Electronic waste (E-waste) has become the fastest growing form of waste worldwide as consumers shed more than 50 million of e-waste each year equating to about 7 KG of e-waste with only 7 percent being recycled.
Most e-waste either dumped, burnt or unaccounted for, potentially releasing harmful toxins into the environment and communities and emitting carbon and other gases that contribute to global warming.
It is for this reason that Zack Caleb Mwale, a Lilongwe-based young man of HF technologies is using electronic waste to create cost-effective water pumps for farmers in a bid to promote environmental conversation.
Through collected wastes such computer boards, plastics bags, pipes and other waste products, Calb produces pumps that recycle water for irrigation.
Caleb told ProjectM that: “I see value in what is considered as waste. When we see a pipe that has been thrown away, to me this is a tube that can be used to pump water for a farmer. After undergoing the recycling processes, we put impellers that increases pressure and flow of water. The impellers are also created from waste products,” he said.
Caleb recalls developing an interest for pump making from young age and today he attests to the vision he had in his young age.
“”I started doing this when I was 11, I started making small pumps. When playing with other kids I would refer myself as an expert that dealt with water faults. From a young age i would install pumps in our childhood houses and come up with a system through a motor taken from a car that would allow the water to flow,” he explained.
According to Caleb his initiative offers great value to farmers because it is environmental effective and friendly.
He said: “Malawi has suffered a huge blow arising from effects of climate change due to global warming and plastics and other form of wastes continue to pollute our land it is for this reason i thought of recycling such wastes so that we can return our land that has been degraded as you are well aware that plastics take ages to decompose. This way we can help our Malawian farmers to boost their agricultural productivity and they are cheap.
He said: “I received good feedback from the farmers that are using the pipes and i even have demands from the international market of people that are demanding these pipes. Just a few weeks ago i was interviewed by German based broadcaster DW and i demonstrated how these can be used.”
Caleb is a University dropout student at the Malawi University of Business and Applied Science ( MUBAS), formerly the Polytechnic, constituent college of the University of Malawi.
Although Zac Caleb didn’t go far with his education, still he is making innovations ideas that are bringing impact to society. He is a founder and Chief Executive Officer ( CEO) at Hy-Flex( HF) Tech Company.
In 2021, Caleb innovated a hybrid inverter that converts energy from the sun, electricity, and car batteries for domestic use and energy saving, a hybrid machine investor automatically chooses which power is worth to be used at a time for example from the sun, electricity or battery.
Caleb has also invented the Nsima Cooker, Digital Coffee table, a Drone, Digital anti-mosquito repellent, Digital home security systems, Digital Accident repellent, Digital home security systems and a Windmill.
He also developed an item called a HY-FLEX life saver, the function of this invention is that reports accidents by sending pre-recorded messages to police, Hospital, relatives and Fire department.
