Lupita Nyong'o supports family friend's solar backpack initiative

Oscar winner Lupita Nyong'o has given a family friend a big business boost by helping her launch a new solar-powered backpack initiative.

The 12 Years a Slave actress was approached by the inventor during a trip home to Kenya and jumped at the chance to support such an innovative idea.

"She grew up next to kids who couldn't really afford much and she saw that they had trouble getting their homework done, because at night they didn't have electricity and so it meant that they couldn't get their homework done," Lupita told talk show host Ellen DeGeneres.

"She invented this backpack that has a solar panel, so that when they (kids) are taking the long walk to school it can charge, and then at night it has a LED lamp that it's attached to and they can use it to study."