- Chedza bags are made from durable, waterproof canvas and have an integrated solar panel.
- The LED light can last up to 7 hours.
For 32-year electronic engineer Kedumetse Liphi from Botswana, a chance encounter with a poor student on his way home was the spark that inspired a solar invention. Mr Liphi said, “While driving around, I encountered a student using rice packaging for a school bag. We offered the child a ride home, where we discovered their household lived below the poverty bracket.” The lack of electricity is a significant hindrance for many in Africa. For school-going children, it affects hours of study, completion of their homework, revision for exams and other curriculum activities which are to be done at home.
Mr Liphi’s chance to meet with the student and that Botswana is endowed with over 3,000 of sunshine annually, according to global solar data agency; Solargis.com, prompted him to create a pioneering solar backpack brand dubbed ‘Chedza,’ which means light in English. The solar-powered invention is a compact backpack made from durable, waterproof canvas. It includes an integrated solar panel which absorbs and stores sunlight during the day for use later at night.
The solar backpack charges small gadgets that school children in rural areas can use to access educational material online and, in the process, advance digital learning. Each pack costs $54. Chedza has sold more than 100 backpacks so far. There is a plan to make the product accessible to learners who cannot afford it. In an interview, Mr Liphi said, “Our main objective is to partner with the government, NGOs and corporates to procure these bags from us for donation to learners from communities who cannot afford them.”