What did Kelvin Doe Do?

They say, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. But what do you do with scrap? You invent!

Kelvin doe from Sierra Leone, Africa, scoured trash bins in his neighbourhood for scrap material when he was 10. Why? To turn them into something useful for his community because the country was just recovering from the effects of a decade-long Civil War, which had left them lacking in infrastructure such as power supply.

Now, 23, Kelvin has invented many things and hopefully, inspires the youngsters in his country to do the same too.

This is his story.

Bringing light to homes

Born on October 26, 1996 in Freetown, Sierra Leone, Kelvin Doe wanted to do something for his neighbourhood’s intermittent power supply and frequent blackouts when he was 10. He started working on his skills and began collecting scrap materials from trash bins. By the time he was 13, he came to be known as a ‘self-taught engineer’ when he made his own battery, capable of powering homes. Kelvin combined acid, soda and metal, and put the ingredients in a tin cup. He waited for the mixture to dry and wrapped a tape around the cup to make his first battery. It might sound simple, but Kelvin failed several times before making a successful prototype. He hasn’t had to purchase a battery ever since, and his invention has helped power many gadgets in the neighbourhood.

DJ Focus

The curious mind didn’t top with just powering homes. He went on to power his own radio station as well. How, you ask?

Kelvin’s next creation was a generator. He modified an old rusty stabilizer he found in the dustbin and either picked the other components of the generator, such as the motor and plug, from the garbage, or made them at home.

And that’s how he powered his fully-equipped radio station, complete with a custom music mixer, recycled CD player and antenna, allowing his neighbours to tune in. Kelvin came to be known as the station’s DJ Focus, and his friends became journalists and station managers. The average age of his crew was 12!

In the spotlight

Kelvin’s talent found wider recognition when he won Innovate Salone in 2012. The competition encouraged students from Sierra Leone to invent solutions for problems they faced in their daily lives. Over 300 applications were submitted and eight finalists received several types of special assistance such as money to develop a prototype of their ideas and a three-day immersive summer innovation camp. Kelvin was one among them.

He travelled to the U.S. for the innovation camp and attended the 2012 World Maker Faire in New York, where he was part of the “Meet the Young Makers” panel with four American inventors.

From there, Kelvin went on to become the youngest person in history to be invited to the “Visiting Practitioner’s Program” at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He also went on to present his inventions to undergraduate students at Harvard College, Cambridge, and the MIT.

In 2013, Kelvin signed a USD 1,00,000 solar project pact with Canadian high speed service provider Sierra WiFi, and in 2016, he became an Honorary Board member of Emergency USA. This is an organisation that provides free medical and surgical care to victims of war and poverty.

Kelvin today hosts workshops and supports youngsters of Sierra Leone by providing them educational resources and tools.

What makes him special?

Kelvin made the best use of the opportunity he had. From a ‘self-taught engineer’, who made things out of scrap, to signing a solar project contract, and providing support to youngsters in his country, Kelvin has come a long way.

 

Picture Credit : Google