Tippy Taps Sierra Leone

Posted by TEL Team 2 September 2015

The project

COMIN-SL is a small nonprofit organization currently working to improve water and sanitation conditions within communities ravaged by the Ebola crisis. With little expertise in water and sanitation solutions, COMIN-SL is further challenged by a lack of financial resources, and logistical obstacles that prevent them from importing pre-manufactured water and sanitation solutions into Sierra Leone.

TEL’s Role

After working with COMIN-SL to identify the major issues faced by community members in relation to their water and sanitation needs, TEL introduced COMIN-SL to a variety of ‘Do-It-Yourself’ solutions that can be locally manufactured to provide clean drinking water and adequate sanitation facilities. Once COMIN-SL selected the solutions that best respond to their stakeholders’ needs and desires, TEL provided the organizations with detailed design specifications for the local manufacture of simple, robust water and sanitation technologies.

Results

COMIN-SL selected the Tippy-Tap hand washing system and the Biosand water filter as two locally-implementable solutions to pilot within local schools, markets and community centers. TEL is providing additional support by connecting COMIN-SL with a nonprofit organization that specializes in the knowledge transfer of best practices in Biosand filter manufacture. Once COMIN-SL has conducted an impact assessment of the Tippy-Tap pilot project, TEL will explore funding opportunities to scale up successful projects.