will have a lasting impact on the lives of Kenyan communities.