Inspiring Innovations in 2013 - Hippo Drum (water transportation system) and spectacles with adjustable lens.

• THE FOOD FIGHTER
  

Shocked by numerous reports of food scandals in China, historical geography student Wu Heng, 28, started a one-man battle to keep his country's food safe. He launched China's first food-safety monitoring website, which allows users to upload reports of food-safety breaches.

By exposing safety violations and mapping out how the various provinces fare on food safety, the site pressured food manufacturers and government officials into taking action on complaints and reports of dangerous and unhealthy practices.

• THE HIPPO ROLLER
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This simple invention has saved many an aching back: Rollable water barrels that allow villagers in Africa to fetch water easily.

While villagers have traditionally carried water on their backs or heads, the Hippo Roller - a durable plastic water drum that can be quickly turned into a wheelbarrow-like wheel - allows them to carry more water home without stressing their backs and necks.

Tens of thousands of the why-didn't-I-think-of-it-before invention have been distributed to more than 20 African countries, making the arduous task of fetching water easier and less painful for more than 300,000 people.

• AFFORDABLE VISION
  

With the turn of a little wheel, these inexpensive adjustable spectacles can be instantly customised, bringing clear vision to poor villagers anywhere.

The idea came from a Dutchman who realised that none of his short-sighted classmates at a university in Tanzania wore glasses, because corrective eyewear was expensive and hard to obtain.

That prompted five years of research and design, which resulted in Focusspecs, which are made up of two sliding lenses that can be adjusted to correct a range of myopia, hyperopia or astigmatism.

Focus on Vision, a non-profit foundation set up by the inventor, now aims to produce 10 million of its Focusspecs glasses by 2020.

• TRAVELLERS WITH A CAUSE
  

Unlike most holidaymakers, the Colas family from Paris decided to mix adventure with a worthy cause when they took off on a world tour in 2010.

Raising funds and tapping contacts through their own website, We Like The World, they raised more than $70,000 to build a school in Burkina Faso.

They are among a growing tribe of "backpack philanthropists" who have helped to make the world a better place - while on holiday.

- See more at: http://www.straitstimes.com/premium/top-the-news/story/flashback-they-made-impact-last-year-20140412#sthash.TZKjSdot.dpuf