A Sudanese young man, Muhammad Samir, was able to turn his master’s degree project from the University of Catholica Dicatro, an Italian university, into a tangible reality by manufacturing the first environmentally friendly Raksha Toktok and motorcycle in Sudan.
The young man launched the new product after establishing the Al-Shehab Factory for electric bicycles in Bahri, also known as “The Sudanese Tesla,” to transform the Toktok and motorcycle from gasoline into environmentally friendly products that operate using electricity and solar energy.
Samir’s idea in ‘the country of the two Niles’ is to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and greenhouse gases that the motors and cars push into the atmosphere every year through their exhausts, and the young man also aims to save expenses for the drivers.
“In fact, the idea started from the suffering of one of my relatives, who in 2016 bought a gasoline Toktok to transfer goods in order to increase his income, but because of the increasing costs of operating such as fuel, oils, and maintenance, after less than 6 months, his Toktok needed a new machine. So instead of making extra income, his new Toktok became a burden,” said Mohamed Samir, CEO and founder of Alshihab Factory. His goal is to fight poverty by providing affordable options for low-income families, while also preserving the environment.
Mudathir Rahmatallah, Human Resources Manager of the factory believes that by fighting poverty, they achieve sustainable development goals.
“Of course, we are achieving three sustainable development goals, by fighting poverty, because all of our products are for productive families and poor families, and we are also preserving the environment from carbon dioxide emissions,” said Mudathir Rahmatallah.
The factory is divided into three departments: welding, where raw materials are shaped and assembled; the color department, where the finished product is painted; and the assembly department, where wheels, batteries, and solar panels are added.
According to Mudathir Rahmatallah, the addition of solar energy increases the distance that can be traveled on a single charge. “Our new addition for the tuk-tuk is solar energy. This solar energy increases the traveled distance for you. For example, the Toktok traveled distance -by one charge- is 120 kilometers, it becomes 145, and so does for the motorcycle.”
Samir, on the other hand, believes that with the world moving towards reducing emissions and pollution, it’s important for Sudan to catch up and that with Sudanese ingenuity and hard work, anything is possible.