17-Year-Old Kenyan Creates Energy From Human Waste

Power Hackers, a series made in collaboration with Autodesk, profiles unexpected makers and designers who are developing creative climate solutions.
This video follows high schooler Leroy Mwasaru and his classmates in their quest to develop a sustainable source of energy. Their solution is a human-waste-fueled bioreactor that will clean up their town’s water supply while powering outlets and stovetops.
Makeshift is a field guide to hidden creativity. Subscribe to our KZbin channel to follow original series like Power Hackers. Subscribe to our quarterly magazine at mkshft.org.
Thanks to our partners at Autodesk, who supports the impact design community through impactdesignhub.org.
Special thanks to Elli Suzuki at Global Minimum for connecting us to Leroy. Find out how you can support innovators like Leroy at gmin.org.
Filmed by Alicia Sully and Sebastian Lindstrom.
Music by Greg Thomas.

[@bailomega]

YOu know.. it's clips like this that gives me hope on human race. Well done man, you do your generation proud.

[@michaelradparvar2122]

turning a shitty situation into an powerful one. and beautifully produced!!

[@abdAlmajedSaleh]

nice one

[@jacehemmings5839]

I'm Filipino and I can't explain how proud I am to this Kenyan guys! Very Innovative! Gives me hope for the human race.

[@jimmyhill9843]

I love this. smart group of young men for sure...creating energy and making us proud

[@Trinity5722]

...Peace!!!...That's ALCHEMY in it's HIGHEST Form!!!...Keep BUILDING for The WORLD & UNIVERSE!!!...That's POWER!!!...

[@hunibuni]

PURE GENIUS!

[@Mabuthelezi]

Sooo brilliant at such a young age! I am proud of your achievements!!! Africa rise!

[@StephenSwinburne]

Great job! Save the planet!

[@rashb3994]

This is dope! The world has so much potential for renewable or recycling energy. This is like zero waste system Well done!

[@KelvinKimaniofficial]

Incredible. Voted for you.

[@tchangrila]

Pure awesomeness.

[@cariltonmaina4388]

Awesome work.

[@trem876]

the campus is so pretty

[@kingco-bruh7271]

this is unbelievably informative. to the channel owners (and any other capable person) please keep answering questions in the comments. we learn a lot from the comments sections (kinda like f.a.q) thanks!

[@leroymwasaru9485]

Thanks! We appreciate. You can like us on Facebook: @greenpactke -Twitter: @hwbkenya -Instagram:@greenpactke

[@mengmao5033]

I kind of like how, in the outro, they juxtapose food being prepared and eaten and the poo slurry being prepared to generate gas. It might be gross, but we have to come to terms with how to deal with recycling and recapturing our waste.

[@spongehead1354]

There's ways to get around the gross part of it I'm sure!

[@ronaldokayo4197]

MY SCHOOL! Maseno Twakupenda!

[@beatriceobegi8577]

Congratulations to the young lads...

[@haroldmwangombe7290]

Awesome!

[@christiangab1227]

Thank you for sharing such a wonderful idea of turning human wastes into biogas you are truly awesome and wonderful ^^

[@sarragarobert25]

Well done. Cheers

[@waseemakram9835]

Good work dear really appreciate this man save the humanity is the real satisfaction of life. love from pakistan

[@jennivanrooyen5963]

Fantastic. Well done boys

[@davido9817]

absolutly amazing

[@spongehead1354]

The whole world could run on our waist! It's a lot better than dumping it in our oceans by the millions of tons!!

[@Kalydosos]

Kenya forever!

[@youralchemy_]

Beautiful!!!!!

[@buffplums]

These are good hard working people we could learn so much from them in the western world

[@djantouahmed7319]

A 17th century chemist, Jan Baptist van Helmont, discovered that flammable gases could come from decaying organic matter.

[@jeanmyburgh2421]

Well done, you guys 😊very awesome 👌

[@gpsboladao8874]

also it all could be automated with solar powered machinery, maybe you guys need more funding tho...

