Jeremiah Thoronka, a youthful entrepreneur raised in Sierra Leone, has positively impacted the lives of 10,000 individuals in his home country. Thoronka designed a device that can supply electricity to 150 households by harnessing kinetic energy from passing vehicles on roads.
Due to this groundbreaking innovation, Thoronka was awarded $100,000 by Chegg.org Global Student Prize 2021. Additionally, he received the prestigious student accolade from Commonwealth.org.
Hugh Jackson presented Thoronka with his awards, acknowledging the substantial impact he has made on his community.
In Sierra Leone, only a mere 26% of the population has access to electricity. Recognizing this issue, Thoronka took action by establishing his own business, Optim Energy, at the age of 17. His innovative device, buried beneath roads, transforms heat, pressure, and motion into electrical power.
The initial project proved successful, benefiting 150 residences and 15 educational institutions, granting electricity to nearly 10,000 individuals. Thoronka aspires to extend the initiative into the healthcare sector to aid in preserving vaccines through refrigeration.
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