Merging books with renewable energy

Attending primary school in Standerton, Mpumalanga, surrounded by South Africa’s coal-fired power stations, Ntitiseng Moloi (31) was drawn to electrical engineering. 

But her passion for creating a cleaner, sustainable future and educating young minds has taken her in a different direction: renewable energy.

Moloi who is originally from Free State in a township called Thembalihle has merged her profession with her love of reading by writing a children’s book, Winnie Catches the Sun. 

The book introduces young readers to solar energy and other alternative energy sources. 

“The book is about a little girl, Winnie, who is learning about solar energy. Her first introduction to it was a solar lamp. I wanted to introduce the concept of alternative energy sources to younger readers. The story is set in the Northern Cape, as that is where we have a lot of our large-scale solar energy facilities,” she explained.

The transition to renewable energy means using alternative sources such as solar, wind and geothermal power to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 

Moloi now works as a Project Engineer in the renewable energy sector, contributing to the development, construction and operation of utility-scale renewable energy facilities.

Moloi emphasised that it was important to introduce the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) concept to young readers while also making it relatable to South African children by including actual towns.

“I figured that there aren’t many STEM children’s books that are rooted in our local context, and I wanted to provide that,” she said.

The young engineer holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical Engineering and a Master’s in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the University of Johannesburg.

In 2019, Moloi was chosen by the International Committee of South Africa to represent the country in the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Young Professionals Programme.

“The project was about increasing the participation of Africa in the Young Professionals Programme. At the time, only South Africa and Egypt were represented. As one of two Africans in the group, I could provide more reliable insights on the way forward. The project was a great success because we managed to set up national committees in Uganda, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire,” she concluded. 

To purchase Winnie Catches the Sun visit winniecatchesthesun.company.site/