Imagine a country where only 23 percent of the population has access to sanitation; where 92 children out of 1000 die in their first year due to mostly preventable diseases; a country that has the highest number of malaria cases out of nearly 100 nations surveyed. This country is Guinea.

About Guinea

The Republic of Guinea is located on the Atlantic Coast of West Africa and borders Senegal, Mali, Cote D’ivoire, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea Bissau.

The country has a population of about 10 million and a land area of 245,860 square km, which is slightly smaller than Oregon. In the past decade, warfare in nearby countries has forced more than 1 million refugees to flee to Guinea.

Guinea-ConakryIn 1958, Guinea became the first French colony in Africa to opt out of French rule and has suffered economic and technological underdevelopment since. Despite the abundance of natural resources and arable land, Guinea has repeatedly made the top ten list of the most underdeveloped countries in the world, due largely to its low literacy rate and short life expectancy. Guinea is listed in the “Low Human Development” tier as 178 out of 187 in the listing of the UN Human Development Index (HDI) Rankings based on income, health care, life expectancy and educational levels. Adult literacy level is 39.5% of people over the age of 15. Most Guineans are subsistence agriculturalists, and the Gross Domestic Product is about $500 per year. Over 43% of the population lives below the international poverty line and the cost of living is extremely high. In fact, Conakry, Guinea’s capital is ranked 213 out of 780 most expensive cities in which to live. The cost of communication, education, furniture, appliances, groceries and transportation is very high. Healthcare costs are average for most developed countries, effectively putting it out of reach for most Guineans, who earn an average of $1.42 per day.

Source: The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and The World Bank

Why Help Guinea?

AFG helping GuineaAFG has worked to make life better for Guineans and continues to assess the needs of the people in rural locations.

We are very thankful for our supporters’ generosity. However, while we have made a difference in many lives, we must continue our work because there is much more to do. Your continued support will play a vital role in helping to keep children and adults from suffering and dying from preventable diseases.

Together, we can continue to provide people with clean water and basic health care so that those who have lived for so long in utter poverty can live a better life.

Please consider helping with a Donation

  • AFG has shown an interest in helping us. We established a partnership with AFG in July 2010 when we met the health program director, Mrs. Bebe Sylla. We look forward to AFG continuing to help our children live a better life. — M. Fadiga, President of the Association of Mothers and Children Affected by Hydrocephalus

  • AFG needs your help! We depend on contributions from foundations, companies and individuals to continue our work in Guinea.

    Our primary goal is to assist hospitals and health centers in Guinea who care for the welfare of the Guinean population. We do this by providing medical aid, improving and upgrading existing infrastructure in health facilities and implementing disease prevention and treatment programs.

    We also aim to improve the overall quality of life of the population by supporting and promoting economic growth and technical development.

    You can make a difference!