Read the full original article here from Namene

Namene is proud to partner with Absa bank to provide life-changing solar lights for school children living in rural South Africa, where access to electricity is expensive and often unreliable.

Absa, a pan-Africa financial services provider, purchased over 15,000 Namene solar lights as part of their corporate social responsibility efforts. 

Absa purchased the lights largely to be donated to students in schools in South Africa’s rural regions, with a small number of the lights being used for their marketing and sponsored events.

Solar lights for South African schools 

For young learners living in off-grid communities, the solar lights will have huge benefits. They provide a renewable and sustainable source of light for them to study after dark, without relying on the kerosene lamps or the expensive battery-powered torches that are often used during load-shedding blackouts, or when no other source of lighting is available. 

The first batch of these life-changing lights have already been delivered to Mlingo High School, Manzengwenya, in rural northern KwaZulu-Natal province.

The event was a day of smiles and celebration, organised and hosted by Qhubeka, a charity supported by Absa, which provides bicycles for students to use to get safely to and from school, to help them improve their attendance and education outcomes. 

Absa’s first generous donation provided 156 solar lights – enough for every student and teacher in the school. 

The lights were specially designed in collaboration with Absa, and produced by Namene’s team to incorporate Absa’s standout branding. Their brand colours and logo feature across the front of the solar light casing and on the head strap – which turns the light from a freestanding lamp into a portable head torch.