From Grief to Light: The Yembering Solar Project

SOLAR POWER AT YEMBERING (MALI PREFECTURE, GUINEA)

In 2016, the health facility in Yembering, Mali Prefecture, Guinea, operated without electricity. Babies were born under flashlights and kerosene lamps. One night, a five-year-old girl named Fatimatou arrived for emergency care. The medical team, working in darkness, couldn’t provide the treatment she needed. Her parents rushed her to Conakry, hours away, but she didn’t survive. 

Her uncle, Abdoul Diallo, a Guinnovation board member living in the U.S., turned grief into action. He mobilized Guineans across the diaspora to electrify the health center in Fatimatou’s memory. With support from family members in the U.S., Canada, and Europe, and funding from Guinnovation, Abdoul returned to Yembering to lead the project. 

What We’ve Accoumplished  

Phase 1: Electrify 

Guinnovation installed 10 solar panels and supporting components to power: 

  • 24/7 lighting in all rooms and the surgery facility
  • Refrigeration for vaccines and medicines
  • Charging stations for laptops, a microscope, a sterilizer, and a printer

This phase restored dignity and safety to nighttime care, enabling emergency procedures and maternal health services without delay.  

Phase 2: Equip 

With electricity in place, the health center received: 

  • Medical equipment including a microscope, sterilizer, and printer
  • Furniture and supplies to support patient care
  • Training support for staff to use new tools effectively

This phase ensured that the infrastructure was not only powered — but prepared 

Phase 3: Educate 

Guinnovation supported local health educators to lead: 

  • Community workshops on hygiene, maternal care, and disease prevention
  • Outreach programs under mango trees and in village centers
  • Collaborations with diaspora volunteers to strengthen health literacy

This phase built sustainability — empowering the community to protect its own health. 

 

Legacy & Impact 

The Yembering solar project became a model of diaspora-led innovation, local ownership, and sustainable health access. It sparked a wave of community advocacy: residents successfully petitioned another NGO for medical supplies and committed to maintaining the new infrastructure. This completed project laid the foundation for Guinnovation’s broader health strategy. It proved that with collaboration and care, even the most remote communities can lead their own transformation.