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This solution is targeted towards a very specific situation, concentrated communities for people fleeing disasters and war. Refugee camps happen unexpectedly, t
by yholio 5y ago
This solution is targeted towards a very specific situation, concentrated communities for people fleeing disasters and war. Refugee camps happen unexpectedly, there is practically no infrastructure and there is a race against time to keep people fed, safe and healthy.
In that specific environment, yes, a lightweight composite box that is easy to use and ship, requires little water and no infrastructure and accelerates manual washing by a factor of 5-10 is a practical solution.
But as a general solution for the "developing world", sorry, no, dumbed down versions of western household items that don't require electricity aren't the solution.
The developing world is poor precisely because it lacks investments, such as in the infrastructure that makes appliances work, the electric, clean water, sewer, gas, road networks. A single KWh of energy is the equivalent of cranking by hand for many hours, people in developed counties can get it by flipping a switch and paying 15 cents. That's where the wealth lays, in investment that drastically enhances productivity.
- mynameisvlad 5y agoPerfect is the enemy of good. This is a solution to a problem. It may not be the perfect solution to the root cause, it may just be treating the symptom, but it's still better than nothing.