Shaz Memon is reaching out to the dental world to help him fund an innovative idea that will ease the burden of the women in rural India who risk their health daily, carrying heavy buckets of water on their heads to their communities.
Women still carry most of the world’s water and many living in rural regions of India walk an average of one to two miles a day in temperatures as high as 40°C, carrying water in pails on their heads.
‘Weʼre raising £20,000 to ease the burden on females as young as seven years old who have to walk miles in the blazing heat to transport water in order to survive,’ Mr Memon said.
Musculoskeletal disorders
Wells on Wheels, launched last week, is a crowdfunding initiative that Shaz hopes will raise £20,000 to pay for an easier alternative to this painstaking practice.
The Waterwheel, designed by Wello, is a large, round water drum that is fitted with handles so it can be rolled along the ground with ease.
These round containers enable water collectors to roll liquid from wells rather than carry it on their heads and can hold up to five times more water than a single bucket.
They spend considerable time supplying water to their households and, over time, the weight leads to chronic neck and back pain, as well as musculoskeletal disorders leading to complications during childbirth.
Women may be pregnant or carry a baby on their back in addition to their load.
Shaz Memon of Digimax Dental, explains: ‘I want to make a difference to at least 500 families, so we are raising £20,000 to ease the burden on females as young as seven years old who have to walk miles in the blazing heat to transport water in order to survive.’
Paying for the wheels
The physical and health burdens of water collection trap families in a vicious cycle of poverty – it is also a time-consuming task.
Water is heavy – a traditional container equals a standard airline checked bag – and women and girls have better things to do with their time, such as work and education.
The Waterwheel can carry five times more water than a pail, meaning children no longer need to be involved in carrying water.
Shaz is contributing a Waterwheel for every project carried out by the team at Digimax Dental and will contribute all monies from his new book, Instagram for Dentists, to raise further funds.
Shaz has also committed to paying for all the wheels himself if the target has not been reached.
For more information and to get involved visit www.wellsonwheels.co.uk.
To pre-order a copy of the book, visit www.instagramfordentists.co.uk.
