Funded by the Welsh Government, United Purpose’s COVID-19 response project in Guinea aims to reduce the impact of the pandemic in the Upper Region. We are doing this by building the capacity of health care centres, spreading accurate information about COVID-19 prevention, and supporting vaccination initiatives.

Our project activities have reached over half a million people in Guinea. Below, we hear from three people - a health worker, a mayor and a community activist.

Meet Moussa Mara

27-year-old Moussa Mara is a health worker at the Primary Health Care Centre in Tindo, a small city located about 50 km from Faranah, Guinea. The Health Centre closed at the beginning of the pandemic because people in the community were afraid of catching COVID there. Now, because of the work that has been done in the community, those fears have been dispelled and the Health Centre has reopened.

Moussa says: “Before UP's arrival, I had heard about the COVID disease on the radio, but I did not have all the essential information on how to avoid the disease. During educational talks organised by UP health agents, I learned how to avoid COVID and how to prevent disease, through physical distancing, hand washing, wearing a mask, etc.”

Meet Mamadou Laré

Mamadou is the Mayor of Tindo and a farmer. He says:

“I had heard about COVID on the radio before, but the activities organised here by UP taught me [about prevention measures, such as] coughing into the elbow, avoiding shaking hands, washing hands and wearing a mask.

“This awareness has allowed me to be more reassured, to educate my family. Now for me hand washing and mask wearing have become automatic. The Town Hall also benefited from the installation of a hand washing kit and masks.”

Meet Oulare Kémo

Oulare Kémo is a trader and the president of the supervisors’ team for the Guinean Red Cross in Tindo. A member of the local social and economic development committee, Oulare loves being active in his community. Like most others in Tindo, he also runs a small farm where he grows rice, beans and peanuts.

When United Purpose worked in the community, Oulare helped the team by translating the messages into Sankara, the local language: “This allowed me to strengthen my skills and knowledge, namely respect for COVID prevention measures - washing hands with soap and water, not shaking hands and physical distancing.”

Oulare is continuing to actively share these messages with his community, and is in constant need of extra face coverings and handwashing kits to give out to people.