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COVID-19: Kenyan boy, 9, who made hand-washing machine gets presidential award
By Adekunle Badmus
Stephen Wamukota, the nine-year-old Kenyan boy, has received a presidential award for making a wooden hand-washing machine to combat the COVID-19.
The BBC reports Stephen got the idea for the project after watching how people can prevent themselves from contracting the novel coronavirus on television.
The young boy lives with his family in Mukwa village, in Bungoma country, western Kenyan, where only one case of the virus has been recorded.
To combat spread of the virus in the community, the little boy created the wooden machine to encourage regular hand-washing among residents.
With a foot pedal and a bucket of water, residents can wash their hands using the machine without touching surfaces to reduce infections.
The young chap has so far developed two of such machines but hopes to make more in the coming days.
“I now have two machines and I want to make more,” he told the news outlet.
James Wamukota, Stephen’s father, explained that his son made the machine using pieces of wood originally bought to make a window frame.
“I had bought some pieces of wood to make a window frame, but I when I came back home after work one day I found that Stephen had made the machine,” he said.
Wamukota, who repairs electronic goods for a living, said he is very proud of his son, adding that he had always indicated interest to learn his trade.
“The concept was his and I helped tighten the machine. I’m very proud,” he added.
To commend him for his initiative, President Uhuru Kenyatta named him among 68 Kenyans given the Presidential Order of Service, Uzalendo (Patriotic) Award on Monday.
