Ethiopian Teen Heman Bekele Wins TIME’s Kid of the Year for Revolutionary Skin Cancer-Treating Soap
Heman Bekele, a 15-year-old scientist from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, has been honoured as TIME’s 2024 Kid of the Year for his groundbreaking invention: a bar of soap designed to treat early-stage skin cancer.
Bekele’s innovative soap, known as SCTS (Skin Cancer Treating Soap), earned him the top spot in the 2023 Young Scientist Challenge, a prestigious competition organized by 3M and Discovery Education that celebrates young scientists whose work has the potential to make a global impact. The victory also came with a $25,000 prize, which Heman plans to reinvest largely into furthering his project, with the remainder allocated to his education.
The soap’s formula is a compound-based solution infused with cancer-fighting chemicals, including Imidazoquinolines, which are encapsulated in lipid-based nanoparticles. As the soap lathers and washes away, the active medicinal components remain on the skin, continuing their therapeutic work. Bekele’s aim was not only to create an effective treatment for skin cancer but also to ensure that it is accessible and affordable for all.
Bekele’s recognition by TIME highlights his exceptional contribution to science and his commitment to developing solutions that address critical health challenges.
