At just 13 years old, a Brazilian boy creates an energy system to supply the community where he lived

We are so used to the benefits and facilities provided by electricity that we often forget that many people simply do not have access to it. Even with all the advances made in this area, it is estimated that in Brazil around 1 million people still live without access to energy.

But the awesome.club discovered a 13-year-old boy who did not conform to his reality or that of the people who live around him, and invented his own solar energy capture system to supply his house and all the others in the community. Stay with us and don’t miss this inspiring story!

Rogério Gonçalves, now 14 years old, became known as the “Genius of the Lamp” by the people of the region, when at the age of 13 he had the idea of ​​creating an energy capture system after his older sister, which he did not get to meet, die victim of a fire caused by a candle. However, the push that was missing for him to develop the technology came after the family moved to Sidrolândia (MS), more specifically to the Jatobá settlement.

The family, which until then had electricity, found itself without this basic resource. Rogério, concerned about his own safety, that of his family and neighbors, promised his mother that he would install light in the house. And it didn’t take long for him to keep his promise. But then came a greater desire: to help others. The goal? Provide light for the nearly 200 shacks in the community.

It was from scrap that Rogério got the materials to develop his system: whenever he found discarded light bulbs, radios, flashlights, cell phones or any other item in which he could put his skills and creative potential into practice, he took it to the your workshop.

At first, he worked with makeshift tools — which he created himself from bicycle spokes. Today, with the support of some people from the region, he already has slightly more sophisticated materials to put his ideas into practice.

Power systems are usually made from whatever materials the boy has at the moment; for this reason, some of the houses in the settlement have solar energy. Others, with energy obtained from cell phone or car/motorcycle batteries.

In a recent appearance on a Globo show, the boy said that around 60 homes already have lighting produced from their systems. Essentially, it uses solar panels, diodes (which are simple, safe and affordable devices that act as energy conductors) and cell phone batteries.

When going through the streets with the advertisements, the little “genius of the lamp” uses a GPS that he won and repaired. With this, he is able to prove to contractors aspects such as the distance traveled and the time he was stopped. That’s how the young man attracted the attention of businessman Diego Pavei, who, when trying to find out more about his story, was surprised by the creative and intelligent way in which he overcame all the challenges. For this reason, Pavei decided to take him to attend a lecture by entrepreneurs in the state capital.

Since then, Pavei has become a family friend and one of the boy’s biggest supporters. With his help, the family was able to move to a better property, but they still dream of owning their own home — there is even a campaign on a crowdfunding site (“virtual crowdfunding”) to help with the mission.

In a conversation, the awesome.club, the businessman said that Rogério recently received contact from an engineer who has a project to create a self-sufficient car, capable of traveling at up to 40 km/h. The boy would have been consulted to help think of a way to develop the ambitious project. According to Pavei, Rogério has not yet decided which career he will follow. He dreamed of becoming a veterinarian (he is very fond of animals), a scientist and an engineer.

But, little by little, the boy’s trajectory is becoming known and winning sympathizers and supporters. One of the last ones was presenter Luciano Huck, who contacted the NGO Litro de Luz (focused on taking public lighting to places that still don’t have it). With the help of the entity, Rogério was able to achieve one of his main goals: to light up the streets of the community. Together, they installed light poles through the streets of the settlement.

Rogério and his brother even won a scholarship to study at Mackenzie, a well-known and traditional educational institution in São Paulo; however the family is still deciding what to do about it.

In any case, Rogério’s creative mind is breaking new ground, opening paths and, most importantly, helping people with what many people discard. The young man has already achieved a lot and changed the life of an entire community. His altruistic spirit, his intelligence and perspicacity are riches that cannot be measured, but which undoubtedly make this boy a treasure.

For our part, we hope for a world with more people like Rogério and with more opportunities for creative and generous people like him.

And what did you think of this inspiring story?

Be sure to tell us here in the comments what you think. And if you know more cases like Rogério’s, tell us!