Emily Duffy may only be a 16-year-old student from Limerick, Ireland, but she's doing big things. At such a young age, she's helping those who are less fortunate than her by inventing a revolutionary sleeping bag.
The lightweight sleeping bag would tremendously help the homeless trying to get back on their feet. Unlike traditional cloth sleeping bags, "The Duffily Bag" uses a waterproof metallic bubble wrap that helps trap and distribute warmth throughout the bag. It even has reflective strips that increase visibility at night, and Velcro straps that help the user enter and exit the sleeping bag with ease. But that's not all this bag can do. It's also fireproof and comes with a pouch that turns into a pillow when filled!
The teen came up with the idea after doing a fundraiser at a homeless shelter. She presented her prototype at the 2015 BT Young Scientist And Technology Exhibition, and 12 months later, the sleeping bags were ready to be used on the streets.
The bags benefit the homeless in more ways than one. The Mendicity Institution in Dublin 8, a charity providing aid to the homeless, set up a program in which the homeless who wanted one of the sleeping bags could make his or her own. The work would take two hours, and the pay would be about $22, creating a way for these men and women to earn a little money to help get themselves off the streets.
The bags are being improved as per the comments and suggestions of those using them, but in the meantime, their use is a huge step in helping the homeless get back on their feet.
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