By Sizwe Dlamini
CONCO Eswatini has donated solar energy-powered backpacks worth E200 000 to Food Quest Eswatini for distribution at three primary schools.
The bags will be distributed to Mphundle Primary, Ndlalane Primary, and Dvumane Primary schools respectively.
The solar bags are eco-friendly and sustainable as they have an external solar panel coupled with an inbuilt battery and light to operate as a convenient solution for pupils who struggle to study at their homes due to the lack of electricity.
The bags also play a major role in fire safety as the common use of candles in homesteads by primary school children to study has resulted in a few unfortunate house fires as unsupervised children have fallen asleep while studying.
Additionally, the national report on climate change indicates that 15% of carbon dioxide emission comes from homesteads while global temperatures are expected to increase by 2.5% by the year 2057 due to the constant release of carbon dioxide into the air, thus negatively affecting water resources and agriculture in the kingdom.
The use of solar bags as a source of renewable light instead of candles in homesteads is in line with achieving the United Nations Development Goals 7 (the provision of affordable and clean energy) and goal 13 (reducing the effects of climate change.)
CONCO General Manager Muzi Mahlobo stated that he is glad to partner with Food Quest Eswatini since this initiative promotes education, and also noted that children are future leaders.
Mahlobo added that CONCO was amazed with Food Quest Eswatini’s initiative which was founded by Celani Matsenjwa saying not only does the foodbank provide surplus and unsalable food to those in need but it also aims to solve the problem of the lack of access to a reliable source of light for children to study at home.
Meanwhile, Matsenjwa urged more companies, which he termed as “giving partners” to partner with Food Quest in this initiative.
“In the rural areas of Eswatini, more than 40% of school-going children don’t have school bags to carry their textbooks instead they rely on their arms or plastic bags. Also, these children usually travel long distances to reach their homes tired or late. The children are then expected to study, most of them using candlelight. With these bags, we intend to revitalize the study experience for children and make studying more enjoyable and less strenuous”.
“With these bags, we believe that we will give more children the opportunity to study hence by extension giving more children better grades in school. It is important to mention that the bags are charged by sunlight and movement during the day allowing the lights to work during the nights. Worth mentioning is that the bags will be sourced locally and internationally via corporate and social investment programs. Food Quest is an organization that adopted the food banking model to curb hunger by collecting surplus food from the food value chain and redistributing it to those who need it but we also want to promote education with the donation of these solar backpacks in primary schools” he said.