Tunde Afolabi, a 12-year-old boy from Ogun State, Nigeria, is one of the youngest Africans making a meaningful impact in his community and beyond. His journey started simply with a problem he faced every day. Tunde and his siblings often walked long distances to fetch clean water, a struggle shared by many children across rural Nigeria.
One day, after missing school because the only well near his village had dried up, he decided something needed to change.
Tunde began visiting local shops to collect discarded plastic bottles. What started as a small recycling habit grew into a creative solution: he built simple water filters using layers of sand, charcoal, and gravel inside the bottles. The clean water these filters produced amazed his neighbors, and soon people from nearby villages came to learn from him.
Teachers at his school noticed his effort and encouraged him to present his idea at a local science fair. Tunde won first place, and his project caught national attention. NGOs and environmental groups soon partnered with him to distribute his low-cost filters to communities that lacked access to clean drinking water. His idea, though simple, helped protect children from waterborne diseases and allowed more of them to stay in school.
Beyond technology, Tunde became a young environmental ambassador, speaking to children about recycling and protecting natural resources. His voice inspired many young people across Nigeria to take action in their own communities.
Tunde’s story shows that even a child with creativity, courage, and a desire to help can make a lasting difference in the world.
