Kwame and the Sand-Dam
A brave boy builds a sand-dam and brings water back to his village.
From “Combatting Water Scarcity Across Africa” · ages 6–10
Zara and the Aqua-Cleaner
Young inventor Zara builds a clever machine to make the murky river clean.
Read the story
Once upon a time, in the colourful heart of Africa, there were rolling hills and green forests. There lived a bright young girl named Zara. Zara was not just any girl. She loved to invent things, and her mind was as wide as the African plains.
One day, Zara saw a child standing in the village river. The water had turned murky and smelly. It used to be clear, but now it was dark brown. The animals did not want to drink it. The people were worried it would make them ill.
Zara ran home to her little workshop. She wanted to help her people. She put on her thinking hat and got to work. She drew and scribbled her newest idea: a shiny machine she called the "Aqua-Cleaner".
Zara built lots of Aqua-Cleaners. Her friend Hoots, a wise old owl, helped her. The clever machine sucked up the murky water from the river and made it clean.
The next Aqua-Cleaner worked even better. It whirred and swirled, and took out the dirt and poisons as it cleaned the water.
Zara kept on thinking up new ideas. Soon the muddy water became a crystal-clear stream. It sparkled under the bright African sun.
News of Zara's amazing machines spread far and wide. People came from nearby towns to see them. They were all excited about the young inventor. She had found ways to make water clean and safe to drink.
Soon, other children began to make their own wonderful gadgets to help their villages. They built solar-powered water pumps that work with sunshine, and clever filters. Children all over Africa worked together to fix their water problems.
Like wildflowers after the rain, new ideas popped up all over Africa. With each new idea, the rivers became cleaner and the lakes sparkled brighter. Every child helped, so that nobody would ever be thirsty again.
Zara's story became a legend. It made many more children want to be inventors. Now clean water flowed freely, and new ideas soared higher than the wide African skies.
Words to learn
- Aqua-Cleaner
- Zara's invention! A machine that takes in dirty river water and cleans it so it is safe.
- Filter
- Something that lets water pass through but catches dirt. Layers of sand, gravel and cloth can make a simple filter.
- Gadgets
- Small, clever machines or tools.
- Invent
- To make something new that nobody has made before.
- Inventor
- A person who makes something new that nobody has made before.
- Legend
- A famous story that people tell for many, many years.
- Murky
- Dark and dirty, so you can't see through it.
- Solar-powered
- Working on energy from the sun, using solar panels.
- Workshop
- A room where people make and fix things.
What would you do?
Zara turned a murky river into clean water. If the river near your home looked dark and smelly, what would you do?
- Never drink it until it has been cleaned and boiled Very wise! Boiling water kills germs. Always ask a grown-up first.
- Make a simple filter with sand, gravel and cloth Clever inventor! A filter catches the dirt. Then a grown-up should boil the water before anyone drinks it.
- Keep rubbish out of the river and tell a grown-up Great! Keeping rivers clean stops the water from getting dirty in the first place.
- Invent a solar-powered gadget, like Zara Amazing! Young inventors all over Africa are building gadgets to clean water.
More stories from this book
Kaya & Rain-Collection
When the village well runs dry, Kaya sets off on a quest to save the rain.