Diseases like cholera, diarrhoea, influenza(flu) and common cold and worm infestation are some off the most dangerous diseases that family members face when they don’t wash their hands after visiting the toilet. Unfortunately the largest number of children under the age of 13 years suffer most from diseases that result from not washing their hands while at home or at school.This means they spend more money on avoidable diseases.

CIIRD organised a demonstration on how to make Tip taps  and how to use them in Luteete village, Kkingo Subcounty, Lwengo district. Eight children from six(6) households actively participated and also helped out in the establishment of the tap. All the 6 households have established their own tip taps already and we are spreading the use of the tip taps to the whole village of Luteete.

the use of the tip taps will help to improve personal hygiene and improve the culture of hand washing among children and thus avoid diseases.

Demonstrating how to make a tip tap

Digging a small pit between the poles of a tip tap

What you need to make a tip tap.

1. Three small sticks/poles
2. Two nails
3. A string (about 1 metre long)
4. A panga
5. A three or five litre jerrycan
6. A hummer/big stone
7. Foot pedal(2ft long stick)
8. Stones/gravel (about 30 pieces)

How to make a tip tap.

• Cut two sticks to a height of 3.5 ft and one piece to a length of 2ft.
• Make two small holes(0.5ft deep) in the ground with a spacing of 2ft from one another.
• Place the 3.5 ft long sticks in the holes and fix them into the ground firmly.
• Fix the 2ft long stick in top of the ones that are fixed in the ground with 1 nail on each side.
• Make 2 small holes about 1 inch from the base of the handle of the jerrycan(1 hole on each of the large sides of the jerrican) These are going to be the swinging points of the jerrycan for it to tilt easily.
• Put a string through the holes made on each of the large sides of the jerrican, to tie on either ends of the vertical poles.
• Make 2-3 small holes about 1 inch below the lid of the jerrycan. these are going to make the outlet of the water.
• Attaching a foot pedal. Tie one end of the 1 metre long string on the pedal of the jerrycan and tie the other end to a foot handle(a small stick) that should be 0.5 ft from the ground at the point where the string is attached to the pedal and it should be touching the ground on the other end.
• Make a small pit  between the poles and fill it with gravel. This will drain the water while washing the hands to avoid wetting the ground.

How does the tap make hand washing fun?

After one has visited and used the toilet, they simply press down the (foot pedal) stick that is held by a string to the jerrycan using  a foot which tilts the jerrycan holding water, poring it to the waiting hands below it. You don’t need to touch the jerrycan.

this is not only fun to the users but also a hygienic technique that prevents users from touching the water container with their unhygienic hand just after visiting the toilets.

IT WAS FUN MAKING TIP TAPS AND IT IS MORE FUN USING THEM!