It is now official: We are an approved aid organization in Guinea and can now start being active. You will find more in this article.
After tiring days in the government sector of Conakry, as well as countless exchanges of letters, meetings, and phone calls, we have finally reached success: We now have the approval of Juciel, namely without any bribery or slush money.
The starting shot for a better life in Massarankissidou
Juciel is approved through a „Récépissé.” It’s currently in the state of temporary approval, which has to get renewed annually. Understandably, the Guinean government has decided to only give out temporary NGO approvals for the coming time, because it’s trying to stop untrustworthy organizations from gaining the benefits of an NGO. Upon a later survey of our work, a permanent permit will be given to Juciel, which allows us to do our work endlessly. The „Récépissé” is worth a lot, because it allows us to start our work.
We would like to thank the German embassy in Conakry for its professional guidance and support with the approval.
Help for Massarankissidou: The next steps
We now have the chance to start the process of building a sustainable water supply in the village of Massarankissidou. Our German and Guinean members are currently underway working on the preparation for such a project.
1. Well drilling companies in Guinea
We are currently searching for a suitable service provider for the building of a well or a reservoir. Along those lines, in January we visited a company located in the city of Nzérékoré, which specializes in hydraulics. We learned about the technical possibilities and limits, as well as other formalities regarding the building of a well.
Sadly Massarankissidou lies outside their area of service, which is why a partnership wouldn’t be possible. Thus we are currently looking for a drilling company that is active in the region in which Massarankissidou is located; this is a difficult undertaking with no phone book or company directory. The city of KanKan is responsible for Massarankissidou and the surrounding area. We were able to get in contact with a drilling company and are currently getting estimates on the price of building a water supply in Massarankissidou.
2. Project partner in Germany
We are still currently trying to win a partnership with a German NGO, who would also act as an executing organization for the project. For over a year, we have been in close contact with the Bremen sector of Ingenieure ohne Grenzen “Engineers Without Borders” (EWB International). The regional EWB sector of Bremen fully backs our project and is currently trying to formulate an application for “Water for Massarankissidou” to be one of their main undertakings. With approval, the Bremen sector of EWB can support us in the village, especially with jobs like testing ground-water and soil analysis around the presence of heavy metals. All of this is important for making a water supply as healthy and worry-free as possible. The whole Juciel team thanks the Bremen sector of Engineers Without Borders for its input and trust in our project.
3. Acquisition of Donations
In the meantime, we are dealing with acquiring the necessary funds to build a well in Massarankissidou. For that purpose, we have been running fundraisers and presentations in Bremen in order to obtain funds and promote our project. In May, we presented on our trip to Massrankissidou in Berlin. Following that presentation, a fundraiser was scheduled in Bremen on August 17th. Anyone interested who resides in or near Bremen is welcome to attend. Along with a presentation about life in Guinea, you can expect a Guinean dinner, as well as live music. More info will be available shortly on the official event flyer. We’re already excited for your appearance and interest in our project.
By the Way: Even you can promote the financing of “Water for Massarankissidou.” Donate any amount of your choice. Along with doing that, please tell your family and friends about Massarankissidou in order to make people aware of our project and the inhabitants of Massarankissidou. Thank you for your support.