Never imagining the significant global impact of her innovation, Veronica Bekoe, said, her gravest mistake has been the failure to patent her invention – ‘the Veronica Bucket’.
Unfortunately, she has now lost the exclusive rights to her design, because many countries globally have adopted her innovation in the fight against the spread of Covid-19.
“I didn’t look ahead to improve upon it. I never thought it would be this popular. I failed to patent my work which is my greatest mistake on my part. I’m advising the youth coming up with all these innovations to persevere and make sure they patent and get the needed support,” she said.
Since Ghana recorded its first case of the Coronavirus in February 2020, the burden for impact solutions has been the driving force behind many of the nation’s inventors.
Frequent washing of hands with soap under running water at the entrances of public places has also become the new normal; a public health directive that has brought the “Veronica Bucket” into the spotlight.
This invention was apparently named after her by a Canadian medical practitioner who had come to Ghana to assist on a research project.
The inspiration behind the Veronica Bucket invented some 30 years ago came about when young Veronica Bekoe discovered that the cause of various diseases in hospitals and schools was due to the unavailability of running water to wash hands.
“It’s been on the quiet. The idea was to provide running water with a simple material,” creator, Veronica Bekoe disclosed with contentment.
Since the creation of this masterpiece, Madam Veronica is concerned about the lack of creativity fast becoming a subculture for many entrepreneurs in the country.
“We tend to copy too much. We should be more innovative and make sure whatever we come out with is unique. We must look ahead and come out with something different,” she advised.
Resilience and creativity are critical to fighting the global pandemic in a battered world economy. The government has invested considerably into businesses, innovative minds and products can help reduce the impact of the pandemic on its citizenry.
Meanwhile, creative minds like Veronica Bekoe are hopeful of a new wave of innovation among young entrepreneurs that will make Ghana confidently independent in the face of future pandemics.