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This is Richard Turere's own story: Richard grew up in Kenya as a Maasai boy, herding his family's cattle, which represented their wealth and livelihood. Richard's challenge was to protect their cattle from the lions who prowled the night just outside the barrier of acacia branches that surrounded the farm's boma or stockade. Though not well-educated, 12-year-old Richard loved tinkering with electronics. Using salvaged components, spending $10, he surrounded the boma with blinking lights, and the system works; it keeps lions away. His invention, Lion Lights, is now used in Africa, Asia and South America to protect farm animals from predators.
About the author
Richard Turere grew up as a Maasai cattle herder in Kenya and is an undergraduate student at the African Leadership University, where he is studying Global Challenges with a focus on wildlife conservation. He invented Lion Lights at the age of 12 to protect his family's cows outside Nairobi National Park from lions, scrounging parts from a junkyard and building the prototype for $15. Lion Lights are widely recognized for their singular ingenuity in promoting a sustainable,
peaceful coexistence between humans and wildlife, and Richard shared his innovation with the world at the TED Global Stage in California. He received a special commendation from Africa Leadership Awards for his critical role in protecting and creating awareness around the crisis facing lions in Kenya. He is recognized as Kenya's youngest patent inventor and, in 2018, received the Anzisha prize award. In 2020 he became a Young Natgeo explorer, and he was a finalist at Future for Nature awards in 2021.
Summary
A story of ingenuity and perseverance
