BAG IT UP

Portable solar panel school bags light the way for Tanzanian school children

Almost one in five primary school-aged children in Tanzania aren’t enrolled in school. There are many reasons, but one barrier is being dismantled thanks to an ingenious invention. According to the World Bank, only a fifth of Tanzania’s population had access to electricity in 2019. Innocent James saw an opportunity to make a difference – he wondered if he could fit solar panels to bags, so that as children walked to school they’d generate enough electricity to be able to read books once home. Soma Bags was created. Discarded cement bags are cleaned, cut and sewn into school bags, employing local people to use their skills. The bags are fitted with a solar panel and a USB port that lets them charge phones, helping access to communication and information. Around…

You're reading a preview of

The Simple Things (Digital) - 1 Issue, April 2025

DiscountMags is a licensed distributor (not a publisher) of the above content and Publication through Zinio LLC. Accordingly, we have no editorial control over the Publications. Any opinions, advice, statements, services, offers or other information or content expressed or made available by third parties, including those made in Publications offered on our website, are those of the respective author(s) or publisher(s) and not of DiscountMags. DiscountMags does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, truthfulness, or usefulness of all or any portion of any publication or any services or offers made by third parties, nor will we be liable for any loss or damage caused by your reliance on information contained in any Publication, or your use of services offered, or your acceptance of any offers made through the Service or the Publications. For content removal requests, please contact Zinio.