Mercy Relief testing home-grown innovations for relief efforts

SINGAPORE — A reversible tent that shelters occupants from extreme weather conditions and is functional at temperatures as low as 0°C; a lightweight foldable lamp that is solar-powered and remains lit for up to 12 hours; and a portable water filtration system that filters 300 litres of drinking water within an hour.

These are among the home-grown technologies that humanitarian organisation Mercy Relief is testing to step up relief efforts in disaster zones.

They were showcased at the Ground Zero Run for Humanity on Sunday (Aug 13), which saw 1,500 participants run with “relief packs” to raise awareness of what disaster survivors go through and to recognise global aid workers.

There is a growing effort among social enterprises in Singapore to develop technologies that can make a difference in disaster zones, said Mercy Relief executive director Zhang Tingjun, 35.

As a “small and nimble” outfit comprising eight full-time staff, Mercy Relief can pilot these innovations before they are improved and introduced to larger non-governmental organisations (NGOs), she said.

WeatherHyde, a waterproof, wind-resistant tent, which can be set up without tools within 15 minutes, is one of the innovations it is testing.

The tents, designed by local non-profit organisation billionBricks, are made of a triple-insulated skin. During summer, they can be reversed to reflect heat and keep the interior cool.

“We really want to look at scalability and sustainability. Innovation (in disaster relief) is not just limited to ground deployment, but in our back-end administrative systems as well,” Ms Zhang said.

“(The latter) can be a challenge for NGOs because donors often don’t want to invest in the charity. They want their money to go to the ground.”

Other solutions Mercy Relief has field-tested and is using include filtration systems developed by Wateroam — a social enterprise founded by recent graduates of the National University of Singapore’s engineering faculty — which were most recently deployed in Marawi.

Another innovation, the “solarpuff” — designed in the United States and manufactured here — is a cube-shaped lamp that lasts for up to 12 hours when fully charged and can be flattened to fit in a back pocket.

Its investors hope it can also support communities living off-grid by replacing the use of kerosene lamps, which emit fumes.

Yesterday’s event, which included a 10km race, a 5km relief aid challenge and a 1km children’s dash, also saw The Food Bank Singapore donate 3,000kg of rice, which will be distributed to Sion Christian Aftercare Service Centre, Bethel Community Service and the Migrant Workers’ Centre.

In-house tax counsel Yan Pei Ling, 39, who took part in the children’s dash with her husband and three children, said the event was a good platform for young children to be exposed to humanitarian needs in the region.

“We’re lucky that we don’t experience (natural disasters in Singapore), but others do, and the kids need to be aware of what other countries are experiencing, and that their conditions aren’t as fortuitous,” she said.

“So we make sure (the children) understand what carrying the packs (of rice) signifies.”

Communities from Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines were involved in this year’s event and benefited from the runners’ entitlements, including finishers’ medals and tote bags.