Burkinabé Students Awarded $25,000 For Inventing Anti-Malaria Soap

The mosquito is a vicious insect. And depending on where you live, they can be as small as a gnat or as large as a dragonfly. Mosquitoes are not only known for their bite, but also for the transmission of the deadly disease, malaria. In 2010, 219 million people were affected with malaria, and out of that number over 600,000 died. Malaria is also one of the leading causes of death in Central Africa.

Two students in Burkina Faso, pulled their science knowledge and resources together to invent a mosquito repelling soap in order to prevent malaria. Gérard Niyondiko and Moctar Dembélé, both students at Intsitut International de l’Eau et de l’Envirronement de Ouagadougou (International Institute of water and environment) in Burkina Faso, were awarded this year’s Global Social Venture Competition (GSVC) $25,000 Grand Prize. The GSVC is the only international competition of Social Business Plans, dedicated to students, young graduates, and entrepreneurs with high social and/or environmental startups. They are also the first student team from Africa to ever win the Grand Prize.

“The soap will be available first here, and then given to NGO”, Gerard Niyondiko, Technical Manager of Faso soap said in a video that was posted online today.

Their invention, called Faso Soap, is made from karate citronella, and other herbs found locally in Burkina Faso, that are still a secret.

“We want a simple solution, because everyone uses soaps, even in the very poor communities”, Moktar Dembélé, General Manager of Faso soap said.

Instead of spending money to bring Kim K and such to Naija

What have yall been doing

No apps to claim..with all the so called Nigerian techies

No drugs

Nigerian engineers/computer techies everywhere with nothing to show for themselves

What are you people doing


Present your case(s)

A Nigerian is in the guinness book of records for having the most certificates and salutations ever - that's an accomplishment...

Err... Scrap that, Mr. Emeagwali invented the internet...

Nah, scrap that as well - Dr. Oyibo invented GAMUT and the God formula....

Big thing a gwan inna naija!!

What big things?

You dont even have ONE example!

It blow for all of you!

ThiefOfHearts: What big things?

You dont even have ONE example!

It blow for all of you!

Sarcasm, Ms Feisty!

I'm not Nigerian, anyway - my parents are from the Republic of Lagos, and Lagos had its independence in the 1800s from the Portuguese!

You're from Ekiti and that automatically makes you a Nigerian...

So, what say you?