01 Aug Lightning up Lives!!
Ever heard of a school bag that not only carries books but also helps children read them? Say hello to the new age school bag designed by the South Africa based, Rethaka foundation.
At NFK we believe that even for-profit products that do more than just meet the needs of people are products truly worth speaking about. Inspired by the problems rampant in her community, school student and aspiring entrepreneur Thato Kgatlhanye crafted this innovative bag as part of her school project. Eventually, when her repurpose school bag started e across enjoying positive attention around the world, she decided to turn it into a business.
What is it?
These innovative school bags, made of recycled plastic, are shaping the future of African children, as well as addressing the plastic-pollution concern of the planet. Ingeniously designed, each bag has two retro-reflective strips and is integrated with a solar light. The panels on the school bag charge during the students’ long walk to and from school and the consequential light can then be used by them to study comfortably at night. Today these bags provide up to 12 hours of reading light to thousands of children across the African subcontinent.
Look who noticed them – In 2016, the Rethaka school bag received a word of praise from none other than Bill Gates at the Nelson Mandela lecture. His tweet about the innovative product sent it and its people straight into the spotlight