Throughout the 1990's the UNDP Human Development Index has ranked Guinea amongst the 15 poorest countries in the world.

Infant, child and maternal mortality rates are among the world's highest. Even so, the population continues to grow. Of the nation's 6.8 million people, 4.1m have no access to health services, 3m do not have safe water, and 3.5m lack adequate sanitation. The major health problems are infectious and parasitic diseases compounded by poor nutrition status. Access to health services is limited and services are of very poor quality. The rate of HIV infection for the population as a whole remains relatively low at approximately 1%, but the rate of STD transmission cases have increased exponentially in the last decade.

The latent demand for education is enormous: 56 percent of the population is under 18 years of age. Despite large gains in the 1990's almost 50 percent of school age children never attend a formal school. The rural rate of primary school enrollment is half that of the urban area, and the enrollment rate for boys is almost twice that of girls. Adult literacy rates are accordingly low: 25 percent of men and only 6 percent of women can read and write in their native language or in French or Arabic.

Material poverty is the overriding preoccupation of most Guinean families. Guinea is blessed with fertile soils and abundant rainfall; this rich natural endowment has the potential to improve economic well-being. However, with 80 percent of the population living in rural areas and with agriculture accounting for only 17 percent of GDP in 1995, Guinea is far from reaching this potential. The influx of almost one million refugees from neighboring countries (Sierra Leone, Liberia), over the last 10 years, has resulted in considerable destruction of the natural resources capital of the affected areas, and squatter settlements in the urban area. Economic liberalization is evidenced by a recent increase in petty trade and small workshops. Still, urban un/under-employment remains a huge problem -- many family-dependants rely on few income-earners. The overall economy remains sluggish based on the export of bauxite, gold, and coffee, and the import of petroleum, some cement, and foodstuffs (rice, flour, and sugar).

Most visiting FPs to Guinea have been struck more by the cultural, traditional and spiritual wealth of the people than the underlying material poverty. Most Guinean children are born into self-confident communities, a vibrant story and music heritage and throughout their lives retain a strong sense of place. The major ethnic groups in Guinea are Fula, Malinke, Susu and the various Forest groups (Kissi, Guerze, and Toma). The barriers to girl's education are highest amongst those groups who expect a high bride price for their daughters and amongst whom early marriage is a tradition. All ethnic groups nurture orphans, twins and disabled children, all expect children to make an economic contribution to the family from an early age. All have different food taboos and weaning practices that may affect their children's health. All make arrangements to educate their children in the customary obligations and traditional trades and many see formal education as irrelevant to the lives for which they are preparing their children, male or female. At village level there is a tradition of governance of local resources by consensus and collective activities, otherwise civil society is underdeveloped - with few, incipient community-based organizations, associations, federations and NGOs.

The situation is partially explained by the customary indisposition towards children's rights, gender equity, democratic process, and individual rather than collective initiatives - and by the legacy of the authoritarian regime of the country's first president, Sekou Touré. Under his regime, civil society and the private sector were suppressed; the once prosperous agricultural sector was devastated, the legal systems deteriorated. State central planning left the economy in shambles. The Second Republic has undertaken a program of political and economic reforms with some successes. The process advances – an important step in the late 1990s has been the decentralization of political authority from national-level appointees to elected local administrations.

Guinea as a whole has often been seen as an 'island of stability' in the sub-region, given recent conflicts in the neighboring republics of Liberia and Sierra Leone (and to a lesser extent Guinea-Bissau and Cote d'Ivoire). These conflicts are, to a large extent, still unresolved and form an uncertain backdrop to the implementation of Plan's program in the Forest Region.

ISSUE #1 Affecting Guinean Children: POOR BASIC HEALTH

Guinea suffers one of the world's highest rates of under-5 child mortality: 201 per 1000 live births in 1999. The major child killers are malaria, diarrhea, respiratory infection, and immunopreventable diseases all compounded by malnutrition. Recent statistics from PlanGuinea's program area showed that in the height of the 1999 rainy season:

· 60% of children under-5 had suffered fever (associated with malaria) within the last 15 days;

· 28% of children under-5 had suffered diarrhea within the last 15 days,

· 18% of children under-5 (and 29% in rural areas) were seriously malnourished.

Factors contributing substantially to child morbi-mortality in Guinea include:

· High fertility rate: although the Sept 99 CPME survey showed that average child spacing in PlanGuinea program areas is almost 36 months, too many children are born into families that cannot provide for their needs. Recent statistics show that the already high rate of fertility (6.8) may actually be increasing

· Poor prenatal health: 13% of all babies are born with a low birth weight - as a result of poor maternal health. Guinea's maternal mortality rate is among the world's highest (16/1000).

· Insalubrious environment: Recent statistics from PlanGuinea's program area show that:

- 56% of households do not have access to potable water ;

- 95% of households do not practice sanitary disposal of garbage;

- 86% of households do not practice sanitary disposal of human waste.

