Sierra Leonean wins USD$100,000 2021 World Student Prize

A Sierra Leonean has won the inaugural World Student Prize 2021 which is held alongside the famed World Teacher Prize.

Jeremiah Thoronka was named the winner on November 10, 2021, at the same time the US$1 million World teacher Prize was named. That award went to American Keisha Thorpe.

He beat off competition from nine others who made the

Read full articletop 10 finalists of the award which has a prize money of 100,000 US dollars. Tow other Africans made the final – a Kenyan and Nigerian.

The 21-year-old won the prize according to reports for his invention of a device that uses kinetic energy from traffic and pedestrians to generate clean energy.

Leading the praise for his feat was President Julius Maada Bio who posted a video on Twitter celebrating Thoronka’s victory as one of resilience and the can-do spirit in young Sierra Leoneans.

Congratulations Jeremiah Thoronka, from Sierra Leone, for winning the 2021 Global Student Prize. Jeremiah’s example reminds us that there is a wealth of new ideas, brilliant minds and untapped potential in Sierra Leone and across Africa. pic.twitter.com/PDvaWkTr0m

— President Julius Maada Bio (@PresidentBio) November 10, 2021