Sixth-grade entrepreneurs donate solar-powered lanterns to children in Zambia

A group of sixth-grade entrepreneurs made and sold homemade lanterns to raise money to buy portable lights for children without power in Zambia.

The young changemakers from Evergreen Community Charter School in Asheville, North Carolina, were inspired by the solar lighting company Solight and its mission.

Solight, the brainchild of a local mom, makes portable solar lanterns that provide lighting to people with no access to electricity.

After learning about the company through their teacher, the students wanted to get involved by creating their own homemade lanterns-decorated mason jars with solar lights inside.

"It's nice to be able to help, even in some small way," one student said.

The students then sold these creations at school and in their community, raising hundreds of dollars for the Solight mission.

The money raised went towards purchasing collapsible solar puffs from Solight to gift to children in Zambia next month.

"I'm really grateful that I have the opportunity to do this project, and it makes me feel really touched that I can do something and it will affect something so positively in the future," another student said.

Over the years, creator and inventor Alice Min Soo Chun has donated thousands of lanterns to disaster victims.

Last year, as part of an effort championed by Disney CEO Bob Iger, she traveled to Ukraine to donate lanterns to children.

When meeting with the students, Chun left them with words of encouragement to continue their efforts, saying, "I hope you realize how powerful you are. Just as 6th graders, how amazing and powerful you really are. That you can change the world. You already are."