[@zenowl3093]

Brilliant and the rest of the world needs to follow your example. Doing more with less!!

[@DarkMoonDroid]

This is awesome!! Why, oh why, can't the US gubmint do _this_ instead of throwing millions at trying to turn it into drinkable water? Let _water_ be turned into drinkable water, for cryin' out loud!!! Poo has other uses and it's not sustainable to build _more_ million dollar processing plants and equipment to create drinking water! We already have those! Thank you, you wonderful young men!!! Your contribution is to the Whole World!

[@PAGANONYMOUS]

+Jennifer Grove (Dark Moon) Your right, we are throwing away and flushing a valuable power source, waterworks are an outdated solution, don't wait for the government, there are solutions you can put into place now yourself if not this one.

[@jephuthermwakisachi2640]

Awesome

[@dhisfaa_ugandadhisfaa_ugan4216]

Super!!

[@Mauriciomel1]

Very good....

[@frankesposito2182]

Be should get a Nobel peace prize in Economics and Energy.

[@djantouahmed7319]

It exist since the 17th century.

[@MACROPARTICLE]

Definitely cleaner than burning wood. No smoke.

[@crowchateau]

I need to buy one of these or make one for the wintery north.

[@margaretkaranja489]

Can this method be also used in both the rural areas and urban areas of kenya

[@paulocuento9949]

great content

[@tshirumuthii8250]

Great

[@PiccoloMichelaChannel]

I am sorry, maybe for language reasons, I didn't get what is the white stuff that is mixed with the waste.

[@phillippaprice2481]

Nice work lads x

[@gregorysteele5269]

Very cool! I hope the project has progressed well since posting. How do you get the gas to turn into energy though?! lol

[@robertovasquez4863]

Id love to donate to these kids

[@criconinvestments7723]

Very nice guys :-)

[@featyunglean]

We should also filter and then reuse the sewage water so we don't have keep to add more and turn earth brown.

[@silvertavake5615]

Magnificent!!! Science tf outta your daily problems

[@reignajoyce7440]

Tuko Pamoja 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

[@blastking2006]

this is what can change the slums in kenya

[@peacefroglorax875]

Can this waste be used to generate biogas and as compost for crops, both?

[@MkshftOrg]

Hey Peacefroglorax, after the gas is generated, Leroy and his team take the material from the digester, and use it as compost in the gardens to then make their food. Full circle!

[@adamwiddowson8254]

+Makeshift +Makeshift How do they ensure the compost is safe to use since human waste carries diseases? If its safe when finished how do they take only the compost out and not recently added waste?

[@kevinlane1219]

Thank you.:-)

[@wealthyblackman2655]

The water companies in America installed turbines inside large pipes years ago that generates power for the electric companies!

[@teslaabduls9364]

How come none of these is seen anywhere on the world market

[@ZhiChe927]

Damn id be able to power a few buildings then

[@leroymwasaru9485]

Please vote for this video entry here: wshe.es/B7fgVfCG Thankyou! Social: @leroymwasaru

[@junaid8372]

can any one explan. what was added( white liquid) to human west in the video???

[@a.muchemi4360]

The organic material left overs on what they eat, 'ugali' made from white maize flour ...

[@Silvertestrun]

How much power is generated from a single waste-bio-reactor? Can you use human feces as well? How many trees do you think you've saved in your town?

[@mikeaskme3530]

why aren't we doing this in the USA, New York receives about 1,200 tons of human waste a day, I know it wont give much fuel to the city, but it is a start, like WTF are we doing?

[@MarnDesigns]

Wonder what the gas smell like as it been burned

[@diane4ll4]

I wonder if the same gas produced from poo can be used to heat the home as well.

[@sweetvuvuzela4634]

You can then use the waste left to make compost and feed it to the farms or gardens harambee

[@michellejohnson9177]

I want to do this for my dream off grid economic unwasteful house

[@passportpookie-sf5tk]

I'm sure nasa will steal this tech for it's trip to mars cruise boats too great jobs young men

[@faard]

pan-afrakanist must donate $1.00 toward building materials.

