Ivory Coast: Solarpak, a solar satchel for pupils in rural areas

(Ecofin Agency) - Solarpak is a colorful school bag made up of a rechargeable solar plate, a 3-hour battery and a small lamp. The solar panel stores the energy collected on the way to school and, once night falls, the student simply plugs the lamp into the USB port incorporated in the bag.

Originally, Evariste Akoumian, a computer scientist, noticed that students in remote areas of Côte d'Ivoire had difficulty studying after dark because of difficult access to electricity. After 3 years of research, he designed Solarpak, the first solar schoolbag.

Solarpak could “give a real boost to these students in remote areas”, according to its inventor. Evariste Akoumian has already won several prizes which have allowed his project to gain visibility.

However, a problem persists. The Solarpak is sold at 12,000 FCFA per unit (€19.35). As a result, the bag is too expensive for the parents of schoolchildren, in poor areas. But Akoumian and his team are actively working to lower production costs and take into account the financial situation of parents.

https:// t.co/nbJCtUrm8x Cooking red fish with village type #cooking #village #Singapore #amazing #red_fish fish fi… https://t.co/EseuOC8pI3

— 8minute Cooking Tue Nov 17 16:08:05 +0000 2020

To date, the company has established partnerships with organizations that purchase the Solarpack and distribute it in several countries in Africa.

To order: https://solarpak.net/

Aisha Moyouzame