CNN - When Innocent James was growing up in Tanzania, he often had to make a choice: Burn expensive oil to continue reading and complete his homework after the sun had set, or go to bed. It was an upsetting trade-off for young James, who loved to read. Not wanting future bookworms to have to make the same choice, James founded Soma Bags, which builds backpacks for children equipped with solar panels that charge a reading light.
The backpacks are made from recycled cement bags and cost less than half a month’s worth of kerosene. Fewer than half of all Tanzanian households have electricity, a number that dips even further in rural communities like Arusha, where James grew up. Last year alone, Soma Bags sold 36,000 backpacks to students and families across Africa, providing an invaluable energy source for when the sun goes down. Now a new generation of kids can know the sleepy joy of staying up late with a good book.
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