Credit: Unicef

Clean hands, no contact.

In case anyone forgot, hand-washing is still incredibly important right now. Soap, hot water, wash ’em. Hum the first verse and half the chorus of “Killer Queen,” it works for me. Unfortunately, not all countries have access to consistent running water, or even if they do, people may be required to touch unsanitary surfaces to use them. A bright young lad from Kenya dreamed up a better solution.

After hearing about COVID-19 and the importance of hand-washing on the news, 9-year-old Stephen Wamukota of Kenya immediately went to work designing and building a hands-free hand-washing station to do his part against the pandemic. It’s a simple, yet surprisingly effective device, assembled from a bucket, some wooden planks, and a couple of tools. A bottle of hand soap and a jug of clean water are suspended by the wood. When the user steps on a pedal, the soap lowers and pours some out. Then, by stepping on the other pedal, the water jug lowers, allowing the user to wash their hands.

Credit: James Wamukota

In an interview with BBC, Stephen’s father, James Wamukota, praised his son’s ingenuity. “I had bought some pieces of wood to make a window frame, but I when I came back home after work one day, I found that Stephen had made the machine. The concept was his, and I helped tighten the machine. I’m very proud.”

As a means of praising Stephen for his initiative and cleverness, he was awarded the Presidential Order of Service Uzalendo Award in June. Stephen has shared his hopes of becoming an engineer in the future, so to encourage him, the governor of his county promised him a scholarship once he’s of college age.

“He is always saying he wants to build factories and become an engineer,” Mr. Wamukota told CNN. “I hope he does, that he becomes a great person.”