Lundi, 4th August 2008.
The Regional Director (RD) of Plan West Africa (WARO), John Chaloner, paid a working visit to Guinea from 21 to 25 april 2008.
The RD met with Plan Staff in Gueckedou on 22 april 2008 and visited the offices
of ADIB-Guinee, a local partner NGO working against child labour and the rehabilitation
of street children.
John Chaloner, accompanied by the Counrty Director(CD) and the Sponsorship Communications Manager, went to Macenta on the 23 april 2008 where he visited the school cybercafé built with the support of Plan for the Prefectural Directorate of Education.
On Thursday, 24 april 2008, John Chaloner, accompanied by the CD and the Propgram Support Manager(PSM), visited students of the Missira High School, in Kissidougou,
one of the five high schools in the Kissidougou town with a student population of 1,045 including 162 girls. He was welcomed, on behalf of the Prefect, by Almamy Sory Camara, Secretary General in charge of Prefectural Community Development accompanied by the Prefectural Director of Education, the town’s mayor and his councellors.
Three speeches were made: Fatoumata Kombadouno, on behalf of the students,
listed the problems they are facing: lack of school library, lack of conference hall, lack of fence to secure the school and lack of support to girl students during the year end exams.
The school headmaster, in his speech, welcomed the visitors and asked for support to extend the school in order to reduce the overpopulation of classrooms.
He thanked and praised Plan for the support given to the schoolchildren and the education sector in particular.
The Town’s Mayor, on behalf of the 136,423 citizens in his domain, welcomed warmly the Plan delegation.
He praised the active participation of the communities in the initiation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of projects co-financed by Plan.
He was however worried about the lack of school fences in school for good security
and the lack of enough classrooms for the growing number of schoolchildren in primary school: he hoped for a classroom of 47 students instead of 97 as at now.
In response, John Chaloner told thegathering that building school infrastructures is not the most important thing and called of each schoolchild tom be really committed and have a high sense of responsibility in building a better future.
He concluded that “all developments are best managed by the beneficiaries”.
Ibrahima Toure, Plan Guinea CD, told the gathering that there are many needs and priorities and the choice to be made must objective.
During a chat the RD had with some girls students, he wanted to know why parents do not want to send their daughters to school.
After leaving the school, the RD held a meeting with Kissidougou Plan staff and partner NGOs representatives.
On leaving the country, John Chaloner expressed his satisfaction with the way Plan Guinea is operating.
Saa Siba MILLIMONO
SPAQE Kissidougou |
