Veronica Bekoe is the Ghanaian biological scientist who invented the Veronica Bucket, one of the country’s most practical public-health innovations.
In the early 1990s, while working at Ghana’s Public Health Reference Laboratory, she noticed that staff often washed their hands in a shared bowl after handling medical samples — a clear risk of spreading infection. Inspired by the aluminium containers used by local koko sellers, she designed a simple solution: a water-filled container fitted with a tap near the bottom and a basin underneath to collect wastewater.
The result was an affordable, easy-to-assemble handwashing station that delivers clean running water in places without permanent plumbing. It quickly spread beyond the laboratory into schools, clinics, markets, churches, and public spaces across Ghana and other African countries.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Veronica Bucket became a national symbol of practical hygiene, installed at entrances of banks, offices, hospitals, and transport hubs. Its low cost and simple design made regular handwashing accessible even in communities with limited water infrastructure.
A powerful example of local innovation solving a real everyday problem.
