As part of IWA’s mission to empower Young Water Professionals to contribute to sustainable water management, a new IWA Young Water Professionals (IWA YWP) chapter was officially established in Mali in June 2025. This IWA YWP chapter will be the country’s go-to network, boosting connections for YWPs and a platform to support equal opportunities and quality career development. As a voluntary network, the Mali chapter is open to all water professionals aged 35 or below who are enthusiastic, dedicated, and passionate about water-related issues. Here, Aboubacar Diallo, Chair of YWP Mali, presents some key points about the chapter.
Q: What was the motivation for setting up an IWA YWP Chapter in Mali?
The establishment of the IWA Young Water Professionals (YWP) Mali Chapter is a strong signal for our generation, ready to reinvent access to water in a country in crisis by empowering youth. The new chapter will connect YWPs and open up concrete opportunities by boosting our careers in the WASH sector.
Q: How will the chapter contribute to the empowerment of YWPs to contribute to the national water agenda of Mali?
YWPs are working in every WASH organisation in the country. Therefore, they can be the go-between to enable WASH organisations to engage towards a shared vision. This connection between generations will create a sustainable collaboration towards the continuous improvement of WASH services/activities.
The IWA-YWP Mali Chapter will empower YWPs to contribute to the development of a local agenda throughout a paradigm shift based on three goals:
• Networking: Foster a strong community of YWPs from all WASH horizons who will become the future leaders of the water sector
• Capacity building: Provide YWPs with training and opportunities that will allow professional development
• Lobbying: Position the chapter as a local influencer to lobby in water sector discussions by engaging in national dialogues, partnerships, and collaborative research
Q: What are your aims and objectives for your chapter, and what activities do you plan to do?
With an average population age of 21.4, Mali is full of dynamic, largely untapped talent. The IWA YWP Mali Chapter aims to increase the involvement of young (women and men) people in the struggle to achieve the goals for the water sector (SDG 6). This includes engaging in research, policy development, and public awareness campaigns. Thus, local communities can also have support from international partners in line with the global agenda (Climate change, digitalisation, innovation, etc.)
Planned activities include introducing the new chapter to as many local WASH organisations as possible, delivering capacity-building and mentorship programmes, and organising both local and international learning exchange events.
Together, we’ll build a Mali where every drop counts, every talent is expressed, and every citizen has access to their fundamental rights.
Meet the founding committee of the IWA YWP Mali Chapter
Aboubacar Diallo, Chair in the YWP Chapter, Project Manager Expert WASH- BORDA Mali
He graduated from the French engineering school INSA Toulouse in 2012 as a Process Engineer. After 2 years’ experience in Paris in the Oil & Gas sector, his passion for Africa makes him come back to Mali. He has almost ten years of experience at the Malian drinking water utility (SOMAGEP-SA) in various positions: water quality specialist and non-revenue water engineer. Besides this, he designed and implemented several projects:
1. GeoWaQu : Water Quality mapping in 14 cities
2. WaterWorX: WOP within SDGs between SOMAGEP-SA and Waternet (Amsterdam)
Currently Project Manager Expert WASH at BORDA Mali (Deutsche sanitation NGO) where he is developing and implementing sanitation projects.
Hadi Toure Guindo, Vice-Chair of the YWP Chapter, Co-founder and President of AFR’EAU
Hadi Touré Guindo is a Malian environmental engineer and youth advocate who was recently appointed Co-Chair of the International Water Association (IWA) Young Water Professionals (YWP) Chapter Mali. With a master’s degree in environmental engineering from the University of Central Florida, she is recognised for her leadership in mobilising young people across the Sahel and beyond to shape equitable, inclusive water futures.
Hadi has dedicated her career to empowering youth to become meaningful actors in the water and sanitation sector. From leading intergenerational dialogues to training young professionals on citizen science and policy engagement, she believes that young voices are transformative and essential to solving global water challenges. Through Dji Mansa, a youth-led initiative in Mali and Niger, she has championed approaches that combine scientific methods with traditional knowledge to build community resilience along the Niger River.
As Co-Chair of IWA YWP Mali Chapter, she now supports young professionals globally through mentorship, technical exchange, and leadership development. She is particularly focused on strengthening gender equity, local representation, and youth-led innovation in global water governance.
Hadi has represented youth at high-level international events, including the UN 2023 Water Conference and the UNESCO 1st Water Youth Dialogue (June 2025), where she advocated for stronger youth integration in water diplomacy and decision-making processes. Her role as a Youth Advisor to the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs further reflects her commitment to bridging grassroots realities with institutional change.
Whether mentoring young professionals, designing workshops, or facilitating cross-border collaboration, Hadi brings empathy, experience, and conviction to every initiative. Her vision is clear: water security cannot be achieved without investing in the knowledge, leadership, and creativity of young people.
Sanata Thera, Secretary of the YWP Chapter, Hydro-informatician and WASH Expert, IRCWASH/AFR’EAU
Sanata Thera holds a double bachelor’s degree in civil and environmental engineering from Anadolu University in Turkey. She began her career in civil construction before joining the Young Expert Programme (YEP) of the Netherlands Water Partnership, where she supported rural WASH systems strengthening with IRC WASH. Her role included managing communications and facilitating training through the WASH Systems Academy.
Sanata later earned an MSc in Water and Sustainable Development from IHE Delft, specialising in Hydroinformatics and Digital Innovation. Her research focused on the use of remote sensing data for water management within the Office du Niger, and she gained foundational knowledge in applying AI to water systems.
She is a core member of the AFR’EAU team and leads communications for the DJI MANSA project, promoting citizen science and local water knowledge in Mali and Niger.
Sanata speaks French, English, Turkish, and Bambara, and brings a strong intercultural perspective to her work. She is passionate about inclusive water governance, climate resilience, and the use of digital tools for sustainable water resources management.
If you have questions regarding the IWA YWP Community, please contact Isabela Espindola, IWA Membership Engagement Senior Officer.
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