GUINEA-CONAKRY
The livelihoods of local Guinean fishermen are increasingly threatened by the many
industrial travelers from Europe, China, Korea and Russia, which often operate illegally
in Guinea’s once abundant waters. Souba Camara said it is illegal for industrial boats to
fish in areas near the shore designated for local fisherman but the laws are largely
ignored. Enforcing the laws would not just benefit a few fishermen, Camara said. “A
local fisherman may have 50 people depending on the earnings from his net”. The
government is also losing revenue for what is one of the world’s poorest countries. More
than US$100 million worth of fish are pirated out of Guinea’s waters each year,
according to a study by London-based Marine Resources Assessment Group. Guinea’s
government has tried to ban the export of some species of fish to increase their
availability in local markets. However, fishermen say this just opened the door for more
illegal international trade and diminished their earnings further.
Civil society has seen political and socio-economic reforms backslide, according to
Ibrahima Fofana, head of the Union of Guinean workers. “We notice that things we
fought against in 2006 and 2007 are coming back little by little. There is an effort to
break with the 2007 agreement and this would push Guinea back into chaos.” If we do
find a solution to our problems, it is certain that the people will turn to violence to bring a
change to where they live because change absolutely must come. While some
neighborhoods have seen better water & power supplies, the country-among the poorest
in the world in the world despite abundant natural resources-is far from tackling the
problem. Guineans will never forget January 22, 2008 they say “A year after these tragic
events that plunged so many families into mourning, the government must out all the
resources possible into this investigation so those who killed civilians can be brought to
justice, but it is highly likely that we will never get at the results we seek; the people have
no idea who’s doing what in this commission.”
At 41%, Guinea’s rate of adult literacy is low, especially for women at 27%, and even
lower in the border regions. More than 58% of primary school age girls do not have
access to education. However, an encouraging sign for the future is the steady rise over
the past decade in the number of children enrolling in Guinea’s schools. About 2,500 new
teachers will be needed in the near future to meet the growing demand. Special attention
to girl’s education is urgent, as only 77% of girls reach grade 5, as opposed to 90% of
boys. Although down from a high of 31 percentage points in the mid-1990s, girls net
enrollment rate in primary school lags 9% behind boys {girls NER is 41%; boys is 52%}.
Females’ low status is reflected in gender insensitive curricula, school manuals and
textbooks; in teacher’s attitudes and behaviors that are not always favorable toward girl’s
education; and in a lack of role models for girls.
Women’s and girls’ heavy workload conflicts with the school schedule and with girls
completing their homework on time. Early marriage keeps girls from enrolling in school
or completing an education. The effects of the conflict is truly dire, schools are unable to
cope with the influx of over 500,000 refugees and internally displaced persons, many of
whom are children. Without access to school, children are more vulnerable to
exploitation, including military recruitment and child labor.
Questions for Consideration
How can we enforce laws which protect our waters from illegal international fishing?
How can we get better education for our women and girls?
How can we industrialize to make better use of our aluminum and other natural
resources?