Global Vision Magazine Editorial Dec 08/ Jan 09
12th February 2009
MECKOW – FOCUSED ON BUILDING AFRICAN CAPACITY
Meckow Limited was launched in 2003 by Andrew Kluckow. After gaining experience working for machinery manufacturers, selling construction and road building equipment into Africa, Andrew being third generation Zimbabwean, felt a true desire to form his own company focusing and specialising in African markets. With a wealth of experience in the construction industry and a true understanding of Africa and its needs, he has seen how overseas companies have worked in Africa and have not encouraged capacity building, thus leaving countries struggling to maintain their infrastructure due to the lack of training and knowledge given to the indigenous workforce.
Meckow’s clients include Governments, Companies, and private individuals, sourcing and supplying equipment solutions as well as being dedicated to help with capacity building. It was during Andrews’s trips to Africa that he began to realise the full extent of the problems relating to poor, drinking water quality, sanitation, and the detrimental impact this is having on Africa’s ability to thrive and prosper.
Meckow set upon looking for solutions to help alleviate these problems. The Meckow Aquapur was the first step towards achieving this, an affordable, unique and effective solution to the 
recurring scourge of water-borne diseases, led to the development of the Meckow Aquapur water purification unit. Operating WITHOUT the need for electricity, the Meckow Aquapur is capable of filtering up to 1000 litres per hour of safe drinking water, ensuring the removal of bacteria, viruses, heavy metals, sufficient to sustain a community of up to 2000 people per day. The Meckow Aquapur water purification system is aimed at remote rural communities, refugee camps, mines, construction sites and disaster areas where water borne diseases are a risk. Successfully in use in Angola, Nigeria and Zimbabwe, and with forthcoming projects in Malawi, Rwanda, Botswana, Mozambique and South Africa, the Meckow Aquapur will benefit many marginalised African communities in the near future.
The project, from the beginning was driven by humanitarian needs to provide safe clean drinking water in developing countries, a basic necessity of life. Andrew feels privileged to live in a society where we have access to safe clean drinking water, as children in developing countries did not choose to be born into a society where they are denied this basic necessity of life. The team at Meckow are dedicated to help improve the lives of people in the developing world, who are denied access to safe clean drinking water through the unique and innovative Meckow Aquapur.
Along with the Meckow Aquapur is the Meckow EPA20 water purification system capable of producing 20,000 litres per hour of safe, clean drinking water, designed along the same guidelines the Meckow EPA20 is ideal for larger remote communities. Currently under development is a sewage treatment plant to compliment the water purification systems.
Meckow Limited specialises in equipment solutions and spare parts for the road building, construction, infrastructure and mining industries. Equipment solutions are accompanied by commissioning and training periods, ensuring the transfer of technology, knowledge and skills, thus building capacity in the local community.
