South Sudanese and Ghanaian Youth Find a Solution to Waterborne Diseases, Saving Lives

Mastercard Foundation Scholars and The Resolution Social Venture Challenge

In June 2017, Judith Lurit returned home to Juba, the capital city of South Sudan, on vacation from her studies in Ghana, where she found a placement as an intern at a local hospital. During the internship, she was alarmed by the many cases of waterborne diseases reported every day and was prompted to research the cause of these cases. Judith soon discovered that people, mostly from refugee camps, were drinking untreated water.

“The community drinks directly from the River Nile, which is contaminated with fecal matter that carries disease-causing pathogens, most households in South Sudan especially in refugee camps drink from a common water pot leaving the water more prone to contamination making it riskier to their health,” said Judith, who is pursuing a degree in medical and laboratory technology at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).

South Sudan is the world’s youngest nation, having gained its independence from Sudan in 2011 after 21 years of civil war. The conflict displaced close to one million people, sending them to overcrowd refugee camps with insufficient access to clean water and sanitation facilities, and no access to quality health care services.

“In 2017, there were 16,706 cholera cases and 378 deaths reported in only 24 counties in South Sudan. There is a high mortality and morbidity rate from waterborne diseases such as gastroenteritis, typhoid fever, hepatitis A dysentery, and cholera, among others,” explained Judith.

Out of the six water treatment centres in Juba, only one is functional. Moreover, chlorine and alum— the most common chemicals used to treat water at the household level — can cause allergies, kidney and liver diseases/ damage when highly concentrated, and it is not highly effective in eliminating water pathogens.

Judith thought of designing a huge water filter to be placed at a common water collection point from where people would draw water for cooking, drinking and other domestic use, but she dropped the idea after realizing that people would not observe hygiene while fetching and transporting the water to their homes or houses and therefore the water would still get contaminated through dirty hands and unclean containers.

“So, I came up with the idea of designing a filter for point of use water purification that every household can own,” said Judith.

When she returned to Ghana, Judith shared the idea with her friend Emily Otoo-Quayson, a Ghanaian and fellow Mastercard Foundation Scholar at KNUST, selected for the scholarship because of their academic talent, social consciousness, and leadership qualities. That’s when IGem came up with an earthenware filter.

The earthenware filter is a vessel made from clay, corn, or rice husks with two chambers: a bigger pot to gather filtered water and a smaller pot that has a filter attached to it. The filter has tiny pores which can trap debris and pathogens. A layer of chelating agents and other substances are used to coat the inner lining of the filter giving it the ability to deactivate viruses, parasites, protozoans when water passes through the filter.

For the start of IGem’s field work, five youth will be trained on how to make clay pots of different sizes types and shapes. They will then start making the pots on a large scale under optimum conditions to meet market standards before being sold to the public at an affordable price.

IGem won the Resolution Social Venture Challenge in 2018, a competition that rewards compelling leadership and promising social ventures led by youth. These young leaders earned a fellowship that includes seed funding, mentorship, and access to a network of young global change-makers to pursue impactful projects in their communities. A collaboration between the Mastercard Foundation and The Resolution Project, the Resolution Social Venture Challenge provides a pathway to action for socially responsible young leaders who want to create change that matters in their communities.

“IGem came up with the idea of designing a device that every family can purchase and use to protect themselves from waterborne diseases and other effects of unsafe drinking water. The filter is aimed at all households in South Sudan; with population growth, unsustainable allocation practices, unchecked demand, and underinvestment in infrastructure, water stress is likely to emerge as an increasingly important concern,” said Judith.

Judith is determined to see that every household in South Sudan has a water filter. “We will never stop until we bring an end to waterborne disease in South Sudan and Africa.”

Judith also believes in the transformative power of youth who are committed to improving the lives of others.

“Be innovative, aspire to change the word” don’t be scared to start up a social venture or a business. If it’s not going so well, remember that life, like a one big crazy roller coaster, starts slowly, fills you with anticipation and curiosity, takes you up and then sends you flying down only to rise quickly again. But the ride is well worth it, particularly if you can have an impact on the lives of others.”

Pius Sawa is a freelance journalist based in Kenya. His stories have appeared in Reuters, Farm Radio International, and Inter Press Service.