Children in areas of India without running water suffer from poor hygiene and are susceptible to diseases that could be prevented with simple handwashing. In March we were happy to report that many of these kids are now able to clean their hands properly thanks to off-grid, solar-powered, self-sustaining hygiene stations invented by Israeli social-impact startup Soapy.

The machine starts automatically when someone approaches, producing a precis dose of soap along with water harvested from the air. The unit operates 24/7 and provides more than 600 washing cycles from 100 liters of water. The scale-up possibilities of this one technology are astounding.

Children in Bagepalli, India, using a Soapy Station. Photo: courtesy