01.10 kelvin doe – a young engineer
by dr. sally gonzalez, professor, international university of science
what do a dj, batteries, and a teenage boy have in common? kelvin doe has all of these components in his life. from a small village in the republic of sierra leone in west africa, this teen changed the lives of the people in his community by his innovative approach to life.
kelvin gets his start
most teens could not imagine going to bed at 7 p. m. every night, but kelvin would. then, in the middle of the night, he would wake up to transform his living room. it was a “small electronics scrapyard,” as kelvin explained. kelvin was always very interested in technology and inventions, but he lived very poorly. his community did not have modern technology. this did not stop kelvin. he scrounged through scrapyards and dumps looking for basic components to make his inventions work.
the beginning of change
there was always an important piece missing for his inventions. he needed batteries to power his homemade devices. kelvin did not have the benefit of a science education at school. yet, he figured out how to make a battery using soda, metal, and tape. these are ingredients he found at a neighborhood dump! with this battery, the possibilities for his inventions were endless.
community changes
once he had perfected the battery, he began to think of ways to improve the lives of the people in his community. one day a week, the government electricity would turn on in the village. the villagers had electricity to power up devices and use their simple light bulb only four times a month. the rest of the month, they were in the dark. kelvin decided to make a bigger battery. he made a generator to power the homes in the village. now, they only have to turn on the generators to enjoy the benefits of electric power.
dj focus
along with inventing, kelvin doe likes to listen to the latest music. his village, though, did not get dependable radio transmission. so, kelvin melded his love of music and his interest in engineering. he built his own radio station. his teen friends work as reporters and station managers. he now goes by the moniker “dj focus.” “i picked this name because if you focus, you can invent anything,” explains kelvin.
his future looks bright
as a result of his work, kelvin was the youngest person invited to the visiting practitioner's program at mit. he also participated in innovate salone,
a national high school innovation challenge. kelvin has been featured on some shows and channels his innovative mind and his desire to his neighbors have made kelvin a true hero.
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