Dogomet
lies three hours by car northeast from the capital of Conakry. The
main industry in this town of approximately 26,000 is agriculture
and the breeding of livestock. Education is considered a luxury,
especially for girls who from an early age help cultivate crops
or sell the produce in local markets. They tend to marry young and
quickly become mothers who must care for their families in addition
to their regular agricultural chores. As a result, most women in
Dogomet, as in many rural towns across Guinea, never learn to read
or write. Because of their illiteracy, many feel marginalized from
participation in the making of decisions affecting their community.
For this reason
USAID, working with its partner Faison Ensemble, funded a program
to teach basic writing and arithmetic to the women of Dogomet. Beginning
in October 2008, USAID has opened three learning centers in town
where a four-month course teaches women to read, count, and perform
some elementary arithmetic such as addition and subtraction. Women
who attend the adult classes say that since learning to read and
count they feel more confident in taking part in community level
discussions and decision making.
Fatou Barry,
who serves as vice- president of the CRD in Dogomet, recently had
this to say to USAID.
Mrs
Fatou Barry
“For long
time I thought women did not have a right to education. We were
supposed to work in the fields and raise children. I could not buy
a pair of shoes without bringing an old pair with me to make sure
I got the right size. Now I can read the shoe size myself and understand
what it means. Women are very happy with this program, and we want
to see more USAID projects like this one.”
Another of the
54 women, whose lives USAID and Faisons Ensemble have changed, Mama
Camara, said that since learning to read and count she can help
her own children with their schoolwork. She feels more independent
and sure of herself. “No one can make me sign a document that
I can not understand,” she said. “I can also follow
community discussions about money.”
Mrs
Mama Camara
Mrs Nabe, a
49-year-old small businesswoman, said learning to read and count
had an immediate impact on her business. “I can now make a
better inventory of my product and take care of accounts,”
she said. “And with this came more profit. Thank you USAID
and Faison Ensemble!”
Mrs
Sanassa Nabe' Banko
