On May 27–28, representatives of the SophiA project specializing in solar and cold chain technologies met in Rapperswil, Switzerland, with Dr. Bidjogo Atangana, Managing Director of the Ad Lucem Medical Foundation (Cameroon), Dr. Ina Colombo, Deputy Head and Coordinator of EU and international programmes at International Institute for Refrigeration (France).
The discussions focused on finalizing ongoing work at Ad Lucem Hospital in Edéa and exploring opportunities for collaboration beyond the current SophiA project, which concludes in September 2025.
The Ad Lucem Medical Foundation is a non-profit, public utility organization and the second-largest healthcare provider in Cameroon after the government. It operates over 40 healthcare facilities, primarily in rural and semi-urban areas, with a mission to deliver affordable healthcare to underserved populations.
Through support from the Cameroonian Ministry of Public Health, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between SophiA and Ad Lucem to implement SophiA technologies – solar-powered solution for drinking water, medical refrigeration, and institutional cooking at Edéa Hospital.
During the Rapperswil meeting, the partners reviewed project progress and discussed the potential to expand solar-based solutions to other Ad Lucem facilities. Many of these centers face severe energy shortages or lack electricity entirely, and access to safe drinking water remains a challenge in rural areas.
This visit marked a significant step in strengthening the partnership between SophiA and the Ad Lucem Foundation — with a shared commitment to improving healthcare infrastructure and services for the people of Cameroon.
SophiA solar experts continued the meeting on second day with a technical meeting about Malawi and Uganda where currently the SophiA technologies are being commissioned. The partners joining the meeting were: Heike Hoedt (Simply Solar, Germany), Jürgen Raach and Emrul Hasan (Raach Solar, Germany), Mihaela Dudita-Kauffeld, Andreas Reber and Lukas Omlin (SPF Institute for Solar Technologies, OST Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences).
SophiA is active in 3 of the most neglected crisis areas in the world (see below). Join us and support SophiA to extend to 4 more hospitals in Cameroon or in any of the other three SophiA countries (Burkina Faso, Malawi and Uganda).
Stay tuned for more news regarding the project on the official website !
