Solar-Powered Hand Washer Inventor Gets Assurances Of State Support
The expectation of the inventor of the solar powered mechanized hand washer of going into mass production has been given a boost of meeting his goal.
This was after the inventor, Richard Kwarteng, aged 32 years accompanied by his business partners paid a courtesy call on the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Bernard Antwi Boasiako in Kumasi who gave him all the assurances to boost his morale.
Kwarteng’s hand washing device which has thrilled the world has been patented. Already, it has received special mention from the President, Nana Addo-Dankwa Akufo Addo in one of his broadcast to the nation to give updates on the COVID 19 cases.
Already news teams from some major international media outlets have come all the way from their headquarters in Europe, Asia and the US to interview him on his novelty invention which has become one of the major symbolic devices that can help fight the spread of the COVID-19 .
So far some major players in the business community in the country like the Stanchart have become their clients.
At the meeting with Chairman Wontumi, who is also the CEO of Wontumi Communications, Mr. Kwarteng was assured that the itinerary of a working visit to the Region by the Vice President, Alhaji Dr. Mahammudu Bawumia in the coming days will include a tour of his assembly plant located in the Kwadaso Agric area of Kumasi.
The hand washer inventor who is excited about the proposed visit by the Vice President told wontumionline.com that it will afford him the opportunity to furnish Dr. Bawumia with his future plans on expansion and why there is the urgent need for government to support Ghanaian ingenuity.
“My wish is to see my plant included in the government’s One District One Factory programme so I will be able to go into mass production of the automated solar hand washer which I’ve invented and also employ more hands. Currently, I can only produce three devices a day but this quantity woefully falls short of demand which is very high. “
Mr. Kwarteng who is desirous of expanding his business and be able to place Ghana on the Map of great industrialized nations says he has a lot of ideas under his sleeves but in the meantime, his major need is to “make his water washer machine factory function more effectively by getting a laser cutting machine and a cheap source of empty drums which are a major component of his invention.”
The inventor told wontumionline.com that the idea to invent the device came about when he visited the Central Prisons in Kumasi during the lock down period and found out that the device being used had some limitations that made it not well-equipped to protect one from being infected with the COVID-19.
He said his simple but complex device is fully automated and uses some sensors that regulate the discharged of water and liquid soap through a common pipe fitted to a drum. The drum has different compartment for the storage of clean and used water respectively. This makes the device a cocktail of innovations and thus, a splendid masterpiece.
“The discharge of both water and soap comes through one particular pipe and this makes it totally different from any device meant for hand washing anywhere in the world with both fresh and used water kept in separate compartments of the drum.” He explained.
Mr. Kwarteng made a special donation of one of his devices to Wontumi Communications which has been mounted at the main entrance. The device painted in Ghana’s traditional colours of red, gold and green costs GhC2,500.
According to Mr. Kwarteng, some Indian and Chinese companies have approached him to negotiate for the sale of the patent to them but e has rejected the request.
The inventor who is a past student of TI Ahmadiyya SHS in Kumasi and graduate of Christian Service University College both in Kumasi said he has a deep interest in science as well as marketing
“Currently, I have my own shoe factory where I have employed about 30 people. I manufacture my own branded shoes called, “Aning Black Shoes.”
The “Aning Black Shoes” brand has a ready market in South Africa and the UK.