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When Lazar was 14 years old, he found out that his grandparents and other villagers of Ilino Brdo (Montenegro) had problems with accessing water and power. Residents had to travel a long way to springs and wells to get water and had to rely on polluting gas generators for electricity. Lazar felt confused. Montenegro was full of natural resources – for example, they get over 2,500 sunny hours a year – yet people didn’t have access to what they needed.
After a visit to a science exhibition at a local museum, Lazar was inspired to learn more about the science behind electricity and water access. He read books, browsed the internet, watched YouTube videos and spoke to as many knowledgeable people as he could!
A few years later, Lazar put his knowledge to the test. He raised money and gathered together parts that people were giving away or selling cheaply until eventually he had everything he needed to build a water pump and solar power system. The pump provides water to the houses and the solar system supplies electricity to the homes.
Lazars invention brings water to a whole community and has helped transition eight households to solar electric power, meaning these households have access to clean and renewable energy.
In 2020, Lazar was awarded the second place prize in the international Young Eco-Hero Award for his amazing efforts to bring water and electricity to people in a way that doesn’t harm the environment.
But Lazar isn’t stopping there, he plans to expand both systems to supply more people.
Lazar believes that everyone can make a change if they believe in themselves. He says, ‘When I started, I suspected that I, as an individual, couldn’t change much. I believe that is a global youth problem. But now I know that every individual has to contribute for positive change to happen.’
