Initially a self-taught engineer, Emmanuel Alie Mansaray has gained global admiration and recognition for his innovative, clean, recycled solar-powered “Imagination Car “. Built from ‘trash’ – it’s the first of its kind. As Founder and CEO of Imagination Vision Technology, 26-year-old Emmanuel is dedicated to bringing eco-friendly energy to Sierra Leone and Africa, thus solving the energy problem through innovation.
Community-focused, Emmanuel also developed an environmentally clean, solar-powered tricycle for people with disabilities. He made a prototype rechargeable portable solar-powered light for school pupils living in homes without electricity.
Emmanuel recognises that young people have a critical role in sustainable, future-smart development while aiming to inspire other young, talented innovators from his country to achieve their potential by responding to local challenges.
GoFundMe Imagination Solar Car
100% Thrive interview
100% Thrive: Please could you tell us briefly about your background.
Emmanuel Alie Mansaray: My name is Emmanuel Alie Mansaray, I am a Sierra Leonean by nationality, a self-taught engineer, Geologist, researcher and a renewable energy enthusiast. Currently residing in the capital Freetown. I’m a graduate of Fourah Bay College University of Sierra Leone with a Bachelor’s degree in Geology, a Certificate in Introduction to Bioinformatic and Machine Learning, Certificate in Physical Computing with the Raspberry Pie. I am the founder and CEO of Imagination Vision Technology with six years of working experience.
As a self-taught engineer, how did you first go about learning about engineering?
When I was 10 years of age, one of our close neighbours lost their life as a result of poisonous fumes from their generator. It was a really frustrating and painful event I witnessed as a child. After graduating from High School, I then decided to take the venture to bring change to my communities, by building renewable technology to solve mankind’s pressing problems and save the environment from climate change.
You have a great passion for the environment and also for solving social problems in your community. Can you tell us about your solar-powered ‘Imagination Car’ and how you came to build it?
I am passionate about solving pressing problems in my community, by creating eco-friendly technology. In the year 2014, I built a radio transmitter which was used to sensitise people in my community during the Ebola pandemic in Sierra Leone. Early 2018, I built a fuel-free generator for school and the community, that does not use any fossil fuel and is free of pollution. Late 2018, I also designed a solar-powered tricycle for people living with disabilities. In 2020, I built the world’s first solar-powered car from trash material, which will help to minimise the risk of contracting communication and respiratory disease from the inhalation of hazardous fumes from fossil fuel vehicles.
Late 2021 I designed a prosthetic leg using local materials for the amputees that have a single leg. Before they were dependent on their relatives to carry them along, but after I designed the leg they became independent and lived a normal life. I was able to produce 50 prosthetic legs to donate to the amputees in my community. In 2014 I won the Science Fair competition for the eco-friendly mini generator I designed to help solve electricity problems in my community.
What developments have happened since you got global attention for your solar-powered car?
In 2013, I was awarded an Excellence Performance in Physics for the highest grade point with the best performance ever. In 2017, I was also awarded the winner of the Yulisa Amadu Maddy Award in Creative Writing. In 2020 I was awarded the Regional Winner Western Area UNDP Social Good Summit Innovation Competition for the eco-friendly generator I designed to help solve electricity problems in my school and community. In 2021 I was awarded the Runners-Up UNDP Social Good Summit Innovation Competition. In September 2022 I was invited by the UNDP to attend the world premiere documentary launch in New York where I was a guest speaker and also a key protagonist of the For Tomorrow: The Documentary 2030.
In October 2022, I was selected by the government of Sierra Leone and the UNDP to represent Sierra Leone at the Youth Connect summit in Kigali Rwanda. In October 2023, I was selected by the Young Africa Leaders Initiative to represent Sierra Leone at the Climate Tech Innovators and Leaders Programme in Accra Ghana. In 2018, I was selected to be the class representative for the Geology department, at Fourah Bay College University of Sierra Leone, where my responsibilities are to run the affairs between lecturers and students, representing them in and out of the university.
During my free time, I like reading books, doing research, designing projects and energy development. In 2014 I joined the Science Resource Africa as a volunteer where my duties involved working with secondary schools in Freetown to improve the science faculty and impart knowledge to the students. I organise a Science Fair competition yearly for all secondary schools in Sierra Leone. I also do outreach to talk about career pathways.
What are you working on currently?
For more than 10 years now I have been actively working on renewable energy. My goal is to save the earth. Both my solar-powered vehicle, tricycle and eco-generator do not use any fossil fuels and is free from pollution. In this light, fossil fuels contribute to destroying the environment. It directly contributes to low land, air, and water quality. Investing in solar energy and other renewable energy sources fulfils the energy goals and protects the environment. It lowers emissions of greenhouse gases without affecting the growth of a country.
My solar-powered vehicle, tricycle and eco generator is in alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 7 which talks about ensuring access to clean and affordable energy, which is key to the development of agriculture, business, communications, education, healthcare and transportation. The lack of access to energy hinders economic and human development.
What kind of support would be most useful to you in fulfilling your ambitions and projects?
I have created a GoFundMe account to raise some funds to build more eco-friendly technologies, but progress is slow. I would greatly appreciate it if you can share my GoFundMe account with your audience. I have already done ground-breaking prototypes that work remarkably well in the area of energy and automobiles. I want this fund to start an energy project that will scale first at the regional level and later transcend to the national and then to the whole of Africa. I practically survived my high school studies studying under street lights at night by the highway and just too many teenagers have fallen victims of early pregnancy from the quest of looking for electricity to sustain their night studies, so together with your fund we will be solving more than just energy problems.
Also, I wanted to further my education for a Master’s Degree, I am currently seeking a scholarship, so I can improve myself and expand my knowledge.
What changes would you like to see in Sierra Leone to help other young people fulfil their talent and create a better future for all?
I want to see a better Sierra Leone for all of us, where we can start creating our own eco-friendly technologies, and create a brighter future for the young generation.
Go Fund Me Imagination Solar Car GoFundMe Imagination Solar Car
Emmanuel Alie Mansaray
Reason of Fund:
To bring clean non-fossil energy to Sierra Leone and Africa thus solving the problem of energy through innovation. I have already done ground-breaking prototypes that work remarkably fine in the area of energy and automobiles. I want this fund to start an energy project that will scale first at the regional level and later transcend to the national and then to the whole of Africa. I practically survived my high school studies studying under street lights at night by the highway and just too many teenagers have fallen victim of early pregnancy from the quest of looking for electricity to sustain their night studies so together with your fund we will be solving more than just energy problems.
