The Humble Tippy Tap

One of the things we took along to the Royal Pride School was a Heath Robinson device called a Tippy Tap. This is a basic handwashing tool for use where there is no running water. It consists of a jerry can of water threaded along a horizontal stick across two supporting sticks. A piece of string is attached to the lid of the can, which is tipped up with a foot pedal made from another stick at the end of the string. The water comes out of a small hole in the jerry can when tipped up.
They are especially useful in schools since the children do not need an adult to help to lift the heavy water carriers and there is very little water wasted. It is also very cheap to make from local materials (about 30p).
At the Royal Pride school there is no water source nearby so it has to be carried from the nearest tap in the community. Therefore handwashing and basic sanitation is a major issue and an area to focus on in the prevention of the spread of disease.

Zoe, with our friends Geoff and Sabrina, demonstrating the Tippy Tap. Geoff and Sabrina have been introducing this technology in schools in Western Uganda