Most people understand the value of saving money or planning their grocery shopping but fail to recognize the importance of conserving water. A new app concept developed by Prosper Ukachi from Abuja, Nigeria, stands to change our perception on the conservation of water.
Water App Receives Accolades
Prospers work was recently recognised and acknowledged in the Xylem Ignite Global Student Innovation Challenge. Together with his team collaborator, Gabriel Portas from Spain, they developed a prototype phone app called BlueHub.
The annual competition invited students from around the world to submit their projects that help conserve water.
Students from different expertise levels united to compete for eight cash prizes from the US$20,000 prize pool, including US$5,000 grand prizes for the top secondary (high school) and tertiary (university) projects.
This innovative application helps people calculate how much water they would potentially use and then provides solutions to help reduce water usage, gain rewards, and connect with other water-conscious people.
Prosper shares his insights on research that he conducted while developing the app; “The UK’s environmental agencies estimate that people there waste up to three billion litres each day.
Much of that is lost through simple things like inefficient handwashing. We created this app to encourage individuals to conserve water by observing how their behaviours affect water and by providing them with actions to follow to enhance water conservation,” says Prosper.
Tracking Water Consumption
BlueHub combines conversational information with a handy usage calculator. Users can answer a few basic questions to calculate their average water usage. The app then provides the means to track consumption and reduce usage.
It also provides ways to connect to others through forums and direct private messages, enabling them to create water-saving communities.
Using gamification, the app rewards participants for improving their water usage, and they receive push notifications of their achievements that they can share with others.
Overcoming Tough Competition
Despite facing tight competition The BlueApp went on to win the award in the Awareness to Action category for tertiary student projects. It is a big moment for Prosper, who is highly ambitious and lives by his personal slogan, “Data, Education and Integrity. That sums me up!”
Travailing Through Adversity
Propser, who studied civil engineering at a private university in Nigeria had to drop out due to a family tragedy. This did not stop him from accomplishing his goals of completing various technology courses. His drive for knowledge and betterment gave him the insight he needed to participate in the challenge.
Prosper is currently serving as a volunteer as an intern Marketing Officer, and he has established skills in business administration, leadership, people management, active listening, customer research and project management.
This win proves that anyone can succeed if they put their mind to the task, and that no obstacle in life is to big to warrant giving up. The same message ties in perfectly with the concept of water conservation. Without water, there is no life. BlueHub is the perfect solution to a pandemic of wasteful and polluting habits that are pushing ecosystems to the brink.
The BlueHub app is a shining light, that aims to inspire people to understand and value the concept of water preservation. Propser’s story is inspiring and is sure to be a beacon of hope for many young Africans who aspire to achieving greatness in the tech sphere.