In an old house with three mud-built rooms in the “Qala-e Shahada” area of the sixth district of Ghazni city, 16-year-old Mahdiya Qurbani lives with her seven-member family. She is the eldest child in her family and an eighth-grade student at a religious school. With a simple but creative idea, she has succeeded in building a practical vacuum cleaner.
Mahdiya says that she built the vacuum cleaner using a one-and-a-half-liter soft drink bottle, two rechargeable batteries, a charger, a switch, and a fan. She started working on the device about one and a half months ago, and it took her one month to complete. The vacuum cleaner was recently completed, and she spent only 180 Afghanis to build it.
“I used a bottle for its body. I also used two rechargeable batteries, a switch to turn it on and off, a charging port to charge the batteries, and electrical wires to connect the parts. I also used an armature and a fan. The most difficult part was finding an armature that could work well enough to pull in dust, as such an armature was not available. The total cost of the materials was between 170 and 180 Afghanis,” she says.
The vacuum cleaner is turned on with a simple switch and collects dust from rooms, tables, and other surfaces, pulling it into the bottle like a standard vacuum cleaner. The collected dust can then be emptied from the bottle. Mahdiya says she built the device because many families need such a device and because she wanted to make house cleaning easier for women. It is her first invention.
“I wanted to make something that is difficult to find where I live, using simple materials that are available to us. I did not want these limitations to prevent me from moving forward. I wanted to create something that is truly practical. I would like to make more vacuum cleaners like this,” she adds.
Mahdiya says that building the vacuum cleaner is only the beginning of her work, and she plans to build other electrical devices. She says she is currently working on a better vacuum cleaner that will be more practical than her first invention. To do so, she needs support.
“I am very interested in making better and more practical things, if I receive support. I am now trying to build a better vacuum cleaner using better materials,” she says.
Her dream is to establish a technical and practical laboratory for herself and other girls like her who have creative ideas. She also calls on the Islamic Emirate and other organizations to provide her with technical and financial support so that she can turn her dreams into reality.
“I would like to receive financial support because, in Afghanistan and under the conditions we live in, the economy is very weak. I would also like a facility to be established for girls and others who are interested in working with electrical equipment, where they can obtain the parts they need,” she adds.
Fatima Jafari, Mahdiya Qurbani’s teacher, says about her creative ideas, “She has always wanted to serve society and make things easier for others. Before building the vacuum cleaner, she told me that she wanted to create something, and I was very happy and encouraged her. A girl who has studied only up to the eighth grade and can build something like this is truly deserving of appreciation.”
Masuma, Mahdiya’s mother, says her daughter has a creative mind and completes every task in a creative way.
“Mahdiya is a very creative girl. She tries to complete any task given to her in the best possible way. She is very hardworking,” she adds.
Afghan girls have previously shown remarkable innovation in the field of technology. If the necessary conditions and facilities are provided, they can make significant scientific achievements in various fields.
Reporter: Turyalai Tabesh
