Powering young minds: Northern Cape learners receive boost for winter and homework
Learners proudly display their new school bags as part of a winter donation drive that included clothing and solar-powered lights to support education in under-resourced Northern Cape communities.
Image: Supplied
MORE than 200 learners in the Northern Cape are heading into winter with warm clothing, sturdy school bags, and solar-powered study lights – thanks to a partnership between two energy companies behind a major local infrastructure project.
The initiative, which focused on schools in De Aar and Hanover, saw primary school learners kitted out with brand-new school tracksuits, shoes, and backpacks, while high school learners received portable solar lights to help them study in the evenings – particularly in areas where electricity is unreliable or unavailable.
The donation drive is part of the broader community upliftment programme of SunCentral, a renewable energy development situated between the two towns. SolarAfrica, the project’s Independent Power Producer, and Proconics, responsible for the transmission line engineering and substation build, are the driving forces behind the campaign.
Working closely with local schools and the Department of Education, the companies identified learners most in need of support. Many come from homes where resources are scarce, and the burden of preparing for winter – or keeping up with schoolwork after dark – can weigh heavily on families.
The project not only offers practical support but speaks to a deeper goal: restoring dignity, improving access to education, and giving children in rural communities a better shot at success.
By combining renewable energy development with tangible investment in education, these companies are showing that infrastructure projects can do more than power towns — they can also spark brighter futures for the next generation.