[@antumurikks4861]

he is africa genius

[@Johnsen2012]

build a gasification wood stove to get far more nervy and far less smoke out of every piece of wood! love the anaerobic digester.

[@sam-gg7uk]

WHAT A SMART PERSON !!!! next we use it for space travel

[@sunshine-jh6we]

Mko wapi leteni number we promote yoy

[@mujdawood7892]

Hydro thermal carbonisation

[@kilianbartsch1779]

As great as this is (don’t get me wrong, we can definitely do a lot of good with this, just a little down side the video doesn’t mention), our digestion system is much more efficient than that of cows and we need much more human waste to produce the same amount of biogas. Plus you have to watch out when moving the waste as there are quite a few human pathogens that could make the people moving the excréments or mixing them very sick. Please don’t see this as a discouragement for this type of project, it’s just that all isn’t as rosy as it seems and that caution and the appropriate research should be present also!

[@randomtravelvideos]

jenkum-powered rocketships are next!

[@erictoombs4842]

They did it for shits and grins!

[@Akantore]

Using a completely gross material to make something everyone can use...This kid is ready for the apocalypse.

[@PilarVelasquez]

Translations to Spanish, PLEASE!

[@Marcello1b]

Yeap! You got it.... So, who said that a big family was a waste of money??.... "G".... ;-) Having this as "solution" in our cities... I bet that was already patented but there are some genius government who thought it will be a lost of money not buying much petrol/gaz... But, what can we do... we are so little costumers..... Finally, our future will be "Big Family" ;-) Isn't that great!!

[@kent1312]

he should call this invention Poower

[@UknownWorlds]

What this young man has done here has been spoken of in the Bible. In order for God to demonstrate his message to the people of Israel regarding their sins he told the prophet Ezekiel to cook unleavened bread using cow dung for himself as fuel but originally it was human dung. The Lord God held human dung with distaste as he said that eating this unleavened bread using this dung is considered something corruptible. This can be found in Ezequiel 4 : 12-13

[@spongehead1354]

Why couldn't everyone have their own little gas factory in their back yard to run their houses?

[@PennsylvaniaPanda]

God loves all of us so much He came in the flesh to die and rise so that if we choose to accept Jesus as our one true Savior we may be gifted eternal salvation through Christ’s perfect sacrifice on the cross. Have a great Christmas

[@harryinitiative]

cow dung? I thought human waste? Can it power a light bulb? Please message me

[@PAGANONYMOUS]

+Harry Santos mostly poop is poop! the bio-digester can use other food not only poop! it only cares that it has some form of food to feed the microbes, its called (anaerobic digestion) this gas is methane just like natural gas, natural gas can power a petrol generator or fuel cell. You can make bio-digesters yourself also you can make another device called a gasifier that can take most anything that you can make a fire with but produce heat and also carbon monoxide gas that can also power a petrol generator or fuel cell, so you can heat your home/water and create electricity at the same time, you can even fill a car up with wood and go for a drive!

[@itsnotgonnahappen6031]

There are plants doing this already and selling the electricity back to you, rather making you pay for it

[@jimmyhoffa2530]

Just tell the truth. You got the idea from Mad Max: Beyond Thunder Dome? You beating the meat to Tina Turner when you said "EUREKA!!! DOODOO POWER"

[@unguidedone]

this is not new...all poop from any animal is hugely energy rich

[@bcoon2000]

Let's hope the government doesn't get to him

[@jellyboy123]

all that poop going to waist.

[@buffplums]

Why aren’t the financiers investing in these people and the 3rd world country’s instead of exploiting them ?

[@jdl2444]

My wives cooking looks a little better..Thanks.

