13 Brilliant Ideas That Make Life A Little Easier For People In Developing Nations

There are still billions of people who don’t have access to electricity, clean water and sanitation. Fortunately, electricity, light and even food storage don’t have to be expensive – thanks to the minds who came up with simple yet brilliant ideas that can help people in developing countries with their day-to-day living.

Check out 13 of the most awesome innovations out there in the world today.

#1. WaterWheel

The rolling WaterWheel was an idea developed by Cynthia Koenig and Wello to help make a difference in India.

The 20-gallon rolling barrel makes it easier for people, especially women, to collect water and transport it to their homes in just a single trip.

#2. Solar Bottle Light

The Solar Bottle Light is a clever idea to power up houses with little cost that anyone can do it.

Filipino entrepreneur Illac Diaz started the campaign to help provide cheap lighting for slum areas in the Philippines. The idea has since spread throughout impoverished areas in Vanuatu, Colombia and India.

#3. Gravity Light

Light can come from various sources and one of them is gravity. GravityLight was invented by designers Jim Reeves and Martin Reddiford, who are both based in London.

The inventors have successfully accumulated funds to construct an assembly line in Kenya to provide jobs for some of the residents.

#4. Zeer pot

Who says you need electricity to power up a fridge? With Zeer pot, anyone can have fresh food stored without the use of electricity.

A zeer pot uses a smaller pot nestled insider a larger one and a layer of wet sand in between. The zeer pot works by evaporative cooling.

#5. Flow light

The beautifully designed Flow public lighting is made from bamboo and is self-maintaining. It operates based on the principle of vertical wind turbine.

The product uses simple mechanics and junctions which means it is easy even for an unskilled local to make.

#6. Water-producing billboard

This billboard in Lima, Peru harnesses humidity so it can produce around 100 liters of drinkable water every day.

The project is a collaborative work of University of Engineering and Technology researchers in Peru and Mayo DraftFCB ad agency.

#7.The Drinkable Book

The Drinkable Book is the answer to clean water access in developing nations. Each book is printed on a filter paper that has the ability to kill disease-causing bacteria.

Silver nano-particles are used to coat each page of the filter book. These ions from the particles are capable of eliminating bacteria that cause deadly diseases like typhoid and E. coli.

#8. Dry Composting Toilet

Human waste can be turned into organic fertilizer for efficient gardening with this idea.

Liquid and solid waste will be separated but both can be used as fertilizers for adjacent gardens. The toilet will be non-polluting and also odorless but can produce organic fertilizer that can be used for gardening.

#9. Rocket Stove

The design of this stove produces heat to create a clean and efficient burn without using too much fuel.

Anyone can easily create a rocket stove with a few materials and a set of instructions, which can be found via Instructables.

#10. Solar Cookers

Ninety-five percent of rural households in Mexico cook using wood fires, the smoke of which can be dangerous to the health in the long run.

As an alternative, the solar cookers uses energy from the sun to slow-cook food.

#11. EMAS-Flexi Hand-Operated Water Pump

The hand-operated water pump is simple to make as it uses materials that are readily available like PVC pipes, thread adapters, galvanized iron pipes and glass marbles.

#12. Lifestraw

This innovative gadget filters contaminated water into a clean and potable one. It is small enough to fit in the bag making it easier to carry it around.

#13. Self-adjustable Glasses

It comes cheap and the user does not need to visit an optometrist to get the right prescription glasses. All you need to do is to add or subtract the silicon oil placed in the middle of the lens until a clear vision is achieved. This process typically takes about a couple of minutes.