Where we work

CECI was one of the first international NGOs to a sign a memorandum of understanding with the Guinean authorities (1984).

From the opening of our Conakry liaison office the following year, CECI has placed an emphasis on the formal education sector. Volunteers are assigned as teachers, trainers, or pedagogical consultants in schools, colleges, continuing education centres, the National Literacy Service, and so on.

From 1988 on, CECI’s work in Guinea has revolved around five spheres of involvement:

• a rural development program;
• a capacity building strategy for national civil society organizations;
• a democracy and human rights promotion program;
• decentralization, governance and local development;
• humanitarian aid.

Programming since 2008 has largely focused on rural development via the Uniterra program.

Context

Despite having huge development potential, Guinea is ranked among the world’s poorest countries. The following are the main socioeconomic indicators for the country:

• the annual rate of economic growth is 2.3%; demographic growth is 2.8%;
• in the 2009 UN Human Development Report, Guinea is ranked 170^th out of 182 countries;
• nearly half the population (49.2%) lives under the poverty line; i.e., they live on less than US $200 a year;
• the rate of GDP growth declined from 2.7% in 2004 to 2.2% in 2006;
• the inflation rate rose from 27.6% in 2004 to 39.1% in 2006;
• the AIDS prevalence rate declined from 2.8% in 2002 to 1.5% in 2005, and probably went under 1% in 2009 (source: Government of Guinea Poverty Reduction Strategy).

In social and political terms, the country has been wracked by violent crises in the last decade that have left hundreds dead and provoked major political upheavals.

Since 23 December 2008, Guinea has been governed by a military junta, with no date set as yet for new elections and a return to the constitutional order.

These crises culminated in the woeful events of 28 September 2009 that plunged the country into a state of uncertainty.

In economic terms, the country enjoys an enormous potential for agricultural development, with its four-to-seven-month dry season and five-to-eight-month rainy season. However, the structure of the Guinean economy is essentially defined by three key sectors that account for much of the GDP:

• the rural sector (agriculture, livestock, fishing): 18% of GDP;
• mining: 16% of GDP;
• trade: 27% of GDP.

Challenges

Guinea’s challenge is to develop its enormous economic potential in order to allow its population to escape from extreme poverty. In this effort, the country must see to the establishment of genuine democratic governance so that it can develop the key sectors of its economy. Among these sectors, agriculture and mining could be the pivotal drivers of development.

Guinea has enacted laws and regulations conducive to democracy, good governance, and human rights. The challenge is to ensure their effective enforcement.