Our story

Light in the Darkness: The Journey of an Engineer from Bahuma

An Inspiring Story

Seeking the light, dreaming of lights.

I was born in the Cuban countryside, on a farm called Bahuma, on the outskirts of Güines. Surrounded by family love and raised with the wisdom of rural life, the first things I learned were respect for hard work — the only true source of wealth — the value of a given word as an unbreakable commitment, and waking up early with a cup of coffee, because as the saying goes, “God helps those who rise early.”

My grandparents and parents, all men of the land with tough character but noble souls, worked the fields with great sacrifice, planting, harvesting, and raising animals for both labor and food. I grew up happily, learning all the secrets of the countryside. But… when night came, all the light that had filled our days in that paradise of work and love would disappear. We had no electric power.

As I grew, my only aspiration was to study so I could use knowledge to improve our situation. That anguish of nights in darkness gave birth to an obsession with light. Not being able to use equipment for irrigation, wash clothes, or preserve food were the reasons that led me to study Electrical Engineering.

I studied hard, on scholarship for five years, since the university was in the capital, and eventually, I graduated. Finally, there was hope — a light on the path.

One day… the electric company brought power to the nearby town, but they didn’t include us in their work plan. So began our complaints and appeals in search of answers. They had gotten so close, and yet the only response we received was: “We don’t have the resources.” That was when I decided to take on the most important engineering project of my life: electrifying our farm.

The resources did exist — what was missing was the will to find them. I made countless efforts until I found good-hearted people willing to help, moved by the seriousness and commitment they saw in me. With the necessary approvals in place, I became the supervisor, coordinator, driver, lineman, and even the one installing the poles. There’s no need to imagine all the challenges I faced in that mission.

I can’t put into words what I felt the moment the light came on. Goodbye forever to the darkness of night, and welcome prosperity to our farm.

Today, I live in the United States and founded my own electrical services company, Bahuma E Group, LLC — there could be no other name. With every installation or service we provide, I still carry the dream that, for someone, “the light came on” because of our work — and that fills us with pride and satisfaction, because we love what we do.

President, Bahuma E Group, LLC
Yoesmy Oliva
Electrical Engineer