Some photos from the street nearby our house in the Dixinn district in the capital city Conakry, where we stayed at the captain's Bangoury and his family place. During afternoon walk the day after arrival, we saw many excited children, who wawed on us and wanted to take some pictures with us. Later on, they were happy to go through the snaps in camera. Due to the fact, that it is very rare to spot white man in Guinea, the kids shouted at us "fotte" most of the time, which is the term for  white people in local language. 

 It is very important for kids to learn French language.

Local children were touching our skin and from time to time they tried to scratch it, since they wanted to make sure, it is real and that it is not just some temporary paint. Besides, they were also amazed by our light and straight hair and one of the kids pulled out a piece of my hair and then they passed it with wonder as if it was some exotic spoil.

Unfortunately, the kids from Guiena are not used to such toys, as we have in Europe. Therefore, they play with stuff they have around such as tire or CocaCola cans etc. Due to poor financial situation in the families, most of the kids can not afford to attend school and they spend a lot of time helping at home. They do some housework, help with their younger siblings or work on the fields and then sell grown products by the roads. 

  A tire as a toy

This photography was taken in disctict Cosa, during our visit at the family of our African coordinator Aboubacar, who is taking care of adopted children. It was our first visit into more distant part of Conakry, right after rebellion in context of presidental elections. On the streets, we could witness marks of past fights, but despite of this fact, there was cheerful atmosphere in Aboubacar's family. The family prepared for us one of the traditional Guinea meal - rice with peanut sauce.

Some families in Guinea keep the tradition of polygamy and Aboubacar's family is one of them. We could meet Aboubacar's kids from his four marriage and also his first and fourth wife. Volunteers Eva and Lenka replaced in the photo other two wives. ​

Teachers from Bondabod gathered children to the free space in the middle of the village nearby the mosque. They handed over to the children some papers and pencils and excited kids started to write their letters to their "adoptive" czech parents, who enable them to gain an education. Older kids were mentoring the younger kids how to use proper french, since most of the parents are illiterate, so they could not help them.

In the little village Menyi, inland near the Kindie, a little girl was demonstrating during our visit her knowledge of french vocabulary and was naming pictures on the blackboard. For kids, it is very important to learn French language as a official language. In Guinea, there is many different languages due to ethnical variety. Most numerous are: Fulbs, Soussu and Malinke and kids from villages know mostly only these languages and they might have difficulties to understand the language in office or at the doctor. ​

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In autumn 2015, I along with other volunteers went on a long-planned trip to the West African Republic of Guinea. The journey was organized by Help Camp Wontanara, which is known mostly for it's distance-adoption of African kids. Directly in Guinea, this organization focuses on education of children and also adults (in the country is 70% illiteracy) and does crafts courses and develops aglicultural projects. Besides that, Wotanara estabilishes medical centers and provides medical care for adopted children, but also for others. 

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autor: MUDr. Kateřina Duchoňová, volunteer

More about Help Camp: http://www.hedvabnastezka.cz/