hello jkeichholz,
In answer to your questions, the current material Prodorite use is high impact polystyrene using a vacuum form process. They would prefer to use a blow moulding process but do not have the finance to introduce that. Currently the cost is about USD9.00, but could come down substantially with a more efficient process. Some one I met from India told me they could make it for US2.00.
Plenty of room for further devt
Best wishes
Peter

"Using xxx as a material and an injection moulding process, Prodorite are able to
make replicas of the mukombe, which can be painted in many
colours." = ? (page 4)

(thx for the edit, Elisabeth)

@Peter: => www.afrigadget.com/2014/04/06/the-mukombe/

And here is a nifty little video that Peter made about the Mukombe Tippy Tap device (shared on his dropbox):

www.dropbox.com/s/2ct93gu1kmn9ol8/mukomb...usic.avi?n=129529330

Dear Readers,

I am sending two documents on a hand washing device known as the "mukombe" in Zimbabwe. It was first conceived by Dr Jim Watt when he worked in Zimbabwe as a Salvation Army doctor in Chiweshe in the late 1970's. Many years ago I made a fibre glass replica of this remarkably simple and elegant device. Many if not most natural plants did not have the right shape. Using the fibre glass replica with its idealised shape, Prodorite in Harare have been able to mass produce the product. The mukombe holds about 2 litres of water and can provide enough water in a single filling to give about 35 hand washes.

Very best wishes from Zimbabwe. Peter

Introduction

Over 30 years ago, Dr Jim Watt, a salvation army doctor working
with Jackson Masawi in Chiweshe, devised a remarkably novel hand
washing device, known as a Mukombe. This vegetable had a hard
shell and could be used as a gourd or calabash for carrying water and
other commodities. It is commonly grown in the fields. The great
innovation was to turn this common plant into a hand washing
device. This innovation was one of the very first hand washing
devices which became known as “tippy taps.”