ENEL GREEN POWER

EMPOWERING A BETTER TOMORROW, PROJECT BY PROJECT

Grade 8 learner, Somila Solo, who lives with a disability, has been given the opportunity to complete his education at the school of his choice and pursue his dreams, thanks to a full bursary awarded to him by Enel Green Power South Africa (EGP SA).

After attending Gill College in East London, Solo’s family began to look for a more affordable school for him to attend due to severe financial constraints. This was a blow to Solo, who loved Gill College and valued the friendships he had developed with his co-learners.

Fortunately for Solo, his family lived near EGP SA’s Nxuba Wind Farm. His life changed dramatically when the renewable energy company offered him a full bursary to continue with his schooling at Gill College.

Not only does the bursary cover Solo’s school fees, but it also provides for a tutor to give him extra lessons, as well as taking care of his accommodation, subsistence funds, transport, school uniform, extramural activities and the assistance of a minder.

A delighted Solo says the bursary from EGP South Africa has helped change his life for the better. “My schoolwork has improved significantly, and so has my self-esteem. I recently won a merit award for outstanding academic performance and certificates of achievement for sports, good behaviour and cleanliness. I am at my happiest, thanks to Enel Green Power, and I intend to work hard and never take this opportunity for granted.” Another young learner and bursary recipient, Michelle Blignaut, who hails from Somerset East near EGP SA’s Nojoli Wind Farm, discovered her passion for healthcare when, straight after school, she had to become a caregiver to a close family relative who had been diagnosed with renal failure. She became curious about human anatomy and physiology and how diseases and illnesses develop, especially at that time when the Covid-19 pandemic hit South African shores in 2020.

Raised by a single parent with limited resources, Blignaut’s desire to work in healthcare seemed like a far-off dream. That changed when she was offered a bursary from EGP SA that covered tuition, accommodation, subsistence funds, transport, and the provision of a laptop. Today, she is a final-year student at Netcare Education, Eastern Cape Campus.

Blignaut believes that healthcare should be available to everyone in need, irrespective of their gender, age, cultural differences or race. Her pledge is to embrace diversity wherever she goes, whether in a hospital, on campus or in the community.

She says the provision of the bursary by EGP SA was a life-changing opportunity for her. “It removed a massive financial burden from my family and helped me to reach my career and personal goals. I will be forever grateful, and intend to work hard to achieve my goal of becoming a professional nurse.”

Solo and Blignaut are two of 35 young people to benefit from the company’s bursary programme, with many of them in tertiary education institutions and pursuing degrees in fields as varied as architecture, engineering, accounting and the sciences.

As one of the leading providers of renewable energy in the country, producing more than 1,2 GW of renewable energy and representing approximately 20% of the industry’s market share, Enel Green Power is committed to making a difference in the communities it operates in.

EGP SA Head of Sustainability, Lizeka Dlepu, says the business has initiated numerous enterprise development (ED) and socio-economic development (SED) programmes since it began operations in the country in 2011.

“In addition to the bursary programme, we have instituted various other education and skills development programmes, including an after-school programme that provides extra lessons, career development coaching, IT and Coding skills for young learners.”

Other SED programmes include the provision of free Wi-Fi in several communities, as well as the funding of IT hubs. In addition, nutrition programmes provide balanced diets for learners and educators, and the funding of sports fields and gyms ensure that pupils benefit from extramural activities.

Community health is also close to EGP SA’s heart and various healthcare initiatives have been initiated, including wellness centres and the provision of health care PPE during the pandemic.

Notably, ED programmes are aimed at helping small enterprises and startups to thrive and take their operations to the next level. Assistance from EGP SA can take the form of funding, training, skills development and/or the provision of equipment.

Dlepu says to date the company has invested R140.3 million across various ED and SED programmes. “This is made up of a total estimated ED spend of R35.1 million and estimated SED spend of R105.2 million.”

Not only does EGP SA have a pivotal role to play in achieving the African development goal of 100 GW installed power by 2030, it understands the importance of Creating Shared Value, and that having a vested interest in the communities it operates in is necessary to help to achieve this goal.

In addition to its SED and ED initiatives, it is committed to providing preferential procurement and job creation opportunities within the communities surrounding each of its 12 projects in South Africa.

Country Manager at EGP SA, Manuele Battisti, says the company’s investment in people is strongly aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and its own vision of changing lives.

“For us, sustainability not only applies to the renewable energy we provide, but to the people whose lives we are changing, the business owners we are empowering, the students we are upskilling, and the health we are restoring. We will continue to build strong relationships with our communities to ensure that we play a meaningful role on our journey towards a sustainable, decarbonized future for all."