低技术含量的解决方案解决非洲日常问题

Low-tech Solutions Found for Africa's Everyday Problems 低技术含量的解决方案解决非洲日常问题

Governments of developing countries in Africa often lack the resources and infrastructure¹ to solve the everyday problems of their inhabitants. But every so often, authorities and local entrepreneurs find low-tech solutions with the potential for being adopted across the continent.

Access to clean drinking water is still a challenge for many countries in sub-Saharan Africa, especially for people living in large city slums, such as Mathare, in Kenya’s capital Nairobi.

Many slum residents, mostly women, had to walk several kilometers to the nearest source of water, which often was contaminated.

“Then we did not trust the water, it was dirty, so we had to boil it before drinking,” said Mathare, Kenya, resident Pauline Wanza.

Instead of building a costly² pipe network, the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company, in partnership³ with the Danish company Grundfos, installed four machines that dispense⁴ clean water.

Customers pay with a smart card - about half a U.S. cent for 20 liters of water. They can add money to the card through smartphones or at kiosks.

Officials say paying with smart cards ensures the water is dispensed⁵ in an orderly manner.

“The water being dispensed by the machine here, we are sure of its quality, we are assuring them they will be getting quality water from the machine,” said Philip Gichuki, of Nairobi City Water and Sewage Company.

The water company says it plans to install more water-dispensing machines.

Clean air is another challenge for African households - as many still use open fires for cooking and heating. Breathing air saturated⁶ with toxic⁷ smoke creates lasting⁸ respiratory problems, especially for children.

“In the world today, globally, 4 million people die out of cooking with biomass energy, and the deaths are caused by respiratory related health problems associated with smoke in the kitchen,” said Mary Njenga, a post-doctoral researcher.

That could change, thanks to Kenya’s annual production of 600,000 tons of sugar, which leaves huge mounds⁹ of a byproduct called bagasse.

Kenyan entrepreneur Tom Osborn realized the bagasse could be turned into a fuel that, when burned, does not emit hazardous¹⁰ fumes¹¹.

“We take sugarcane waste and then we recycle this into eco-friendly, smokeless and high energy charcoal¹² briquettes which can be used just as conventional charcoal is used in normal stoves and in boilers,” said Osborn.

Bagasse is burned in a special kiln¹³ with a reduced supply of oxygen. The resulting product is mixed with a binding¹⁴ agent, pressed into briquettes and packed into sacks.

Consumers say it is a huge improvement over regular firewood.

“When I started using this one, the children do not get sick and the house does not get too hot. Also the food does not have a smoky taste. It is nice,” said Linet Nyadya, who is a grandmother.

Osborn's company, GreenChar, hopes to eventually reach more than 6 million customers.

1 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

2 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

3 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

4 dispense   

vt.分配，分发；配(药)，发(药)；实施

参考例句：

• Let us dispense the food.咱们来分发这食物。
• The charity has been given a large sum of money to dispense as it sees fit.这个慈善机构获得一大笔钱，可自行适当分配。

5 dispensed   

v.分配( dispense的过去式和过去分词 )；施与；配（药）

参考例句：

• Not a single one of these conditions can be dispensed with. 这些条件缺一不可。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• They dispensed new clothes to the children in the orphanage. 他们把新衣服发给孤儿院的小孩们。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

6 saturated   

a.饱和的，充满的

参考例句：

• The continuous rain had saturated the soil. 连绵不断的雨把土地淋了个透。
• a saturated solution of sodium chloride 氯化钠饱和溶液

7 toxic   

adj.有毒的，因中毒引起的

参考例句：

• The factory had accidentally released a quantity of toxic waste into the sea.这家工厂意外泄漏大量有毒废物到海中。
• There is a risk that toxic chemicals might be blasted into the atmosphere.爆炸后有毒化学物质可能会进入大气层。

8 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

9 mounds   

土堆，土丘( mound的名词复数 )； 一大堆

参考例句：

• We had mounds of tasteless rice. 我们有成堆成堆的淡而无味的米饭。
• Ah! and there's the cemetery' - cemetery, he must have meant. 'You see the mounds? 啊，这就是同墓，”——我想他要说的一定是公墓，“看到那些土墩了吗？

10 hazardous   

adj.(有)危险的，冒险的；碰运气的

参考例句：

• These conditions are very hazardous for shipping.这些情况对航海非常不利。
• Everybody said that it was a hazardous investment.大家都说那是一次危险的投资。

11 fumes   

n.(强烈而刺激的)气味，气体

参考例句：

• The health of our children is being endangered by exhaust fumes. 我们孩子们的健康正受到排放出的废气的损害。
• Exhaust fumes are bad for your health. 废气对健康有害。

12 charcoal   

n.炭，木炭，生物炭

参考例句：

• We need to get some more charcoal for the barbecue.我们烧烤需要更多的碳。
• Charcoal is used to filter water.木炭是用来过滤水的。

13 kiln   

n.（砖、石灰等）窑，炉；v.烧窑

参考例句：

• That morning we fired our first kiln of charcoal.那天上午，我们烧了我们的第一窑木炭。
• Bricks are baked in a kiln.砖是在窑里烧成的。

14 binding   

有约束力的，有效的，应遵守的

参考例句：

• The contract was not signed and has no binding force. 合同没有签署因而没有约束力。
• Both sides have agreed that the arbitration will be binding. 双方都赞同仲裁具有约束力。