Richard Turere, the Thirteen Year-Old Boy Who Found a Way to Combat Lions

This is a story one should hear directly from the horse’s mouth. It will make you appreciate the story better. This is why I have uploaded the video here: 

Richard Turere is a 13-year old Kenyan whose family’s compound is behind the unfenced southern part of the Nairobi National Park. Richard is the one who tends his father’s herd of cattle. But for a long time, just like his neighbours’, his cows were at the mercy of marauding lions who migrate from the Nairobi National Park. After various unsuccessful attempts to curtail the invasion of these predators, Richard stumbled upon an ingenious idea, which so far, has proved successful in warding off wild animals.

He discovered that lions were afraid of coming near their cowshed if they thought someone was around. So he fitted a series of flashing LED bulbs onto poles around the livestock enclosure, facing outward. The lights were wired to a box with switches and to an old car battery powered by a solar panel. They were designed to flicker on and off intermittently. This would appear to the lions as if someone was moving around with a flashlight. Richard’s idea has been so successful that neighbours have been asking him to help install his invention on their farms. In fact, his idea is now being used all over Kenya to scare off predators.

Because of his invention, Richard, who wants to become an aircraft engineer and pilot, was able to realise his dream of flying in an airplane. He was flown to the United States to share his story at Ted Talks, an event where speakers address a wide range of topics often through storytelling. His invention has also earned him a scholarship to one of the best high schools in Kenya. Another idea Richard has is to invent his own electric fence, which he had already embarked upon but shelved because of an electric shock he experienced while trying out his idea.

Richard story teaches me the power of an idea. His story also teaches me that instead of complaining about an unpleasant situation, I should do something about it. This is one lesson people in my part of the world, including myself, need to learn. We should also stop being fatalistic.  Complaining about a situation does not change such a situation. And again, I have come to realise that most people who find solutions to problems eventually become wealthy because others are usually willing to pay for them for their ideas. Apart from becoming popular, such people become famous and enjoy a lot of goodwill. Parents, adults and teachers will learn from this story to not kill, discourage or frustrate children’s creativity.