A 14-year-old boy from Sikata village, Kanduyi Constituency in Bungoma County is using social media for good. Ethan Simiyu harnesses the internet as a tool for research and exploring novel concepts.
He aspires to pursue a career as a software engineer, having recently completed his Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) at Christ the King primary school with an impressive score of 410 marks.
In an interview with the Press at his home, Ethan shared how he utilized his holiday time for online research, delving into engineering concepts and successfully creating a hydraulic arm of his own design.
“During my research on the internet, I was able to get knowledge and managed to improvise a hydraulic arm that can be used to lift objects from one point to another,” says Simiyu.
How Ethan Simiyu sources Materials
He emphasized that he used locally available materials such as wood, syringes, tubes, crews, and a uniquely designed gear to facilitate movement at the hydraulic arm’s base.
Ethan highlighted that when different syringes are pressed or pulled, they move the hydraulic in various directions, adding that passion is what motivated him to come up with his own machine.
His drive to understand the mechanics behind the project propelled him forward: “I made it because I wanted to investigate the mechanics behind it,” Ethan explained, stressing the importance of a stable base in determining the arm’s lifting capacity.
Also Read: China Announces Gifts for Kenyans on Social Media; How to Participate
Acknowledgement
Similarly, Ethan acknowledged his parents’ significant support during the project’s development.
“For all this research, I have used my mum’s and dad’s phones. My father used his cash to buy me the materials I needed,” he said.
However, he noted a limitation of the machine that due to its composition of plastic syringes, this restricts its ability to lift heavy loads.
Further, Ethan argued that what set his innovation apart from other robot arms is his addition of two personally invented wooden gears, enabling the arm to rotate up to 240 degrees.
His Ambitions
Ethan’s ambitions extend beyond this project; he plans to explore further, aiming to create drones.
“My research won’t end here, I’m still doing research on how to come up with a drone using locally available materials,” he said.
Also, he encouraged his peers to utilize social media for educational purposes.
He called on area leaders to sponsor him so that he can further his research.
Also Read: Ogweno Stephen, a Kenyan Health Innovator Taking Health Innovation across the Borders
Ethan’s Parents saw it coming
His father, Antony Fungututi, revealed Ethan’s early inclination towards engineering, evident from his penchant for dismantling and reassembling toys and household items.
“My son’s passion to do engineering work has not started recently. He used to dismantle toys, radios and other items in the house and assemble them later and they would work normally,” he said.
Ethan’s mother, Alice Ndombi, says that her son would have gained much if he could have attended the Competence Based Curriculum (CBC). She advocates for a curriculum that could better support his growth within the field of science.
Ethan’s Headteacher Showers him with praise
Stephen Chamigere, the headteacher at Christ the King primary school, confirmed that Ethan is a former student at the primary and commended Ethan’s exceptional performance.
“Since class six this child has been very impressive, his performance in mathematics and sciences has been excellent,” he said.
Chamigere said that Ethan’s ability to explain complex mathematical concepts to his peers and could grasp further attests to his aptitude in these subjects.
Chamigere revealed Ethan’s outstanding scores in Mathematics (88%) and Science (75%), mentioning his acceptance offers at both Light International Academy and Kabianga National School.