· Increasing risk from HIV/AIDS: The overall rate of HIV/AIDS infection remains low (1.5%), but the rate of STD infection has risen over the past eight years. PlanGuinea's program area is particularly susceptible because of the massive influx of refugees, and related prostitution, and because Gueckedou is a major marketplace, with accompanying transients.

A causal analysis of child morbi-mortality finds:

(a) Deficient public demand for health and sanitation information, goods and services resulting from:

· Low family disposable income – inhibiting payment for health goods and services, for adequate nutrition and for investment in environmental sanitation.

· Ineffective attitudes and customs – resulting from lack of access to information about the links between illness and environment and about effective health behavior.

(b) Deficient supply'

· Deficient health services, information, and goods - in terms of access and quality --resulting from deficient health-related infrastructure: too few, inaccessible, poorly trained, poorly equipped health personnel and service centers.

· Deficient local government services: resulting in inadequate water, waste disposal, and shelter.

ISSUE #2 facing Guinean Children: POOR BASIC EDUCATION

Too many Guinean youngsters, particularly girls and rural youth, do not receive a basic education in literacy, numeracy, and life skills. This is exacerbated by the huge latent demand for education: more than 50 percent of Guinea's 6.8 million populations is under 15 years of age. National Ministry of Education statistics show that:

- The gross primary school enrollment rate in 1998/9 was 53.5%;

- The primary school enrollment rate in 1998-9 for girls was half that of boys (39.94%/ 67.6%)

- At least 1 pupil in 4 (26.2%) had to repeat the previous year of primary education.

- The literacy rate for young people aged 20-24 year is 26.3%;

- The literacy rate for young women aged 20-24 years is less than half that of young men (15%/40%)

The principle barriers to education are (a) cost, (b) education system deficiencies, and (c) socio-cultural impediments.

(a) Costs are direct and indirect (opportunity); they are relative to family income and the perceived benefit of education:

· Direct costs include subscriptions, expenses for books and supplies, transport, and room and board:

- School books and supplies are expensive; due to government procurement policies they are often unavailable either for individual purchase or rent though book banks;

- School uniforms are legally required even in rural primary schools although not all district authorities enforce this rule:

- Schools are few and far between, in the rural area, implying costly and time consuming travel and preventing younger children especially girls from starting their education:

- The lack of rural roads and bridges inhibits even short-distance travel during the long rainy season.

- Secondary schools are limited to urban centers: rural youth must relocate and incur the direct costs of room and board.

· Indirect costs include work not done at home while participating in educational activities. Youngsters - particularly girls - are obliged to care for siblings, cook, clean, carry water and firewood, tend crops and farm animals, mind the store/market stall, and to otherwise earn income through labor.

· Families lack disposable income to invest in education. Twenty-five percent of Guinea's households and a higher percentage of Plan families live in 'absolute poverty'. State subsidies do not make up this deficit despite long term efforts from major donors.

(b) There are numerous deficiencies in the formal education system:

· Almost no provision at all is made for early childhood care. Parents, local authorities, NGOs and opinion makers poorly understand the link between early childhood care and future educational/health achievement. Play, learning opportunities and adequate nutrition and health care for very young children are often lacking and this contributes to high rates of failure in the primary education system.

· In 1999 only 17% of 7 year olds were enrolled in school. Primary schools are few and far between: despite significant investments in the 1990s Guinea still suffers one of the world's worst rates of classroom deficiency (1 class per 82 children). The result puts school out of reach for many and especially the youngest children and rural youth. These 'lost years' are never made up as older children are expected to work.

· Schools are often ill equipped: envision a classroom filled with children, and otherwise barren – no desks, no chairs, no books or other teaching/learning materials.

· Schools are unfriendly towards girls: curriculums are gender insensitive, schools have no bathrooms or drinking water, despite active recruitment most teachers are men (75% in 1999).

· Secondary schools are restricted to urban centers.

· Teaching methods are antiquated (learn by rote, non-participative), and teachers are poorly trained and largely unsupported; there is a lack of teachers to fill classrooms.

· The private school sector is relatively underdeveloped compared to neighboring countries.

· Out-of-school youth with special requirements (young mothers, working youngsters, disabled children and farmers) have few/no educational opportunities.

(c) Socio-cultural barriers include generic- and education-specific attitudes, beliefs, and practices:

- Parents do not send children to school, or pursue their own learning opportunities since this does not appear a relevant investment for them.

- They lack a commitment to children's rights and gender equity, and the capacity to organize and carry out initiatives for education. Preoccupation with bare subsistence can blind parents to the seemingly luxurious concept of 'children's rights' and the 'realization of human potential'.

- There are often entrenched attitudes and beliefs – concerning traditional roles (women as farmers, traders, child-rearers and housewives) and values (son like father, daughter like mother), and livelihood opportunities which can lead parents to reject the school system.

PlanGuinea's CSP (Country Strategic Plan) is available upon request

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