South Africa Looks To Solar Power To Power Remote Schools
KwaZulu-Natal, located on the eastern side of South Africa, is famed for its beautiful beaches and swanky hotels. Many American and European holiday-makers visit it for its stunning scenery. But not some far away from all the glam and glitter is an altogether different story. Stray from the well worn tourist path and you’ll find impoverished communities where living conditions are grim and is something the local mpopulation can only dream of. This lack of electricity is particularly damaging to KwaZulu-Natal's rural schools.
This lack of electricity is a major problem for the countrys poorer children. No electricity means no lighting for reading, no computer, no internet and no video's. And without electricity, literacy, numeracy, and information technology skills will never be given the chance to blossom. Denied the tools to succeed in their work, the most experienced and skilled teachers shy away from schools without electricity, further exacerbating the problem. Without good teachers and good technology resources, students predictably under-perform, drop out, and ultimately join the ranks of the 30% of South Africans who are unemployed. However, one group is striving to change all of this. The Solar Electric Light Fund, Inc. (SELF) is a non-profit charitable organization founded in 1990 to promote, develop, and facilitate solar rural electrification and energy SELF-sufficiency in developing countries. Building on the success of a earlier project in KwaZulu-Natal’s Myeka High School, SELF will now bring solar electricity and wireless Internet links to two additional KwaZulu-Natal schools, transforming the sun’s energy into electricity — and hope for a brighter future. If you would like to know more about SELF To return to the South Africa solar energy page. To return to our solar energy home page.
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