Our plan in Guinea

Plan is working at the grassroots level in Guinea to help communities make real and lasting change, so that their children have the opportunity to reach their full potential. Sponsor a child in Guinea.

Plan began working in Guinea in 1989 with focus groups, advisory councils, partner agencies, groups of children and youth and service providers.  Plan Guinea’s programs aim to address the following issues affecting children:

• Child and adult health issues relating to nutrition, sanitation, HIV and AIDS and immunisation
• Poor child attendance at school
• Child involvement and participation
• Lack of community involvement and organisational development
• Poor governance, lack of decentralisation, a weak civil society and a climate of violence following years of fighting between Guinea and the neighbouring countries has lead to widespread poverty
  

Plan’s programs and strategies to address these issues include:

Health

Guinea has some of the world’s worst health statistics, with over half of the population without access to health services and the remaining services of a poor quality.  Plan Guinea assists in the area of child immunisation, primary health care, clean water and sanitation access to all families and HIV and AIDS awareness programs.

Education

Approximately half of Guinea’s school-aged children attend school and an estimated 75% of the population is illiterate.  Plan Guinea assists increasing access to primary and secondary schooling, particular for female and rural students, and helps community capacity-building to provide educational services.

Child participation and protection

The level of child participation in decision-making processes and promotion of child rights in Guinea is another focus of Plan Guinea’s programs.  Plan assists increasing community knowledge and skills of promotion and recognition of child rights and encouraging child participation in self-identification of problems and working towards solutions.

Governance and civil society development

The underlying problem for all of the issues Plan Guinea is involved with is widespread poverty.  Plan addresses poverty through each of its community development programs in the area of health, education, child participation and governance.  Civil society bodies in Guinea can assist addressing the issues facing the people of Guinea, however, existing bodies are young, underdeveloped and under-resources.  Plan Guinea promotes transparency and accountability in local governments and looks to strengthen the capabilities of local government, service providers, community-based organisations and marginalised community groups. 

Country Facts

Country	Guinea	Australia
Flag
Population	9.2 Million	21 Million
Language	French	English
Capital	Conakry	Canberra
GDP per capita (USD/year)	421	$37,300
Life expectancy	53.9	81.5
Access to safe drinking water	50%	100%
Literacy	29.5%	100%
Source:	United Nations: Millennium Development Goals Report 2006