My name is Thom, and I’m a structural engineer and designer based in London. I’ve spent the last few years developing a project called wellcomb - an experiment in using simple, scalable design to help address water scarcity.

The idea began after volunteering with a water and sanitation NGO in Cameroon, and later travelling through fog-rich but water-poor regions of Morocco. I saw two things at the same time: how essential reliable water access is for communities, and how difficult it can be to access reliable water infrastructure.

wellcomb grew from a simple question: Can small, affordable objects help fund bigger, community-scale solutions?

The first step is a dual-purpose metal comb that also acts as a fog-harvesting tool. Each sale contributes to the next phase: building and testing a larger fog-harvesting structure, inspired by the way trees collect moisture from the air.

I’m raising funds to build the first prototype wellcomb frame - a lightweight, modular steel structure designed to capture fog and collect water in places where groundwater and piped supply aren’t reliable. This prototype will test the efficiency of the system, refine the design, and generate real-world data for future installations.

The money raised will go directly toward:

• fabricating the steel frame

• buying hardware and collection pipes

• transporting materials

• installing and monitoring the prototype on a fog-rich site

This is an early but important step in proving whether wellcomb can grow into a scalable, replicable tool for climate resilience. Any contribution helps move the project forward.

If the prototype can’t be built, your support still delivers impact.

Should I fall short of the funding needed for a working wellcomb prototype, all remaining funds (after basic costs) will be donated to a reputable water-access charity. Every contribution will support clean-water solutions one way or another.