Amadou's childhood
Amadou Yombo Diallo was born in Misside, a small region in the prefecture of Télimélé, Guinea. His father passed away when he was 3 years old, and although he had older siblings on his father’s side of the family, he grew up with his mother and was the oldest sibling in the household. This gave Amadou a lot of responsibilities, and he never had free time. He was one of the lucky ones who were able to attend primary and secondary school, graduating with a diploma. Everyday, when school was over, Amadou had to do several chores his mother asked him to do on top of his homework, such as cutting wood, getting water to cook or going shopping. As the eldest, he was responsible for his siblings.
Discovering Europe
Amadou has always dreamt of getting a medical degree and becoming a doctor, but his network did not allow him to attend medical school. Instead, he studied agriculture until he was offered a scholarship to go study in Bulgaria because of his outstanding academic achievements. This experience changed his life as he “discovered economic, social, intellectual, and physical boundaries that cannot be found in any book or heard from any professor.”
What triggered this project?
By this time, Amadou had seen the striking differences between Guinee and Bulgaria, and had gained enough knowledge to realize the under-developed conditions he had grown up in, being brought up in such a large family with so little means. He realized how the corrupted government and the socioeconomic situation of Guinea affected children’s education drastically. He realized that there were other parts of the world were women’s voices were heard, where they were able and authorized to choose for themselves.
Mission of the project
Having had the opportunity to get a scholarship and obtain an education he deserved but couldn’t afford, Amadou was now going to make use of his experience to give a chance to women in Télimelé. He decided to start this project with the goals of improving the living conditions in Misside, giving children access to good quality yet cheap education and empowering women. “We believe in the fulfillment of women, their independence, their freedom and their strength to fight against harming traditions, such as genital mutilation”. On top of that, he wants to make sure that the medical schools have the necessary supplies for proficient learning and qualified doctors and nurses.
