2 May 2011: Through its Sustainable Development of Artisanal Fishing and Aquaculture project, Plan provides support for the development of artisanal fisheries industry to reduce the impact of rising food prices on households. In its focus are women working as fish smokers and fishmongers to help sustain local fish industries in Guinea.

Making women more independent

Plan Guinea Country Director, Ibrahima Toure, distributing the training certificates

In the framework of the project, a series of training was organized to help strengthen the skills of 162 cooperatives of women smokers and fishmongers in the prefecture of Boke and Boffa in the western region of Guinea. The initiative seeks to deepen their knowledge, expertise and increase their future income. It also aims at improving living and working conditions of women to enable them to contribute more to care, education and schooling of their children.

"A woman, who earns more, spends more on her children. Supporting women by giving them training supports entire households and meets their children’s needs,” said Ibrahima Toure, Plan Guinea Country Director.

The training included topics on: small business management, credit and prevention and loss management, the knowledge on techniques of conservation and fish processing, hygiene and marketing and sales; and finally how to improve personal leadership skills.

"It's a godsend for me to participate in this training series. This allows me to make profit out of my fish trade and have more money to feed the family. Our resources are scarce and the father does not work," said Fatou Bangoura, who participated in the training.

"We are very pleased and proud to have provided such training to the participants to improve the lives of women. We are sure the women will use this knowledge to improve living conditions and health of their children," said Ms Sangare M'Balia, trainer.

The training, finished on 5 March 2011, at the Dixinn Youth House, ended with handing over the training certificates conjointly organized by Plan and the Guinean national confederation of professional fishermen (CONAPEG).

A group of women who benefited from the training

The project

The Sustainable Development of Artisanal Fishing and Aquaculture project covers Lower Guinea (the prefectures of Boke and Boffa and the community of Dixinn, Kaloum and Matam) and Forested Guinea (prefectures of Kissidougou, Guéckédou Macenta N'Zérékoré Yomou, Lola and Beyla).

The project also assumes:

• the training of 200 grassroots organizations, 162 cooperatives and artisanal fishermen in Lower Guinea and 38 fish groups in Forested Guinea; and the formalization of their groups as official structures
• the rehabilitation of 162 boats and the provision of 162 outboard engines of 15 horsepower
• the renovation of infrastructure facilities and 6 fish landing sites in Lower Guinea
• the development of 120 fish ponds in Forested Guinea
• establishing a renewable fund for the Cooperative Fish Groups 
• the creation of village savings and loan association (VS&L)

The project will strengthen the capacities of beneficiary groups, improve treatment facilities and storage of fish landing sites, improve and promote the sustainable management of marine resources and support participatory monitoring of coastal waters. The initiative complies with the EU Food Facility Programme and is funded at 90% (2,688,470 US $) by EU and 10% through Plan Ireland, for a period of 22 months from 1 January 2010.

Read more about Plan's work in Guinea.