Emily Cummins began ‘inventing’ when she was only four. She enjoyed making things from waste material, like making toys from old things she found in her grandfather’s garden.

5 As she got older, she learnt more about different materials and how to use different tools. She was working on a school project when she had an idea to help millions of people – a small, portable fridge to keep 10 medicines or small food items clean, dry and cool.

In many parts of the world, people haven’t got electricity. However, that doesn’t mean they have to live without a fridge. Emily’s fridge is ideal because it doesn’t use electricity. People can build it using old car parts and other objects from their homes.

After she finished school, Emily went to Africa to work on her design. She spent five months in Namibia, testing out her fridge.

She decided not to produce the fridge for profit. Instead, she gave the design to people in Africa for free, so that they could produce their own portable fridges following her = instructions.

Emily also invented a special water carrier. African women and children often have to walk long distances every day to collect water, and they can only carry a few containers at a time. However, with Emily’s water carrier, they can carry up to five containers of water. She made the wheel out of tree branches and used old tyres to keep the containers in place. People can also use the product to carry firewood or other heavy objects.

Emily has won many awards, including Woman of the Year in 2009 CE (Common Era) and a ‘Save-the-Planet’ award in 2008 CE.