Although primary school is compulsory in Guinea for children 7–13 old, nearly half have no school to attend. This is particularly acute in rural and peri-urban areas. The World Bank in 2018 found a literacy rate of 45.3% among those aged 15 years or older. To help improve access to schools and quality education in rural and peri-urban settings Guinnovation has established an initiative and partnerships including:

• FUND A TEACHER. Guinnovation solicited applications in 2016 from villages that did not have schools or teachers from local communities in 2016. The organization received 107 applications and launched a school in four villages within Lelouma prefecture. Among the 224 number of children (108 female and 116 male) first graders who started our program, we retained 106 (47%) in the sixth grade in 2022, which is a major accomplishment given the rural context where children are given responsibilities around the home at young age. Impressively, 93 (88%; 49 female and 44 male) of the sixth graders passed the 2023 National Sixth Grade Exam, which was double the national average percentage points. Visit our project page to learn more about our multipronged model.

• NEW PARTNERSHIP IN DALABA. More details soon.