Hello Ireen,

Happy New Year to you! I am excited for January as I recall from your post that the production of the Jengu kicks off in Kenya this month.  I thought to drop by your post to ask you to let us in on how that goes. Also, this brings me to the question, How does the cost of production of the Jengu compare to the production of the popular 'DWASHE' (bucket and tap) handwashing facility? This would be relevant information to learn from the Kenyan perspective.

Kind Regards,
Chaiwe

Hello Chaiwe,

Thank you for your message. 

The product was purposefully designed to be familiar and appealing to use, so people will be more inclined to take their time when washing their hands with soap. As all of us reading this will know, the length of time spent washing hands with soap is vital when it comes to combating communicable diseases. 

We have made the design open source so it is freely available to all via the Jengu website. Anyone who sees the benefits of the Jengu design can arrange their own manufacture or adapt the design to suit their community / organisation's needs. As the units meet household needs and many of the components can be purchased locally, seeing the units for sale in local shops could be a possibility.

The Jengu units are due to go into production in Kenya in January. If anyone is interested in learning more about the design, assembling the units, operation and maintenance, or looking for manufacturers to fabricate the units in large numbers, do contact the team via the website  jengu.org.uk/  

Best wishes,
Irene

Hello Irene,

Thank you for sharing about the 'Jengu' (Catchy name! ).  

It certainly stands out, I wondered what competitive advantage it really has over the popular 'bucket and tap' handwashing facility? But then again, it is also a matter of preference and appeal, options that the marginalised do not often have.

I also took note that considerations were made to have units available for both children and adults. The handwashing unit is also certainly user friendly for people with disabilities (particularly wheelchair users).  With the practice of handwashing now becoming more pronounced than ever before owing to the COVID pandemic, making options such as the Jengu available is a welcome initiative.

Should we expect to see the Jengu handwashing unit being made accessible not only for humanitarian uses but also for household use? A situation where it would be easy to purchase one randomly at a local shop?


_{(Photo from Jengu website)}
Kind Regards,
Chaiwe

Hello,

I'm excited to share with you details of Jengu , an opensource blueprint for a robust handwashing unit.  The Jengu team is made up of experts in international development, product design, engineering and behavioural factors from Arup , WASH and health advisors from  British Red Cross , and hygiene and behavioural change researchers from the  London School of Hygiene and tropical Medicine .

For more information about Jengu and to download the design pack please visit the website:  jengu.org.uk

Best wishes,
Irene