Introducing Tamirat Yohaness, a young inventor from Dalle district in Sidama

Part one

Sidama Research and Development Forum

Tamirat Yohanness, an 18 year old grade  6 Student who was born in a rural Lelo village in  Dalle district in Sidama, Ethiopia, generates mini hydro electric power without any assistance from any one. Tamirat used scrap metals, wood and worn-out bicycle parts to build a turbine that enabled him generate electric power from small river in front of his rural home in Dalle.

 According to videos posted by Diretube.com, Tamirat was inspired by his elder brother who makes his living by repairing electronic equipment such as TV sets, tape recorders and radios in a nearby small rural town known as Sasamo Deela, when he was working as his assistant. 

His brother stated that when he managed to generate electric light using a generator during one of his routine repair works, his brother Tamirat Yohaness vowed to generate electricity without using any fuel.

To fulfill his quest for innovation and technology, he made a brief research by going into Sasamo Deela. He rented a bicycle from the town and studied how the movement of bicycle wheels generate electricity  at night without the use of any fuel or other forms of energy. He dismantled the parts that generate electricity light and studied their link with the movement of the bicycle wheels the idea he later used to develop  his min hydro electric power.   

Immediately after his brief research, the amazing Tamirart, as he was referred to by the ETV journalist, began a little experiment of mini hydro electric power in front of his family house using small spring water that flows near their rural hut. Using scrap metals, wood and bicycle wheels, he created a mini turbine which he made to accelerate fast by using small spring water he collected with two small metal pipes. He converted this mechanical energy to electrical energy using a bicycle dynamo. He then connected this electric power using small wires he erected on small wooden polls.

When his father first saw the initial experiment of this young genius he dismantled all of them, complaining that they could cause danger to the village passersby . He even threatened to report him to the local Kebelle administration if he continued with his “strange” experiment!

The determined young man, never gave up. He dag trenches and buried his wires underground as in major metropolitan cities and continued with his experiment. When his father suddenly saw electric light in his rural hut, he asked what had happened. The amazing Tamirat explained that he generated electricity for them through the experiment his father initially dismantled. The father was overjoyed and asked the son why he did not explain it to him that he was going to light up their homestead!

When he received the support of his father and some community members, Tamirart decided to put his grand ideas on a much bigger scale. He went to a nearby river and dag 12 meter long channel to divert water for his micro hydro electric power scheme. He collected the water with two medium sized metal pipes to move the much bigger turbine he now built  using wood, some metals and bicycle tires. He ensured that  the water power rotates  the turbine  bicycle tires fast enough to move the bicycle dynamo to generate electric power. 

Using this amazing scientific technique, Tamirat was able to generate electric energy of 12 volts which enabled him to generate  electricity  using conventional bulbs. When  faced with a challenge of limited voltage, Tamirat made another startling discovery. He realized that he could enhance smaller voltages by using tape recorder transformer as a booster. He enhanced his 12 volt electric energy to light up bulbs that use up to 220 and 240 voltage systems.  His quest for technical knowledge was not constrained by his limited academic education and age.

 By using ordinary electric wires to transmit the mini hydro electric power he generated, Tamirat was able to provide electric lights to his family’s rural house  and houses of his neighbors. A grand electrification scheme by a young talented person!

In addition to this, Tamirat Yohannes had previously invented 3 wheel airplane, and a phone which did not receive much popularity as his mini hydro electric power project.

He received an acclaim from a wide range of institutions including the Dalle Administrative Council and Yirgalem technical schools. The Dalle Administration indicated that they had  allocated certain budget to assist him continue his amazing scientific endeavour. 

The interview also indicated that Tamirat’s academic achievements at the primary school he attends is excellent. He had always toped number 2 or 3 in his class.

The main request of this bright young inventor is to have an opportunity to be enrolled in schools better equipped with facilities for further scientific experiment. Clearly, Tamirat deserves scholarship opportunities and financial support to advance his amazing scientific knowledge and skills.  

The Sidama Research and Development Forum Congratulates Tamirat Yohannes for his achievements and call up on the Ethiopian government, the international donors, and philanthropic individuals to financially assist this young genius to realize his dream.

 Part Two

Written from video posted by Diretube.com,

May 2010