At just 15 years old, Ethiopian-American student and innovator Heman Bekele is gaining global recognition for a scientific breakthrough that could change the way we treat one of the world’s deadliest cancers using nothing more than a bar of soap.



Bekele, who grew up in Virginia but spent his early childhood in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, was named TIME’s 2024 Kid of the Year. This honour reflects not only his scientific ingenuity, but also his deep commitment to humanitarian values and inclusive health access.



Bekele’s invention – a Skin Cancer Treating Soap (SCTS) – is an affordable compound-based bar designed to treat and potentially prevent melanoma, a serious form of skin cancer. His idea was born out of a formative memory: seeing people in Ethiopia working outdoors for hours under the hot sun without protection or access to medical treatment. This early observation, combined with a love of science that began with a gift chemistry set at age seven, led him to ask a bold question: could something as everyday as soap become a vehicle for cancer treatment?



Driven by that question, Bekele began developing a prototype that delivers cancer-fighting medication directly through the skin. The soap uses lipid nanoparticles to carry an approved immunotherapeutic compound, which activates the body’s immune cells to fight cancer cells. It’s a low-cost, non-invasive, and potentially game-changing solution, especially for communities in developing countries where access to cancer treatment is limited or prohibitively expensive.



Bekele’s work earned him the grand prize at the 2023 3M Young Scientist Challenge, where he was named “America’s Top Young Scientist” and awarded US $25,000 to further his research. He has since worked with mentors and institutions such as the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health to refine the formula and prepare for regulatory pathways like FDA approval. His long-term plan includes launching a nonprofit that will distribute the soap in underserved regions globally, starting with those most affected by sun-related skin cancers.



While still in high school, Bekele has become a symbol of youth-driven innovation. His work reflects the power of young people to unite science, compassion, and action in response to urgent global challenges.



Bekele’s story is also a compelling argument for why youth recognition matters. In a world where access to care remains unequal, young innovators often bring a unique blend of lived experience, creativity, and urgency to their solutions. By investing in youth, we’re not only nurturing the next generation of scientists and leaders, we’re empowering them to make a tangible difference today.



Platforms like the Zayed Sustainability Prize play a vital role in this effort, amplifying impact, connecting youth innovators to networks of support, and providing the visibility needed to help solutions grow and thrive.



As Bekele continues to balance school with research and works toward taking his invention from prototype to real-world application, his story reminds us that innovation can begin anywhere, and that young people, when given the chance, can help shape a healthier, more hopeful future for us all. His soap may still be in development, but its promise is already clear: when science and opportunity meet, remarkable things can happen.