Kenyan Students Win Regional Earth Prize for Vehicle Air Filter Invention
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Two 17-year-old students from Kenya have won the Africa region Earth Prize for developing a low-cost vehicle exhaust filter made from maize and coconut. Their invention, named HewaSafi, is now a contender for the global Earth Prize, with public voting opening soon. The students were motivated by personal experiences with the severe health impacts of air pollution.
Facts First
- Fredrick Njoroge Kariuki and Miron Onsarigo won the Africa region Earth Prize for their low-cost vehicle exhaust filter.
- Their invention, HewaSafi, is made from maize and coconut and is designed to clean vehicular exhaust, a major urban pollutant.
- The students are now contenders for the global Earth Prize, with public voting running from May 18 to May 27.
- Both inventors were personally motivated by air pollution, with Kariuki developing a chronic lung disease and Onsarigo witnessing related deaths.
- The Earth Prize is a global competition run by a Swiss foundation for teenagers developing environmental solutions.
What Happened
Fredrick Njoroge Kariuki and Miron Onsarigo, two 17-year-old students from the M-PESA Foundation Academy in Kiambu county, Kenya, were declared winners of the Africa region Earth Prize on May 12. Their winning project is HewaSafi, a low-cost vehicle exhaust filtration system made from maize and coconut. The Earth Prize is an annual competition run by the Switzerland-based Earth Foundation for teenagers aged 13 to 19 working on environmental solutions, and is currently in its fifth year. The HewaSafi team is now a contender for the global prize.
Why this Matters to You
Air pollution from vehicle exhaust is a major health hazard in urban areas worldwide, and the World Health Organization (WHO) states it contributes to 4.4 million premature deaths globally each year. A practical, low-cost filtration technology could potentially help reduce this public health burden. The story of these students demonstrates that impactful environmental innovation can come from young people directly affected by the problem, which may inspire further grassroots solutions.
What's Next
Public voting for the global Earth Prize opens on May 18 and closes on May 27. The international winner will be announced on May 29. The success of the HewaSafi filter at the regional level suggests it could gain wider recognition and support through this global competition.