Energy management and automation company Schneider Electric has highlighted its contribution to the University of Johannesburg’s UJ for Societal Impact project, which has, over the past decade, worked to bring services to the village of Gwakwani, and has now expanded to Matatani and Mbodi, all situated in the Vhembe district in Limpopo.

Schneider Electric says that since the project’s inception in 2014, it has partnered with UJ to provide essential services such as clean water, affordable energy, connectivity and access to quality education, directly aligning with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Over the past decade, Schneider Electric and UJ have improved access to clean water, renewable energy and education, the company avers.

A solar-powered borehole supplies water, which the company says reduces malaria risks and enables vegetable farming for income.

Solar-powered lamps have also replaced paraffin lamps, allowing children to study after dark, while a solar streetlight was installed to enhance safety.

A containerised crèche, equipped with the village’s first TV, is said to have provided early childhood education and a solar-powered off-grid bakery to have generated jobs and income by supplying bread to neighbouring communities.

Solar cold storage was also introduced to enhance the bakery operations.

“It is essential for the success of these type of collaborations to have a reputable industrial partner such as Schneider Electric. Without industrial support we would not be in the position to make such a substantial social impact as demonstrated through the greater Gwakwani project,” says UJ Electrical and Electronic Engineering Science Department Associate Professor Johan Meyer.

“A collaboration of this kind, one between private industry and academia, has had many advantages, and with the commitment to sustainable solutions, collective knowledge and skill sets, a legacy has been created to be proud of for many years to come – a future re-imagined for Gwakwani and surrounding villages,” says Schneider Electric corporate citizenship leader Carina van Zyl.