Deerfield Beach, FL – May 2, 2016 – Representatives of Wishing Well International Foundation (WWIF) from the US and South Africa have laid out the itinerary details for their ‘mini expedition’ that begins May 22 in Nelspruit, South Africa. During the week-long trip, the group will work with local organizations to deploy 33 biofilters that will provide clean, safe drinking water for hundreds of people over the next 10 years. The trip will also provide an opportunity for WWIF to continue planning and scouting for next year’s big event, the 10-1-10 Africa Expedition.

The major expedition was originally scheduled for this month but was postponed until 2017 due to severe drought conditions across southern Africa. However, a scaled-down version of the trip will go forward this month in areas that have sufficient water to filter. Company representatives of H2O International and H2O International South Africa will be the only sponsors to attend the mini expedition.

Another benefit of the smaller-scale expedition is the opportunity to test new filtration equipment in the field. Two types of biofilters will be deployed. (WWIF has used biosand filters in all of its prior deployments.) The gravity-powered units are effective at removing bacteria and viruses from local water. These are the common contaminants that cause illnesses and the premature deaths of millions in developing areas.

Joseph Gonzales (left) of Wishing Well International Foundation and Roy Kuennen (right) of Amway with the new biofoam filter at the WQA Convention & Exposition in Nashville.

WWIF’s collaboration with Amway (an Expedition sponsor) makes it possible to install new biofoam technology in the field that effectively removes bacteria, viruses and cysts from drinking water. The upper chamber of the new filter is a flocculation stage which uses alum to clump and remove turbidity from the water. It then passes to the lower chamber where the water comes into contact with microbial foam that kills its harmful contaminants. The water flows out of a spigot into any type of container, ready for use in cooking or drinking.

“Testing new technology on a small-scale deployment like this one is very beneficial,” said Guillermo Guzman, CEO and Founder of WWIF. “It helps us to discover and eliminate the issues that we never could have anticipated in a laboratory setting.” Six of the deployed units will be biofoam filters. Stainless steel water bottles and clothing will also be distributed among the communities who need them.

WWIF will be working closely with Hands At Work, a non-profit organization that is based in South Africa. The team will be in Hazyview, Mpumalanga on Monday, May 23rd, in northeastern Swaziland on May 24th and in Usuthu Gorge communities on May 25th. More than 2,000 children will directly benefit from the filters to be deployed across five schools. The team will be in Lavumisa on May 26th and in Oshoek on Friday, May 27th to deploy another 10 filters.

The full-scale 10-1-10 Africa Expedition will proceed in May 2017. WWIF representatives and company sponsors will attend, see the wild landscapes of southern Africa and experience the satisfaction of doing great work for those who need it. Available sponsorships can be seen here.

Click here to learn more about Hands At Work.
Click here to learn more about the Expedition.
Click here to view and download the registration form.

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