I patented a single use filtered straw in Africa and obtained the license from the United States Patents and Trademarks Office in 2012. It is not just education, shelter, food and water that these children and communities need. There is a need to reform and provide practical knowledge and skill sets to survive. As the famous saying goes teach a person to fish you feed them for a lifetime. I wanted to find a way where instead of waiting for shipments of aide, different impoverished communities all around the world could instead benefit from having drinking water, which is becoming a rare resource as well, all year round. While I am adamant about recycling there is no denying the pollution and plastic waste that has corrupted much of the world’s ecosystems and sadly assisted global warming. Water is the core essence of life, and with the most vulnerable groups of people they become the prime targets of preventable disease which cause thousands of deaths before the age of 5 simply because there is a lack of clean water.

This one time use filtered straw has the ability to save thousands of lives by intelligent engineering to filter through water born viruses and bacteria. As the water passes through it is cleaned, though I recommend disregarding the first two sips just because with any filter, even the Brita that many Americans use in their homes, it is recommended to have the first passing be tossed to ensure the filter is working in full effect. This is an ongoing project and we are currently attempting to find the most cost-effective way of making these one time filtered straws so that they can be manufactured all around the world. It may not happen in my lifetime but my goal is to have taken steps towards seeing that one day each child can sip on clean water. If you have any resources to offer to further this cause please contact me. Collaboration is crucial in attacking worldwide problems, and for those of us who are blessed with more than we need to survive it is our duty to human kind as we are interdependent to help one another.

Kenny Sabet