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Yes, dear listeners, this is the Kirchentag radio programme again, this time in Stuttgart. My name is Clemens Lorenz from Rundfunk Meißner and we are guests here with the people of Darmstadt on Radio Radar.
Sitting opposite me are two nice, friendly, pretty ladies who also have an information stand here at the Kirchentag for the ‘Institute Water of Africa’. One of the ladies is called Catrin Baisch and I want to throw the first question over to her:
Why water in Africa, is there too little there?

No, not everywhere. There are actually regions where there is a lot of water. The problem is that it is not always distributed sufficiently. Often there is enough water, but it is dirty. So the problems are manifold. Sometimes there is enough water, but it doesn't get to where it is really needed.

In Germany, we are used to turning on the tap and getting drinkable, fresh, mostly clear water. In Africa, that doesn't always seem to be the case.

Very few people actually have a house connection for water. Most of them have to travel long distances and the water they get is often not clean. In Germany, water treatment is often quite complicated. There are large waterworks where all kinds of heavy metals or non-potable substances are removed.

This is probably not the case everywhere in Africa, so let's ask Anne Schiffler, what ideas have you come up with?

The aim is to come up with ideas that are as simple as possible, that the population can implement, that they have the materials for and that don't cost that much. And our main aim is to use a medicinal plant, a Moringa plant, Moringa-oleivera. This medicinal plant grows very quickly, grows in tropical regions. It can even be used as food, the leaves can be used and we work with the seeds. This seed has the ability to purify water by pulverising it, stirring it in water in a certain rhythm and then allowing the water to settle. This eliminates 99% of all germs, i.e. bacteria, and makes the water drinkable. It can be skimmed off, the dirt settles at the bottom and the germs settle there.

This plant or shrub or tree is a plant that is native and grows there anyway?
Exactly. We even experienced that in Burundi, where we were last year, a Moringa oleivera tree grew in the middle of the city in Bujumbura and people were amazed that you can purify water with this tree, which could grow there naturally.

Now the question is, what are the germs in it? We are used to the fact that the water we drink doesn't have any and we don't usually get sick from it. So where is the danger in this water in Africa?

This is due to agriculture, for example in Burundi. The people live from small-scale animal husbandry, they have no sewerage systems. The water is contaminated by animal faeces, but also by wastewater that is discharged into the rivers because it is simply washed in by the rain. And people have no way of getting any other water except to draw it from their nearest river. So, you can basically use surface water for this?

Yes.

Let's start from the beginning. The technology seems to be relatively simple. So you don't need a reverse osmosis system or a lot of electricity or anything. How much time does a family, i.e. a normal village family, have to spend to make their water drinkable?

It takes a good hour. So, ten minutes to prepare the moringa seeds, remove the husk and grind them. And yes, about ten minutes to stir the whole thing together in the water. And then all the water has to rest for another hour so that the ingredients have time to settle to the bottom.

So, the seed itself is not poisonous for human consumption? Or if there is any residue left, it can't be harmful?

No. No parts of this tree are poisonous, nor are the seeds. And the residues and shells and what settles on the ground can simply be put back under the bushes as fertiliser and it's not a problem. And when engineers in Germany say that the simple solution is always the best solution, you sometimes ask yourself why you can't get out of such a simple solution more quickly? Yes, that is the question. I think many large organisations want a quick, clear solution that is easy to sell here, drill a well, get clean water out. 

Yes, that works well, you can advertise it well, but it's not always necessary. So, with little effort and little money, could water be made safe to drink, at least in bacteriological terms?

That is absolutely possible. The big advantage is that no technology can break.

The tree will probably grow back?

The tree grows back, it even grows very quickly, you can also prune it back, it always sprouts vigorously again. Does that mean you have harvest time all year round or only at certain times?

You can harvest all year round, the good thing about the tropics is that there are no seasons like here. So you can always plant new trees and harvest all the time.

And you don't need a big forest, but for a family, they say, 1, 2, 3 trees are enough?
It's enough for a large family.

Has anyone tried this on a larger scale? Or is this now limited to one family or what is the order of magnitude? Or would it also work in household communities or in larger quantities?

It also works in large quantities. Some of these Moringa trees are even planted in large plantations. However, the effort involved for schools is a little high because you have to wait an hour for the water to settle. You would have to treat several buckets of water for one school, for example. There are other customised options that could be considered for this kind of scale.

I think it's a great idea and, above all, I can imagine that it's not difficult to implement because you don't need millions, but actually relatively little money. And we are more used to development aid that involves building huge projects. Large projects are usually not necessary. So it's also cost-effective and once it's working, perhaps it will spread itself so that people can learn from each other?

Yes, that is our major concern, that people can continue the projects independently. Otherwise they will have to rely on outside help for years, if the help actually comes. We have often come to regions where there was a water project that had been broken for a long time and nobody felt responsible. 

I think it's great that anyone who wants to support you now, wants to know more or wants any further information, which unfortunately can't be given here in such short snippets, where can they go?

We have a website that you can look at, which is also available in English. It's water-for-africa.org.

It's a really great thing, highly recommended. Anyone who is interested, please have a look. That was Catrin Baisch and she and her friend Anne Schiffler are here at the fair. Anyone who wants to come here can also visit them, which stand do you have?

B14 in Hall 8, thank you very much, dear listeners. The interview was conducted by Clemens Lorenz from Rundfunk von Meisner here in Stuttgart on the Kirchentag radio.

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