While the world waits for EVs to solve the emissions crisis, two 17-year-olds in Kenya just built a filter that cuts vehicle pollution by 93% using farm waste.
This was done from a lived experience. Seeing people close to them fighting illness caused by air pollution, they decided to act when opportunity presented itself.
Meet HewaSafi the filter (meaning good air):
🔹 Made from maize cobs + coconut shells + spirulina algae (living bioremediation)
🔹 $125 vs. $390 for industrial filters (68% cheaper)
🔹 Built for vehicles
93.3% PM2.5 reduction, 42% CO reduction, 21.4% CO₂ absorbed
The judging panel at the Switzerland based earth foundation said it perfectly: "They're not presenting only an idea, but a tangible technical pathway using materials that are locally accessible."
This isn't inspiration. It's proof that waste from our homes can solve global menace.
news.mongabay.com/2026/05/teen...
