Enel Green Power South Africa (“EGP RSA”) gave 67 mountain bikes to students of the Kodupu School, in Lephalale, Limpopo province, on the occasion of Mandela Day, celebrating the life of the country’s founding president and one of the greatest leaders of the 20th Century, Nelson Mandela. The event, held at the school, which is close to the company’s 66 MW Tom Burke PV plant, was attended by the Mayor of Lephalale, Hon. M.J Maeko, Enel’s Country Manager in South Africa, William Price, along with the members of EGP RSA’s Matimba cycle team.
William Price said: “We are always looking for ways to improve the lives of our most important stakeholders, the communities surrounding our operations. The bicycles will cut down on the students’ commutes, giving them more time to concentrate on their studies. In the words of Nelson Mandela, education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
EGP RSA’s partnership with Kodupu School will improve access to education for beneficiaries nominated by their school, facilitating mobility for those most in need, who, until now, have had to walk for hours every day from home to school and back. In addition to the bikes, the children were equipped with safety gear, received a repair kit and were taught how to repair a punctured tire. Following special lessons with the help of EGP RSA’s cycling team, Matimba, they went on a 15 km ride around the village. The school will also receive a bike rack for safe storage.
EGP RSA’s Matimba cycle team was formed in December 2018 and comprises 13 employees led by the company’s Country Manager, William Price.
The Tom Burke photovoltaic plant, which started operations in 2017, was declared a national key point due to the strategic role it plays in delivering energy to the national grid and supplying electricity to nine villages in the Lephalale region of Limpopo.
Enel Green Power is the Enel Group’s global business line dedicated to the development and operation of renewables across the world, with a presence in Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa and Oceania.
