Entrepreneur Transforms Old Cement Bags into Solar-Charging Backpacks to Help Children Read at Night

January 22, 2025 journo

A local entrepreneur in Tanzania is clearing two hurdles in one leap by transforming old cement bags into backpacks that include a small solar panel to power a reading light.

By clearing municipal waste and helping rural children study after dark, the bags won the backing of the United Nations Development Program for their problem-solving potential.

Soma Bags employs 85 rural workers to satisfy a demand for 13,000 backpacks a month. They can’t meet it, but they do their best.

This backpack craze is all due to Mr. Innocent James, born in the Mwanza region of northern Tanzania, who remembers studying for school by the light of a kerosene lantern. More than 20 years later, many rural households still depend on this antiquated implement for lighting after dark.

Expensive to run and somewhat dangerous to use, many parents can’t afford or don’t trust their children with a kerosene lantern, and so send them to bed without means to read books. James’ solution, CNN reports, was inspired by a university professor he met.

The man carried around a solar panel to charge his phone sewn into the fabric of his jacket, giving James the idea to sew cheap, flexible solar panels onto the outside of bags to power a reading light.

He began making bags himself in 2016, sewing together around 80 per month and selling them for between the equivalent of $4.00 and $8.00 in Tanzanian shillings. This amounted to the same cost as running a kerosene lantern for about 15 days.

James’ fledgling business was supported by the UNDP’s Funguo Innovation Programme, funded by the European Union (EU) and the UK Government which highlights collaborative efforts to promote sustainable solutions and educational opportunities in underserved communities.

ALSO CHECK OUT: Kenyan Physics Teacher Powers E-Motorbikes With Old Laptop Batteries

The impact of Soma Bags has been tremendous, the UNDP reports. The bags have provided children with a reliable source of light that allows them to read at night. This has led to an improvement in academic performance as children are now able to study more effectively. The bags have also provided children with access to information and communication, allowing them to keep in touch with their families and friends.

The company generates revenue through bag sales and exclusive brand partnerships while significantly contributing to environmental conservation by repurposing up to 200,000 cement packing sacks monthly, preventing them from becoming street litter.

MORE AFRICAN SOLUTIONS: Alien Water Hyacinth is Lethal for Lakes–But it’s Being Turned into Biodegradable Plastic Bags and Pots

“There is a crop of young people [in Tanzania] who are coming up, and they have realized that they have to take the future into their own hands,” Joseph Manirakiza of the UNDP, told CNN. “Innocent represents a group of young people using their talent to do something meaningful.”

SHARE This Great Multi-Purpose Social Solution With Your Friends…