Spotlight
4 mins
Youth Innovator Spotlight: Amara from Senegal
Meet Amara, the 19-year-old who built Africa's first solar-powered CNC mill from recycled parts.
Amara Diop
built By
Dakar, Senegal
location
1 Solar CNC Mill
machines
1 (Solo Project)
team Size
August 2025
completed
From Scrapyard to Workshop
Amara Diop, a self-taught engineer from Dakar, saw a problem: local artisans couldn't afford precision tools. Using skills learned on SkillGrid and parts from a local scrapyard, she designed and built a fully functional, solar-powered CNC mill, revolutionizing her community's manufacturing capabilities.
Behind The Scenes
Project Timeline
SkillGrid Enrollment
Jan 2025
Blueprint Downloaded
Mar 2025
First Part Milled
July 2025
Community Demo
Aug 2025
"They told me it was impossible. But with a blueprint from Floodgate and a lot of determination, 'impossible' is just another engineering problem."