Young Scientist told ‘help us save lives’

THE Minister for Foreign Affairs has asked the winner of this year’s Young Scientist of the Year competition to meet with Irish Aid officials to discuss how his project can be used to save lives.

And Self Help Africa has already invited the sixth year student from Blarney in Co Cork to travel to Uganda with the charity next Easter.

Micheál Martin said he believed Richard O’Shea’s project, a biomass-fired cooking stove for developing countries, could be a “a real practical help” in Irish efforts to help people in poorer nations.

“I have discussed the project with Irish Aid officials in my department and asked them to contact Richard. I met Richard and saw his project at first hand when I visited the exhibition and was taken as to how his project can have a real practical help in our efforts to help people in the developing world.

“The horrific earthquake in Haiti has again reminded us of the importance of getting simple supplies to people in need, and this stove could have a vital role to play into the future,” the minister said.

Richard is a sixth year pupil at Scoil Mhuire Gan Smal in Blarney.

The chief executive of Irish charity Self Help Africa, Ray Gordon, said that the continent’s rural poor would benefit greatly from the Irish student’s innovative project.

“Fuel efficient biomass cooking stoves can play a vital role in Africa as they improve the efficiency of cooking, reduce indoor air pollution, as well as the need for family members to gather fuel wood on a daily basis,” he said.

Richard, who was also the winner of the Irish Aid-sponsored Science for Development Award at this year’s exhibition, will travel with his teacher on a Self Help Africa-organised schools visit to Uganda at Easter, where he will get an opportunity to carry out more research and field test his biomass stove.