Macdonald Chirara’s community in Zimbabwe faces the constant issue of electricity shortages, and are forced to use firewood as a source of energy. This practice can add to increased rates of deforestation and contribute to global climate change. Chirara, however, may have come up with a revolutionary way to produce electricity for his community.

Chirara’s biogas digester setup can convert biogas (a mixture of gases) to cooking oil and electricity. Simply speaking, Chirara created a biogas digester setup, which converts organic waste into electricity. The technology uses readily available resources such as animal waste and a local invasive plant to produce biogas, thus creating the much needed resource of electricity.

“Biogas has the potential to provide clean renewable energy and to facilitate sustainable development of [an] energy supply for Zimbabwe and Africa at large,” Chirara says. His device measures up to a maximum of 1.5 volts. “This electricity can be used especially in rural areas, where most households are not yet connected to the national grid, or in urban areas as a backup power source,” he says.

His work was selected by his local science fair for recognition, also recieving a Society for Science & the Public Community Innovation Award. This award honors students participating in science fairs all around the world who are making a difference in their communities. In 2018, the Society rewarded 20 young scientists with $500 prizes — and Chirara being one of them.