Yumna Ramsingh

Solis, in Latin, means sun. It’s a fitting name for a project that aims to harness the sun’s power to tackle a set of interlinked issues faced by those living in South Africa’s informal settlements: a global energy crisis that’s aggravated at the national level; the ongoing lack of formal housing; high unemployment rates; and unsustainable building practices. Yumna, the young psychology graduate and climate activist behind the initiative, wants to create a new community of homes — sustainably built and powered by solar panels. Any excess power is fed back into the regional grid for profit, and locals are upskilled to maintain the panels and support other sustainability projects, such as growing local produce or making eco-bricks. By turning solar accessible, Yumna hopes to create stability and improve living standards, while mitigating climate change.