Sean Leow
Anyone working long hours outdoors knows the burden that a glaring sun can take on the body. In Africa, Dominic Wanjihia has proposed a flexible, wearable solar panel vest to harness this energy for productive purposes.
While the vest is applicable to anyone who works outdoors, the user profile was built around “boda bodas,” the cyclists who transport people between immigration offices along the borders of African countries.
In Kenya alone, there are an estimated 1.5 million boda bodas who work as early as 4:30am until 10pm at night.
Dominic describes the advantages the solar panel vest provides for an average boda boda operator:
- His phone is always charged guaranteeing customer accessibility
- He has light at home from the LED’s so saves on heavy power bills
- He always has an emergency light with his – LED
- The panels will not get stolen
- One can also offer charging facilities to client being carried
This article was originally posted on the PSFK website.
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