Delhi University has not opened traditional colleges for 31 years, and there are about three applicants per seat

In the remote Ladakhi village of Ulethokpo, the nearest school was too far to attend. Until the age of nine, the boy's only teacher was his own parent—he learned to count on the ground and read in the dust long before entering a classroom. This boy is Sonam Wangchuk.

Education System Problems

When young Wangchuk was sent to study in Srinagar, he encountered an unfamiliar language and curriculum. He observed how capable children from Ladakh were labeled failures simply because the education system was not originally designed with their background in mind.

Identifying Real Issues

While studying engineering, Wangchuk conducted winter tutoring sessions to fund his education. It was there that he noticed that many students from Ladakh absorbed material well but struggled to express their thoughts in a foreign language. The problem lay not in their abilities, but in a system disconnected from their lives.

Return and Founding of SECMOL

After earning an engineering degree in 1988, Wangchuk decided to return to Ladakh instead of pursuing a traditional career. Along with a small group of friends, he founded SECMOL, aiming to restore a system that was subtly failing most students in the region.

Expanding Educational Reforms

In 1994, SECMOL joined forces with local communities and the government to launch the 'Operation New Hope' program. This initiative included teacher training, developing locally adapted educational materials, and involving village families in school management, thereby implementing educational reforms across Ladakh.

A New Approach to Learning

SECMOL accepted students who had failed their 10th-grade exams—those already written off by the mainstream system. Instead of reading textbooks, they learned by repairing solar heaters, growing food at high altitudes, and building their own mud dormitories. Students managed the school themselves, voting on rules and taking turns as cooks and administrators. The results were clear: over two decades, the percentage of successful exam passers in the region rose from about 5% to nearly 75%.

Solving the Water Problem

However, Wangchuk did not limit himself to education; he wanted to do more for India. In 2013, he introduced the Ice Stupa—a conical artificial glacier that collects meltwater in winter and releases it in spring when farmers need it most. This became a low-cost and practical answer to water scarcity caused by the retreat of Himalayan glaciers.

International Recognition

In 2018, he received the Ramon Magsaysay Award, often called the Asian Nobel Prize, for his community-based learning reforms in remote Ladakh. Although his profile grew, his priorities back home remained largely unchanged.

The Fuel-Free Institute

Wangchuk's next project was an even more ambitious institute that required no fossil fuels to operate. This became the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives, Ladakh (HIAL), designed to run exclusively on solar energy in one of India's harshest climates.

Architecture as Part of Teaching

Inside HIAL, classrooms remain warm thanks to passive solar design—ancient Ladakhi building techniques that do not rely on diesel heaters. Students studying climate change and sustainable development learn within a structure that embodies these principles in practice.

Ecological Protection of the Region

Wangchuk's work ultimately extended beyond education into the realm of protecting the fragile mountain ecosystem of Ladakh. He advocated for stronger measures against uncontrolled development, consistently arguing that understanding a place must always precede attempts to change it.

Philosophy of Innovation

From a boy taught by his mother at home to a reformer influencing the education and sustainable development of the entire region, Wangchuk's work reflects one constant idea: significant innovations usually arise from a deep understanding of place, rather than importing ready-made solutions from outside.

Overcoming Limitations

The village without a school shaped his early years; the fuel-free campus now reflects the essence of his life's work. Sonam Wangchuk's journey demonstrates how limitations such as distance, cold, and lack of resources can become the foundation for practical and long-term solutions.

Chwaita Momoza, a student at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), has been selected to represent South Africa at the Middle East, Pakistan and Africa Student Entrepreneurship Competition (MEPA). At this event, she will compete against some of the region's most promising young entrepreneurs.

Competition Details and Selection

The competition is scheduled to take place in Cape Town from July 27 to 28. It will bring together over twenty student entrepreneurs from the Middle East, Pakistan, and Africa who will compete for a spot in the global finals. Momoza passed three qualification rounds, including a university competition, a provincial stage, and the South African GSEA National Competition, to earn her place. She is one of two South Africans selected to participate in the MEPA event.

Business and Education

Momoza, an undergraduate student majoring in 'Computer Science and Information Technology', is co-owner of an online furniture store that she launched in July 2025 after identifying a gap in the South African online furniture market. The business was created to solve common customer problems such as unreliable delivery, inconsistent product quality, damaged goods, and poor after-sales service.

According to Momoza, the knowledge gained through her bachelor's degree has directly influenced the management and development of her company. She noted that studying data analysis, operational process improvement, digital platforms, and e-commerce helped her think strategically and create scalable systems.

Company Growth

Originally from Matatile in the Eastern Cape, Momoza oversees the company's strategy, branding, marketing, logistics, customer experience, and business development. Operating on a hybrid model combining local production, international sourcing, and e-commerce, the company currently employs seven staff members. Despite being only one year old, it has expanded its product range, opened its first warehouse complex, strengthened quality control processes, and achieved revenue exceeding 700,000 South African Rand.

Prospects and Support

Momoza believes that participating in the MEPA competition will provide an opportunity to test her business on the international stage and learn from experienced entrepreneurs. She expressed hope that this experience will accelerate the company's growth and open doors to long-term entrepreneurial networks. UKZN Director of Corporate Relations, Dr. Norma Zondo, congratulated Momoza on her achievement, stating that the university is proud that one of its students is representing South Africa internationally. Zondo emphasized that Chwaita's journey reflects the creativity, resilience, and entrepreneurial spirit that the university strives to foster in its students.

Despite the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport (DoT) allocating 364 million rand to the student transport program, the department stated that this amount is insufficient.

Program Financial Needs

Siboniso Duma, Minister of Transport and Human Settlements, presented his department's budget report for the 2026/27 financial year to the KZN Legislature on Thursday. The total DoT budget is approximately 13.94 billion rand, of which 9.2 billion is designated for transport infrastructure.

The department specified that the student transport program requires an estimated budget of 551 million rand. Currently, the DoT facilitates the transport of 433 students in KZN, with the total number of schoolchildren transported to and from the area reaching 77,369 people.

Waiting List and Deficit

Duma noted that 1,138 schools are on a waiting list and are not benefiting from the program. The total number of students on this list is 157,538, and the budget required to serve these students is estimated at 1.6 billion rand. DoT forecasts a budget deficit of 187 million rand for the current financial year.

Transport Safety Warning

Meanwhile, on Friday, the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) issued a warning to school transport operators. The warning concerned the necessity of ensuring vehicle roadworthiness, possessing licenses, and having drivers who hold appropriate qualifications and physical fitness to drive.

RTMC issued this warning ahead of the resumption of classes on Tuesday. Simon Zwane, RTMC spokesperson, urged all road users, including school transport operators, parents, guardians, educators, and law enforcement agencies, to prioritize student safety as schools reopen across the country.

Zwane emphasized that the resumption of classes leads to a significant increase in peak hour traffic, as thousands of students depend on school transport services for safe travel between home and school. He stated that this places a collective responsibility on every road user—to exercise caution and adhere to traffic laws to protect children's lives.

RTMC strongly recommended that operators conduct daily vehicle checks, monitor seatbelt integrity, avoid overloading, and strictly observe speed limits and all other traffic regulations. The Corporation warned that law enforcement officers would intensify monitoring and operations to ensure compliance with traffic legislation, paying special attention to school transport. Operators found transporting students in faulty vehicles, overloading, or committing other violations will face the full consequences of the law.