Guinea, because of its unique history, strong civic conscience and community spirit—and newly-established political stability, can be at the vanguard of sustainable development in Africa.
In a nation with minimal infrastructure and industrialization, we can see what can be accomplished at a grassroots level by distributing tools for self-sufficiency and creating systems for local food production and sanitation. |
EcoGuinea addresses extreme poverty in Guinea, West Africa, through building Sustainable Local Infrastructures and by distributing low-cost eco-solutions. Our mission is to promote low-cost eco-solutions that address basic needs (such as sewage, water, power, housing and food production and health prevention) and create local infrastructure for self-sufficiency.
There are countless durable, renewable, commonsense and scientifically demonstrated solutions that can be employed at very low cost to provide immediate relief to intractable problems and opportunities for skill-building and secure livelihoods. And they can also help to offset the effects of climate change. EcoGuinea team members (from many parts of Guinea) will be trained in several sustainable methods and spread their new knowledge and tools in neighborhoods and villages around Guinea, laying the groundwork for small business, livelihood opportunities and constantly-improving models and approaches to solving problems. People struggling to keep their children healthy in economies with bare-boned infrastructure cannot afford to wait for globalism to "trickle down". Sustainable solutions are available now and need to be more effectively distributed and implemented! |
Guinea is ripe for change and EcoGuinea has sparked a movement of hope with an ever-growing number of families interested in being a part of it. |
Our TeamEcoGuinea is a vibrant community of creative, resourceful Guineans—men and women of all ages, with a wide range of talents and skills, who are committed to lifting their families and their nation out of dire poverty.
Our base is a large volunteer group of dozens of families who participate in civic improvement, sanitation and health education programs, such as cleaning maternity hospitals and open-air markets to prevent cholera from pooled water. The EcoGuinea community continues to grow and inspire people who want to help uplift Guinea out of poverty. Our official NGO, EcoGuinea-AGET, includes Guinean members from several towns and villages who represent every religion, tribe, profession, occupation, age group, and ethnic background. We support gender equality and the empowerment of women. |
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Ebola Education and OutreachEcoGuinea members' track record of accomplishments demonstrates how courageous, resourceful and capable they are. With very small amounts of funds they have successfully organized complex endeavors.
For example, In December of 2014, at the height of the Ebola crisis, 40 of our volunteers trained with the Red Cross and went into the prefectures of Kindia and Forécariah to do intensive education in many villages. We reached over 1,000 people and received very positive attention from the press. |
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BackgroundEcoGuinea was born from a collaboration between long-term trusted friends in Guinea, West Africa, the US and Australia. It is endorsed by celebrated Guinean master kora player and World music star Ba Cissoko and other beloved public figures dedicated to improving life for all Guineans.
For many years, EcoGuinea's founders supported several small, practical projects in Guinea from their personal incomes. This inspired friends in Guinea to establish an official NGO called EcoGuinea-AGET (L’Association Guinéen de l’Environnement et du Tourism). In 2015, the EcoGuinea Foundation was incorporated as an official Australian charity. The Foundation's purpose is to support our NGO in Guinea by: raising funds for projects and ongoing operations; building a network of experts in sustainable methods to train members on site; and establishing strong connections and allies in the international development community. |
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Main ProjectsEcoGuinea-AGET will continue our small sustainable projects in the community. We are now raising funds to train our members to implement an integrated sanitation/water project called SOIL.
Our long-term plan is to establish an EcoCentre, an educational and enterprise hub, on land near Conakry, where we can develop prototype eco-solutions. Over time, our network of sustainable experts will train Guineans in ecological methods (such as sustainable farming, rainwater harvesting, compost toilets, renewable energy, solar cooking, green housing construction, etc.) Our members plan to implement these solutions in neighbourhoods around Guinea, continue to improve them, and establish small businesses to manufacture and distribute the best products and tools. |
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Our ApproachWe believe that problems need to be addressed on a systematic, multi-front level instead of a piecemeal approach. Solving only one problem at a time still leaves communities with severe risks that can undermine well-intentioned efforts. Distributing mosquito nets will decrease malaria, but the family may still suffer diarrhea from contaminated water, or respiratory illness from toxic cooking smoke and it goes on and on.
Fortunately, it is feasible to simultaneously implement several simple and low-cost solutions, so that real progress can be made toward creating healthy and functional communities. |