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This backpack designed for poor kids does so much more than carry books
South Africans Thato Kgatlhanye and Rea Ngwane are co-founders of the business Rethaka. Their brand of Repurposed Schoolbags are made from recycled and reinforced plastic shopping bags. Recipients are all poor. But it’s so much more than a bag. Because the kids often live in shacks and remote areas with no electricity, Repurposed Schoolbags are built with some other smart features. On the outside of the flap is a pocket for a solar panel, which charges on the long walk to and from school.
- Categories
- Energy
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- solar
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Schneider Electric off-grid, on-profit solutions to create social change in African rural communities
Schneider Electric South Africa has set itself a target to create access to energy for 20 000 Africans by the end of this year. An ambitious goal, but the energy efficiency giant believes this is achievable due to its solid sustainable development strategy, products and solutions.
- Categories
- Energy
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Building energy businesses: Knowledge sharing workshop with business incubators and entrepreneurs from Asia and Africa
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) held a week-long knowledge sharing workshop for energy business incubators and entrepreneurs from Asia and Africain Bangalore, India from 22 to 27 September 2014. The UK Department for International Development (DFID), through its Knowledge Partnership Programme, also supported the initiative to transfer India’s knowledge to other regions in Asia and Africa.
- Categories
- Energy
- Tags
- incubators
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WakaWaka Power gets a big brother with the new solar-powered ‘first aid kit’
This solar gadget innovator is back with a new model, the WakaWaka Base, which includes either a 5,000 or 10,000 mAh battery pack, and the device is designed to be charged with the company's 7.5 or 10 watt portable solar panel. Along with the solar panel and battery pack module, WakaWaka is also offering two small LED lamps, one of which is powered by plugging it into the Base, and one which has an internal battery that can be recharged via the panel and battery pack.
- Categories
- Energy
- Tags
- solar
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SolarAid Releases Second Impact Report on Rural Solar
This week SolarAid release their second ever Impact Report. The report is packed with information on how the charity does what they do, why they do it, the impact of that, and what they’re working towards. In the last year the charity, who's goal is to eradicate the kerosene lamp from Africa by 2020, had some great progress.
- Categories
- Energy
- Tags
- solar
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How Indoor Stoves Can Help Solve Global Poverty
Clean cooking and better sources of energy can have a domino effect on health and education.
- Categories
- Energy, Health Care, Technology
- Tags
- solar
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Bringing Solar Power To Remote Hospitals Is Saving Lives
One startup working in Nepal learned that delivering high-quality health care often means having to innovate in unexpected ways--such as building new energy systems.
- Categories
- Energy, Environment, Health Care
- Tags
- solar
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NexThought Monday – Solving the Energy Access Problem: In-house distribution + in-house product design
Patrick Walsh founded Greenlight Planet to offer rural, low-income families a clean, affordable, and safe alternative to traditional kerosene lamps. But he and his team quickly discovered that producing a great product got them only halfway home. Walsh says bringing Greenlight’s distribution chain in house, along with its product design, has made all the difference for the for-profit firm.
- Categories
- Energy
- Tags
- distribution, solar, supply chains
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