Zim girls invent first fridge that works without ZESA

Whilst we spend time debating and trying to put into order our political issues as a nation, let us not forget people who can develop the future of our country, and continent at large, young people. All our political parties are not in order, they are all in a foul mood, but their mess should not make all of us forget about the future of the country. This is what is gradually getting me more drawn to young people’s issues as I take note and reflect on our failure as a generation. I only see a brighter future if we do not bequeath our failure to our youth because the future of every society is in the hands of its youth. It is with this in mind that I am spending time focusing on young people and their mentors because they are the only people who can help make Africa tick. For example, how many of us are aware that Queen Elizabeth Girls Students devised a Non-Electric Fridge? Yes, a fridge  that doesn’t need electricity and which our parents can use wherever they are, Dotito, Nyamaropa, Madlambuzi, Murehwa, etc?
In July 2014 Queen Elizabeth Girls High School students, under the supervision of the University ofZimbabwe START Science Programme, won the first prize at the SEITT Young Scientist competitions in Harare for this stunning novel invention. Their invention focused on finding a solution to problems related to food wastage in developing countries, especially Africa. The lower sixth form team of girls who made this groundbreaking invention are; Tinotenda Mazongonda, Rondell Wine, Nomathemba Nyoni and Cynthia Mujeni.
Speaking about their invention and what motivated them to it, the school team representatives, Nomathemba Nyoni said, “Food preservation is a critical problem in most developing countries. Many methods have been devised, but very few have had a real impact on these commonly poor societies. Our concept tries to create a lasting solution to perennial problems associated with food preservation using the cooling method. I have devised a refrigerator which makes use of powder coolant made from a mixture of food waste ash powder, lemon juice and anhydrous ammonium nitrate. The present project combines an endothermic reaction, vacuum technology and a programmed chip to bring refrigeration to every home.
The reaction of the powder with water is very endothermic; it reaches negative 9 degrees Celsius at normal room temperature. With very cheap lagging the temperature has been kept constant, and to only rise to positive 9 degrees Celsius after 10 days.
It is the further object of this project to apply vacuum technology to keep the temperature low for extended periods.”
Knowledge Chikundi, START Science Zimbabwe Leader added that, ‘the search for new applications of technology to our present food wastage crisis that has led to our interest in connected technologies and to the project we are currently supervising at Queen Elizabeth Girls High School. People in marginalized communities have problems saving their food, they are forced to cook more than they can consume. They have limited ways of preserving their left overs.They cannot afford the conventional refrigerators which are expensive and require electricity. It is my hope that the present project will alleviate most of the problems regarding food preservation.
All the technologies to be applied are already cheap and local, making the project more feasible. A lot has been achieved from the time the idea came. All the testing has been done; laboratory test certificates are available as confirmation. The testing and design stages are over; the prototype is currently being refined. The project is going at a very high momentum.
I am very impressed by the creative genius of the students. The project is very revolutionary. There are many different types of refrigeration technologies, but the current one will impactfully address Africa’s need, in food security and environmentally.
In the prior art, refrigeration is accomplished by the use of heat pumps. There is the compression refrigerator which uses coolants such as ammonia, Freon, CFC and HCFC. However all these coolants destroy the ozone layer and ammonia is toxic. A gas refrigerator uses water, ammonia gas and hydrogen to create a continuous cycle for the coolant. Electric coolers use the Peltier effect to produce cold temperatures electronically.
The present refrigerator uses a coolant powder which is consumable and recyclable. Embedded inside the refrigerator is a small- battery powered thermo switch which signals when the temperature reaches positive 9 degrees Celsius. 9 degrees Celsius is the set point for replenishing. When the switch signal, the user is supposed to refill the coolant powder. The used powder can further be used as fertiliser.’
Indeed, these are the young people we should be exposing to those who are willing to promote them and their inventions. Our businessmen, universities, and donors should assist by funding these young people realise their potentials so that their inventions are able to help improve our quality of life.