14 January 2026
By Publisher Ray Carmen
In a year dominated by headlines of conflict, crisis, and uncertainty, one extraordinary story has cut through the noise with rare clarity and hope.
A 15-year-old Ethiopian-born teenager, driven by compassion and scientific curiosity, has been named TIME’s 2024 Kid of the Year — not for celebrity, not for fame, but for an idea that could one day change how the world treats skin cancer.
His name is Heman Bekele, and his innovation begins with something profoundly simple: a bar of soap.
A Simple Idea with World-Changing Potential
Heman’s concept is disarmingly elegant. Rather than relying solely on costly, complex treatments, he envisioned a soap infused with a compound capable of delivering cancer-fighting medication directly through the skin — a potential breakthrough for accessibility, affordability, and early-stage care.
The idea was inspired years earlier, when as a young child he observed labourers working long hours under intense sun exposure. The question stayed with him: Could prevention and treatment be built into something people already use every day?
That question grew into a scientific pursuit — and then into recognition on the world stage.
From Curiosity to Global Recognition
Heman’s work first captured attention when he won the 3M Young Scientist Challenge, impressing judges with both the science behind his prototype and the humanitarian purpose driving it. Now, with TIME’s Kid of the Year honour, his story has become a global symbol of what youthful innovation can achieve when paired with empathy.
Importantly, the soap remains in development. It will require years of testing, clinical trials, and regulatory approval. But the idea itself — that lifesaving innovation can be simple, scalable, and inclusive — is already reshaping conversations in scientific and medical communities.
More Than an Award — A Message to the World
Heman Bekele’s achievement goes beyond chemistry or medicine. It sends a powerful message:
that brilliance knows no age,
that innovation knows no borders,
and that solutions to humanity’s greatest challenges may come from the most unexpected places.
At just 15, he balances laboratory research with school life, music, sports, and the quiet humility of a young person who understands that recognition is not the destination — impact is.
Why This Story Matters Now
In an era when young people are too often