[@Law19157]

This shit will power your car one day, bye bye gasoline made from crude oil, good bye oil Apocalypse. Rest in peace Tesla Motors, we don't need your stupid electric car

[@Marcello1b]

+Law19157 Oh crap... you're absolutely right!.... Who could have thought, now we would need "crude C...p" But, don't ask me to fill up a van truck tank; never enough. I'll bet, we'll still need Tesla Motors or at least as hybrid.... But, I'll let you invent it first. Me, I don't want to event it, if you don't mind. On the other hand, if they could have event it instead of those Fukushima "Nuke Centers"; If there were C...p leaks, at least, we wouldn't have that C..p in the pacific ocean. And, about CERN,... there is a 27 Km to feel up, and they wouldn't have to transform in gaz, for what I am "con-Cern". Hey, could we patent this idea?!. Some would say that it's a "waist". Absolutely!!That's the point. And, I'd be more genius than those inside CERN ;-)

[@Law19157]

+Marcello1b Are you being sarcastic? cause I happen to be an engineer

[@Marcello1b]

Law19157 Of course, I am. I really admire the knowledge of those youths, really genius with touch of simplicity added to the solution. And yet, this seems to go over the head of most engineers here. If course, I am sarcastic. Even though I wanted to make jokes, this was my "worst case of humour" put on internet. But, I am also really discouraged of engineers around the world who prefer to play with "big matches" in front of our eyes, risking huge consequences with irreversible solutions because they simply choose to not care over our heads. And for worst, the sinister that we say nothing and our governments are aware also and prefer "economy" instead of waking up... We are just full speed at one inch of the world and "every thing is find", no one scream... I guess, we are that species of humans who are responsible of our engineers as Los Alamo... Those evil brains behind engineers that gives the worst "spiritual" guidance without any alternative then "catch 22s"... Tchernobyl and Fukushima were doing test before. And now, all Pacific Ocean is on the merge of complete death. I realized that my simple tuna cans would be contaminated and our government wouldn't say one word to not disturb our economy... There's no come back on those catastrophes events, and yet, those youths overpass our engineers with simplicity. My only bet would be that there isn't money involved... This is why surpass our engineers... (No offense)...

[@Law19157]

+Marcello1b Well the economy is important, people need to work and we all need to pay our bills, we can't just live off the freaking land and go back to being tribal people at the mercy of famines. It's Science & Technology that's extended our life spans and contributed to making us a 1st world nation. Your criticism of engineers is uncalled for, I know engineers from U.C. Berkeley who have been working on mass producing bio fuels as a replacement for crude oil for some time now. In any case, this tech still helps the economy, there's a nation in Africa that's already banking on this idea because it can be used for cooking gas. This tech will take off in time and once I can test my hypothesis to make plastics without crude oil we won't need the saudi's anymore. That and I'm already working on putting this tech into gasoline driven cars without having to make any modification to the car itself, Same for the Airline industry, batteries aren't practical for trucks and Airlines so Tesla probably isn't going to get very far in those industries. If it can make money it will get off the ground, if tech can't make money you'll never see it and this tech is definitely bankable. So, this thing helps the environment and the economy unlike all the other alternative energy ideas, it just needs time, it'll catch on

[@Marcello1b]

Law19157 I am aware that I was "talking laud" over my head"...But about engineers who are creating "over the world's head"...when they're aware and saying exactly this: "opening doors of other dimension"...And not even in laughing (Some respected scientists of CERN) I am also talking about General Electric engineers who knew that their nuclear centrals had flawed (some still working in USA), those who were at Fukushima... And know, we're having in the Pacific ocean with this world wild tragic deadly consequence. I am talking about decisions that are taken to save money, even with tragic consequences. But I am not talking about success. Of course, some will own living from it and we need engineers to make more efficient certain useful utilities. But some great ideas are controlled to let the petrol companies make money when engineers already invented far better other types of fuels as just adding vapor water, etc. And some that created only heat and gaz with only salt water and wave frequency to make it flammable, high temperature. But the patent is kept secret even though it's been demonstrated in details on video. We need engineers not controlled by wrong hands and fools... Take care and all the best to your interesting projects

[@sobinmathew8987]

They should convert this biogas to electricity ..