Ukhuni, a South African furniture manufacturer, has supplied one school with solar powered desk lamps as part of its “Help Them Shine” initiative. The Johannesburg-based furniture maker helped to empower 500 primary and secondary students in the Alexandra township. The company CEO Margaret Taeli said, “Over the lamp’s lifetime, it will provide 50,000 hours of light – that’s 2,083 days and well over five years of light to study with.”
The company’s “Help Them Shine” initiative was established around the World Environment Day as well as the trend to use more renewable energy techniques. Taeli said Ukhuni realized that one area that should be targeted were students and their need for light to study at night. “We sought a sustainable solution to their problem, and were delighted when our investigations lit upon the solar desk lamp,” she said.
Ukhuni had help with client co-sponsors including Abel Walling, ATNS, Beau Decor, Blue Zebra, Brand Gurus, Corporate Connections, Design Zone, Disegno Designs, Facets Interiors, Fit, FNB, Infinitude, Lovejobs, Nedbank Workspace Planning, Not Ordinary Design, On Target Interiors, Paper Space Designs, Plan A1, PH Designs, Saheti School, SL Designs, Telesure, Turnkey Interiors, Versus Paint, and Weavers World.
The solar desk lamps cost under $20, and Taeli said: “It is an ambitious project, given the sheer size of the need – but we know that by taking our lead from Nelson Mandela who said ‘Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world’ and partnering with like-minded clients, we will make a difference.”
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