When Ideas Come To Life

Over the last few years, I’ve truly benefited from watching my ideas and the lessons I’ve learned come to life. I’ve had experiences that have demonstrated that as long as I believe in myself, I can conquer any challenge. This has inspired me to create and innovate.

I was inspired to solve problems by a few extraordinary craftsmen with disabilities in my community who used low-cost tools and resources for their work. In my interactions with them, I noticed that they lacked an effective sharpening machine for their tools. The tools they used regularly – knives and other arts and crafts tools – would quickly wear out. I embraced this challenge as my own.

I love electronics, but how could I build circuit boards if my tools always broke down on me? I put myself in their shoes and thought that their disability should not interfere with pursuing their passion and their art. After speaking with them and going through a rigorous design process, I developed a manually operated sharpening machine that could sharpen any one of their tools. The machine consists of an iron frame, shaped like a pyramid to prevent sliding during operation. A foot pedal powers a rotating disc used to cut or sharpen the tools.

When I identified this issue, I submitted a proposal to Global Minimum’s Innovate Salone competition and had the opportunity to work with a team and mentor to create the prototype. It was an amazing experience because it was the first time I formally learned how to pick apart a problem, work with other innovators, and listen to how others interpret a problem and design a solution. It was wonderful to have a community of creative peers to help me when I was struggling with my prototype. There were moments when I thought I might not complete my prototype or thought that I could never build it to begin with – but the support system the competition provided helped me realize that I could leap over any hurdle.

Once I finally finished my grinding machine, a group of craftsmen visited my school in Kingtom, Freetown and tested it. I was overjoyed when my invention worked. It made it all worth it, and my confidence in my ability to create solutions jumped. Innovation is not only a great way to inspire change, but also a great way to inspire yourself to be better.

My story featured by UNICEF: http://sowc2015.unicef.org/stories/when-ideas-come-to-life/