admin | February 12, 2026
News Brief
In Mashonaland East, students like 12-year-old Monica Ben are using Chigubhu lanterns—made from recycled bottles and solar-powered LEDs—to study after school. Created by innovator Aluwaine Tanaka Manyonga, the lanterns teach children practical skills in electronics, renewable energy, and recycling. Charged at school, each lantern provides four hours of light for homework. Supported by UNICEF, the Australian Embassy, and local partners, the project empowers students, reduces waste, and improves learning in areas with limited electricity access.
After school in Mashonaland East province, 12-year-old Monica Ben doesn’t just carry her books and pens—she also takes a Chigubhu lantern, a small light made from recycled materials, to finish her homework at home.
The portable lantern—its Shona name meaning “bottle”—was created by a local innovator and teaches students how to combine renewable energy, electronics recycling, and hands-on skills. Charged at school using solar power, the lantern provides about four hours of light each evening—enough for learners at Manyoshwa Primary School to study safely.
Ms. Ben says, “Before this lantern, I either came early to finish homework or didn’t submit anything at all.”
The initiative, led by innovator Aluwaine Tanaka Manyonga in partnership with UNICEF, the Australian Embassy, and local companies, trains students to make their own lanterns from LED lights, batteries, and plastic bottles. More than 1,500 lanterns have been distributed across the country, and hundreds of students have learned the skills to build and repair them.
Aluwaine Tanaka Manyonga invented the Chigubhu lantern. He says, “Teaching students to make and maintain the lanterns gives them practical skills while addressing energy and waste challenges.”
Teachers and students say the lanterns are transforming learning in areas with limited electricity. Nickson Zhuwayo, a Grade 7 learner, says, “Four hours of light is a lot. I can read and finish my homework every evening. I want to be a science teacher one day.”
Ms. Ben says, “I’m happy that using materials from dumps and landfills helps the environment. I hope to make more lanterns to help my peers and reduce waste.”
With only 20 percent of rural Zimbabweans having access to electricity, and plastic waste piling up, this project addresses multiple challenges at once: improving education, encouraging youth innovation, and promoting recycling.
The Chigubhu lantern is now inspiring students across Zimbabwe to think creatively, tackle community challenges, and take learning into their own hands.
Monica Ben attending a lesson at Manyoshwa Primary School in Seke, Zimbabwe. Credit: Farai Shawn Matiashe/IPS
This story is based on an article written by Farai Shawn Matiashe for Interpress News Service, titled “In Zimbabwe, School Children Are Turning Waste Into Renewable Energy-Powered Lanterns” To read the full story, go to:
https://www.ipsnews.net/2025/12/in-zimbabwe-school-children-are-turning-waste-into-renewable-energy-powered-lanterns/: Zimbabwe : School children are turning waste into renewable energy-powered lanterns (IPS)