So we tested our first hand washing station design, and although people really liked it, durability was an issue. After a couple weeks of use, a couple of devices started to crack at the tap/bucket interface. After some group brainstorming action in which our Field Officers came up with several new designs to address the problem. We settled on a new style of tap which is not only more durable, but more intuitive to use. Since then, we’ve done a “beta release” of sorts with this new design. Right now, we’re only selling the hand washing stations to Nuru staff (26 units sold and counting) just in case there are any defects that we still need to address.
We’ve also gotten a lot more feedback about how to improve the device. For example, I found out that used oil jerry cans are prized by many for it’s durability so we started making hand washing stations out of them. We have also encountered some high rollers who think that a 10L hand washing station is just too small. They need the 20L size and we were happy to oblige. We’ve also learned that the color of the bucket plays a big role. Maroon and dark blue are pretty big hits, while baby blue and teal buckets are piling up in our inventory. Also, we’ve split our Field Officers into two teams. One team builds the hand washing stations (the muscle), and the other team is planning the social marketing of the hand washing station (the brains). On the brains side of the operation, the Field Officers are developing their own sales system for the hand washing stations and have been rehearsing how they will teach the community to properly wash their hands.
We’re hoping to continue testing until the beginning of January, and then sell to the rest of the community. It’ll be pretty good timing because that’s when farmers will harvest and get some cash money. Mo money, mo hand washing.