Saving water is easy and fun with Tippy Tap
Soap on a rope, a plastic bottle, and a couple of sticks are all you need to keep hands clean – and save water.
With the crippling drought in the Gamtoos Valley and the Kouga Dam having dropped to below 9%, every drop of water must be counted.
The non-profit organisation Youth Potential South Africa (YOUPSA) has made a clever plan with their Tippy Tap project to teach youngsters in the local community how to save water easily.
“It is a hand-washing station that saves water; and it’s easy and cheap to build,” says YOUPSA director Ray Schone.
“The drought is now in its fifth year, and the water has basically dried up for the local people, businesses and farms. This is a very helpful and effective water-saving mechanism.”
The children love it, and it makes washing hands fun, he says. It can easily be assembled by any farm, school or household.
It works very simply: water pours out of the plastic bottle that tilts when you step on the pedal (see illustration).
“We collected all the necessary materials and built it together with the kids,” says Schone.
The Tippy Tap project is one of many run by the organisation to educate and empower the local community in the Gamtoos Valley, especially the youth.
They host weekly programmes on farms and in the townships. Children from Grade 3 to 7 can attend workshops that range from maths and literacy skills, to art and team-building activities.
For more information on their programmes, visit www.facebook.com/youthpotentialsa or follow them on Instagram @youpsa.africa
Waterbesparing is maklik en pret met Tippy Tap
Seep aan ‘n tou, ‘n plastiekbottel en ‘n paar stokke is al wat nodig is om hande skoon te hou – en water te spaar.
Met die knellende droogte in die Gamtoosvallei en die Kougadam wat nou minder as 9% water het, is dit noodsaaklik om elke druppel te tel.
Die nie-winsgewende organisasie, Youth Potential South Africa (YOUPSA) probeer om met hul Tippy Tap-projek die plaaslike gemeenskap van kleins af te leer hoe om spaarsamig met water te werk.
“Dis ‘n handewasstasie wat water spaar, en baie maklik en goedkoop is om te maak,” sê YOUPSA direkteur Ray Schone.
“Met die droogte nou al in die vyfde jaar, het die water basies opgedroog vir die plaaslike mense, besighede en plase. Hierdie is ‘n handige en effektiewe waterbesparingsmeganisme.”
Hy sê die kinders is mal daaroor en dit maak handewas pret. Dit kan maklik by enige plaas, skool of huishouding aanmekaargesit word.
Die meganisme werk eenvoudig: die water loop uit ‘n plastiekbottel as jy op ‘n pedaal trap wat die bottel laat kantel (sien illustrasie).
“Ons het self die materiaal bymekaar gemaak en die Tippy Tap sommer saam met die kinders gebou,” sê Schone.
Die Tippy Tap-projek is slegs een van baie wat die organisasie onderneem het om die plaaslike gemeenskap en veral die jeug op te voed en te bemagtig.
Hulle bied, onder andere, weeklikse programme op plase en in gemeenskappe in die Gamtoosvallei aan. Kinders van Graad 3 tot 7 woon dan werkswinkels by wat wissel van wiskunde en geletterdheidsvaardighede, tot kuns- en spanbou-aktiwiteite.
Vir meer inligting oor hul werksaamhede in die vallei, besoek gerus www.facebook.com/youthpotentialsa of volg hulle op Instagram @youpsa.africa