Bagging the sun's energy

ReabetsweNgwane and business partner ThatoKgatlhanye personify the buzzphrase social entrepreneurship. They have designed schoolbags, through their company Rethaka, that do more than carry books - they help children read them too. 

Rethaka recycles plastic bags - easy to come by across the South African landscape - turning them into school bags which have built in solar power packs. These packs are charged all day in the sunlight while the children are at school, and are fully charged when the sun goes down providing much need light for doing homework.  

ThatoKgatlhanye came up with the idea and unsurprisingly the young woman was named first runner up at last year's (2014) Anzhisha Prize. The prize, now in its fifth year, awards young entrepreneurs from Africa. 

"We currently have eight employees who are responsible for the entire process from the collection, washing and sorting of the plastic bags, through to the final stitching and delivery of the Repurpose Schoolbags," said Ngwane. 

Even for those who are lucky enough to never have a shortage of lights, perhaps this is a way for anyone anywhere to conserve energy - after all sunlight is free and clean - the buzzwords of the future of energy globally.