Survivor ‘invents’ flood detector
As disasters become more frequent and devastating due to climate change, a 17-year-old horrified by the 2015 flooding has invented an early warning solution to limit the impact of rising water levels.
Aubrey Kachinjika’s Moyo flood detector personifies how the youth are utilising digital technology to tackle persistent problems in their midst.
He hopes his innovation will help save lives and reduce suffering by alerting prone communities to evacuate low-lying areas before detected rising water bursts the banks.
Cyclone Freddy, which affected more than 2.2 million people in the Southern Region, has exposed the need for efficient early warning systems.
After experiencing the 2015 floods, the Form Four student at New Hope Private School in Lilongwe started experimenting with a device that can detect rising water levels in time to save lives.
Kachinjika says: “The idea came after I was affected by floods seven years ago when my family was staying close to Diamphwi River in Dedza.
“One night, our house was suddenly flooded due to heavy rains and we lost almost everything. We inadvertently blamed our village head for not warning us although he was also affected.”
He believes emerging technology can help create a better future for all if the youth use it responsibly and get necessary support to innovate.
His solar-powered device consists of microchips from broken television and radio sets, including integrated circuits, resistors and crystals. When placed in a flood-prone river, it automatically makes phone calls to strategic contacts when water exceeds the normal level. The phone numbers are preloaded in in the device so that they can receive timely alerts and speedily move upland.
“I believe that technology can help the country develop. I invented the early warning innovation to curb the loss and damage caused by floods using locally available resources,” says the teen innovator.
Last year, his idea caught the attention of Save the Children, which promote the rights and well-being of children while helping communities lessen the impact of climate change.
The non-governmental organisation supported the innovation to the tune of K2.5 million, which Kachinjika used to purchase components for further improvement of the flood sensor.
“I want to make this machine available in all districts and prone zones across the country,” he explains.
Save the Children director of operations Frank Mwafulirwa describes Kachinjika victim-to-hero story as an amazing example of how adversity breeds character.
He explains: “We met Kachinjika through our Future -M project, which aims at furthering technology use for child rights and empowerment in Malawi.
“With support from Mzuzu E-Hub, we called for applications from young people aged 14 to 25 to participate in the project. We got 138 applications and the teenager was among 30 shortlisted for hackathon competitors.”
The four-day boot camp gave Kachinjika a platform to perfect his idea with technical mentorship. The 30 participants pitched their ideas and his made the top 10.
The feat earned the teen innovator a ticket to further learning sessions at NtxGen Labs that exposed him to specialist laboratory equipment as well as expertise in emerging technologies from industry mentors and regulatory experts.
In the final hackathon challenge, Kachinjika came second, winning K2.5 million he used to further develop and test his prototype.
He was linked to Mzuzu E-Hub for entrepreneurship training.
Kachinjika continues to receive specialist training at NxtGen Labs as part of the incubation process. He is expected to graduate in July.
“We will continue supporting him to further improve his technology through collaboration with key stakeholders in the innovation ecosystem, including the National Commission of Science and Technology and the Department of Innovation and Creativity in the Office of President and Cabinet,” says Mwafulirwa.
However, he urged the government and academia to patent and protect the innovation from unscrupulous minds who may exploit the sketch and prototype to enrich themselves at the innovator’s expense.
Minister of Gender, Development and Social Welfare Jean Sendeza said government is committed to protect the youth-led innovations as they contribute to national development.
