France, June 8 -- As dusk settles over a high school in central Kenya, the hum of an electric motor powered by a discarded laptop battery signals a quiet revolution - led by physics teacher and inventor Paul Waweru.

"Most people throw these away," he says, holding up a palm-sized lithium-ion cell. "I see power, potential, possibility."

Wawerusources old laptop battery packs, tests their viability and then crafts new packs from them, which are then fitted as power sources for motorbikes.

These bikes can travel up to 50 kilometers on one charge, providing a cleaner, quieter and cheaper alternative to petrol-powered boda-bodas - Kenya's famous motorcycle taxis.From trash to transport

Waweru scours junkyards, repair shops and electronic w...