(CNN)For many kids living in rural and non-electrified parts of South Africa, the final school bell doesn't just signal the end of another day of learning. Instead, it also means the beginning of an arduous trek through busy and dangerous roads to get back home in time to complete their homework before sunset. For Thato Kgatlhanye, this was all too familiar. She saw it every day in her hometown of Rustenburg, a mining community in the North West province of South Africa. So the young entrepreneur decided to do something about it. "This is our home. The reason we started this business is we looked at our community and we wanted to do work that matters," explains Kgatlhanye.
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Repurpose schoolbags is a green initiative from Rethaka, a South Africa-based startup
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Thato Kgatlhanye and Rea Ngwane founded the startup to create positive change
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Their 100% recycled plastic schoolbags double as a nightlight for schoolkids
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The bag features a solar panel that is charged during the walk to school
"We get [plastic] from landfill sites and collect it from schools that have come on board as "Purpose textile banks" and local schools run campaigns to get students to bring in plastic to be upcycled," @placeholder explains.