School receives donation

MARCONI Beam Primary School recently received a donation of solar powered lights from the Flight Centre Travel

Group, Australian company SolarBuddy.org, and non-profit organisation, Clean C.

The handover took place on October 10 and 1730 solarpowered lights were handed out at Marconi Beam. Sam van Gool, general manager at Flight Centre Group, said: “This was the largest distribution of lights in one day by the organisation.”

The donation was wellreceived by the pupils and staff. “These solar lights will enable these children to read at night and do homework. They are much safer than candles or other types of lamps, and, of course, solar power is free. They also give the kids and their families the opportunity to learn about solar energy and how easy it is to use,” said Clean C director, Greg Player.

SolarBuddy.org CEO Simon Doble said: “As the founder of SolarBuddy.org, the dream was always to make children smile, using the wonder of solar lights to help them with their education. So many children smiling and happily running around their schoolyard with their new lights is a moment I will never forget.”

SolarBuddy.org has donated more than 55 000 solar lights to school pupils in 20 countries since 2016, and this was the first handout they had done in South Africa.

“We are now looking forward to expanding the SolarBuddy.org initiative across South Africa with our partnership with Global Citizen and the Mandela 100 Global Citizen Concert in Johannesburg later this year, where will we distributing a minimum of 8 000 solar lights to children in order to help them study after dusk.”