AGUIDE (Association Guinéenne pour le Développement Economique) is an NGO based in N’Zérékoré, the largest city in the Guinée Forestière region of southeastern Guinea. Its multidisciplinary team works in the fields of environment, sanitation, rural economy, agriculture, community health, entrepreneurship, governance, education, and human rights.
AGUIDE’s dream is to train community facilitators throughout the country, so that they can stimulate and support the implementation of community development projects.
Its vision is of a Guinea where everyone has access to the basic necessities of life, in a healthy, peaceful environment, and in a sustainable economic situation.
Its missions are to :
- Strengthen the participation of rural and urban populations in the socio
development of their localities; - Support rural and urban populations in their sustainable development/health projects
development/health projects; - Promote good internal governance of groups, associations, and NGOs for the
the well-being of the population; - Contribute to strengthening national unity.
The team’s story with SALT began in September 2016 through the Regional Confidence Project (RCP) for reconciliation between communities and healthcare staff whose relationships had deteriorated during the Ebola epidemic (2014-2015). During this project supported by the German Institute for Medical Mission (Difeam), 16 facilitators from 8 communities were trained by The Constellation.
SALT visit in Dieke, December 2016.
Besides the project’s aim, SALT/CLCP has a positive impact on community life, with, for example:
- spontaneous mobilisation to organise waste disposal ;
- reduction in the price of water at the village pump;
- organisation of cemeteries;
- arrangements with motorcyclists for emergency transport in exchange for working time in the fields;
- resolution of conflicts between traditional birth attendants and the maternity hospital;
- organisation of rapid care for patients from remote villages;
- use of cell phones for emergency communication with health facilities, thanks to community facilitators;
- construction of latrines;
- participation of traditional birth attendants in monthly community meetings and
- organisation of systematic village cleaning.
Kolié Ouo-ouo Alain, Executive Director of AGUIDE, attended this training given by The Constellation in 2016 and, convinced, he developed the approach within the AGUIDE structure. “We requested capacity-building training for our staff and volunteers on the SALT approach in order to develop it in the implementation of our activities throughout the national territory of Guinea.”
Conducted by Edmond Noramou, the training of the AGUIDE facilitators took place over three days in September 2023 in the organisation’s meeting room. A total of 12 people took part (6 men and 6 women).
The team enjoyed reflecting on common humanity and learning the SALT way of facilitating the Community Life Competence Process (in particular, formulating a common dream, initial self-assessment, selecting three priority practices, and learning by doing during SALT visits to communities).
“AGUIDE wishes to continue training on the SALT-CLCP method in communities to enable the continuation of the method to participate in improving the living conditions of grassroots populations.” Kolié Ouo-ouo Alain
If you would like to give financial support to the training and accompaniment of facilitators in Guinea,
Photos courtesy of AGUIDE and Joseph Koïvogui.
