A young Kenyan inventor has become an international sensation after devising a way to make clean water from the air.
Beth Koigi and her two friends, Clare Sewell and Anastasia Kaschenko, through their company “Majik Water” are providing a way to harvest water from the air in a bid to provide safe drinking water for Kenyan communities.
Clare, who previously worked as a strategic consultant for 9 years in London, has for the past two years been living in Malawi where she started her own startup.
Anastasia worked for a company that is leading in dew harvesting as well as product research and development in Canada.
The three met in Silicon Valley where they realised they shared the same vision to help solve the water shortage issues around the world.
“We were connected by the same need to see a world where water is in abundance and everyone has access to adequate and clean drinking water,” Beth mentioned in an interview with BBC.
Their device uses sponge-like materials that have a high affinity for water molecules and attract water from humidity.
When the materials are heated they release water vapour which is then condensed, this allows them to get water even in low humidity and in arid areas.
Since these materials can be reused over and over again once heated it makes this device a one time cost.
Majik Water mostly uses solar energy for heating, making the device appropriate for off-grid communities.
The venture has won the Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum Tech Entrepreneur Award, the EDF Pulse Award, Oxford Innovation Fair Award, and MIT Water Innovation Award.
As if this is not enough success, Majik Water has been shortlisted for the Royal Academy of Engineering Africa prize.
