By State House Communications and Media Unit
State House, Freetown, Wednesday 17 June 2020 – Chief Executive Officer of Sewa Energy Resources Limited, Kofie Macauley, today presented 20,000 solar lamps, worth Le 4 billion, to His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio as part of their support to government’s free quality education programme.
Minister of Energy, Alhaji Kanja Sesay, said the company was one of their partners, especially in the renewable energy sector. He noted that the lamps would help to create immediate energy access especially for children in rural areas, adding that the lamps were cheap and maintenance almost free.
The company CEO said that the move was part of their efforts to look at life after the Coronavirus. He said that in collaboration with the energy ministry, they thought about providing solar lamps for deprived school children in rural communities, noting that that was a good effort to get them back into their schoolwork mode.
“These lights are waterproof and the battery life lasts for about ten years if properly charged. We believe that we should be able to get these lights across to every child in this country who needs to read at night. As an indigenous partner in the energy sector, we believe that supporting local businesses is where results are needed to achieve long term and sustainable goals within the country,” he said.
On his part, President Bio thanked the Sewa Group for being a partner to the country’s energy sector, saying that the lamps would help to increase the study time for students, especially those in rural communities. He also noted that his government had prioritised education as the best way of investing in the future, adding that the lamps would complement those efforts.
The lamps are being utilised across the world – in disaster zone areas and across sub-Saharan Africa. They are very light in weight, waterproof and solar-powered. Easy to use and recharge and specifically ideal for rural community areas where there is limited or no electricity access.
