MacGyver Foundation launches MacGyver-In-A-Box Challenge, a design competition for cost-effective home sanitation solutions in rural Guatemala. Registration is now open for the competition, partnering with Clubhouse Guatemala, to address global sanitation needs.
-- The recently announced MacGyver-In-A-Box Challenge is a live design competition addressing the global sanitation crisis. Approximately 42.5% of the world's population lacks safely managed sanitation facilities, according to WHO and UNICEF data. Inadequate access to sanitation and clean water contributes to approximately 1,000 deaths of children under 5 each day due to diarrheal diseases, underscoring the urgent need for practical solutions that engineers, hobbyists, and makers can directly influence.
More information is available at https://macgyver.com/foundation/macgyver-in-a-box
Rural Guatemala serves as the target community for this inaugural challenge. Less than half of Guatemalan residents have access to proper sanitation services, and 95% of surface water sources in the country are contaminated, according to Habitat for Humanity. These conditions drive waterborne diseases that are a major contributor to infant mortality, along with respiratory illnesses affecting more than half the population. Partnering with Clubhouse Guatemala, a philanthropic NGO with established regional expertise, the MacGyver Foundation aims to develop cost-effective indoor toilets that provide sanitation and privacy for families currently lacking these basic facilities.
Unlike X-Prize-style competitions that pursue cutting-edge innovation, the MacGyver Foundation prioritizes affordable, accessible solutions over high-tech interventions. Simple, maintainable designs benefit developing communities more than complex systems requiring specialized knowledge or expensive components. Effectiveness and cost-efficiency determine success rather than originality, appealing directly to makers and hobbyists seeking practical impact over novelty.
In addition to the first prize award of $350, the winner of the competition will have a potential opportunity to travel to Guatemala and implement their winning design for real-world testing with Clubhouse Guatemala, connecting innovation directly to measurable change.
Submissions, says the foundation, need not be finished prototypes; documented ideas with detailed instructions, drawings, and video links in PDF format satisfy requirements. No specific design parameters exist beyond safety and non-infringement of existing patents, lowering barriers for creative problem-solvers from diverse backgrounds. Submitters retain full ownership of their intellectual property, though physical submissions remain with the foundation for display and dissemination purposes.
A judging panel comprising Clubhouse Guatemala field personnel, MAKE Magazine editors, and MacGyver Foundation representatives will evaluate entries using seven criteria: design cost, accessibility and convenience, hygiene and sanitation effectiveness, maintainability, sustainability, safety, and integration potential with other infrastructure goals. These standards emphasize holistic, implementable solutions grounded in both community needs and maker expertise — as well as embodying the famous MacGyver onscreen persona.
This first competition launches a planned series of MacGyver-In-A-Box challenges targeting infrastructure needs, including power, water, refrigeration, cooking, heating and cooling, transportation, communications, education, and medical solutions for developing communities worldwide. The partnership with Clubhouse Guatemala ensures designs address genuine on-ground requirements. As Angus MacGyver said, "With a little bit of imagination, anything is possible."
Registration opens November 1, 2025, with submissions accepted through December 31, 2025. Winners will be announced on February 1, 2026. Eligible engineers, hobbyists, and makers can visit https://macgyver.com/foundation/macgyver-in-a-box/ for additional details about the MacGyver-In-A-Box Challenge.
Contact Info:
Name: Lee Zlotoff
Email: Send Email
Organization: MacGyver Foundation
Address: 1964 Cerrillos Road Suite C, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505, United States
Website: https://macgyver.com/foundation/
Source: NewsNetwork
Release ID: 89176757
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