Samuelle Asante ‘21 won an extensive prize package from Mastercard Foundation, McGill University, AABN, and the Volta River Authority (VRA), as her reward for coming first in the pitch contest finals held in August 2021 at the Accra International Conference Centre. Her start-up idea was to develop a portable, renewable energy light source for rural schoolchildren to use after hours to study. Her concept was contained in a school backpack and named Kaniya Kotoku, which means “electric light sack” in the Akan language.

Kaniya Kotoku provides safe, affordable, and environmentally friendly energy/lighting alternatives. It is a backpack made from recycled plastics, lined with Organic Photovoltaic (OPV) cell technology that powers an LED flexible study lamp, allowing a student to study for at least two additional hours at night. Samuelle has received significant funding to boost her business, test her prototype, and gather feedback from current and prospective users.

Kaniya Energy satisfies Sustainable Development Goals 7, 8, 12, and 13. With SDG 7 it ensures access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all. SDG 7 targets improving the global rate of energy efficiency and enhancing international
cooperation to facilitate access to clean energy research and technology. This SDG also focuses on advanced and cleaner fossil-fuel technology, renewable energy, and also promotes investment in energy infrastructure.

She has addressed aspects of SDG 12, which refers to responsible consumption and production, because she uses recyclable materials. She also meets SDG 13 and SDG 8 to some extent, because Kaniya Kotoku impacts climate change, and with her current employment of workers in manufacturing, she is providing decent work and economic growth.