Friends of Conakry Refugee School

Positive futures through education

A volunteer led UK charity improving access to education for vulnerable and marginalised students in Guinea Conakry

OUR VISION

Is for every child and young person to be educated, protected, respected, and valued regardless of their gender, faith, ethnic background, or financial circumstance

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OUR OBJECTIVES

Equal access to education

  • Scholarships for 100 students
  • School meals

Teacher support

  • Teacher training
  • IT classes for staff
  • Staff room with WIFI

Gender equality

  • Scholarships
  • Health club
  • Menstrual Health Project

Educational excellence

  • Scholarships
  • Conakry Academy of Science and Technology (CAST)
  • Science lab

Student wellbeing

  • Health club
  • PHSE lessons
  • Menstrual Health Project
  • WASH facilities

Tolerance

  • UK school outreach
  • Talks to UK organisations 

OUR ANNUAL IMPACT

Students receive high quality education

Scholarships provide education to the needy

Students benefit from access to the school nurse and personal health education

Female students supported in education

Teachers receive a living wage and are supported in their professional development

Hot midday meals served

Our Core Values

OUR PARTNER

Conakry Refugee School

A 30 year track record

Conakry Refugee School (CRS) grew out of the movement to educate english speaking refugees that had fled from wars in Liberia and Sierra leone in the 1990s. Initially set up in the 1990s by refugees from the wars in Sierra Leone and Liberia CRS has educated vulnerable and marginalised children for 30 years. In 2023 CRS changed their name to Conakry Reliance School to reflect the fact that their students are now born in Guinea and their community has settled in Conakry. A school of 500 students, it provides primary and secondary school education. 

Good quality education for all

CRS has an excellent record in external exam performance with 100% pass rates at the end of primary and at 16 and impressive results in final exams. As an English-speaking school with an impressive educational record, it increasingly attracts Guinean students. Although the majority of pupils come from very disadvantaged backgrounds and are often living with single parents or extended family members there is a trend towards more financially able students enrolling to access an excellent education in English, especially since the provision of a science and computer labs. 

Promotes gender equality

Over 50% of students at CRS are female. Levels of literacy and school completion for girls are well below 30% in Guinea. CRS’s promotion of access to education for girls through scholarships, gender affirmative teaching and facilities, and its stance on FGM and early marriage make it unique. CRS’s ability to keep girls in education and educate them to the highest level is exceptional. Pastoral care is underpinned by the presence of a full time nurse. Madam Kort runs the Health Club providing a safe space for students to discuss issues domestic vilence, drug abuse and sexual health.

More than a school

With its roots in the education provided by the International Refugee Council camps in the 1990s CRS stands out from the norm; its ethos and values of equality, tolerance and compassion,  sets it apart from other schools in Guinea. It welcomes those of all religions or non, with Christian and Muslim prayers every morning. It’s after school programme of sport, debating and cultural dancing and drumming make it stand out from other schools. Its pastoral care makes it a safe haven for vulnerable young people who have experienced extreme trauma.

FCRS NEWS

CRS Menstrual Health Project launches successfully!

Health Club members have been filling in surveys about their experience of menstruation as part of FCRS's Menstrual Health Project. The results of the survey will determine the design of our very own re-useable Menstrual Health kits that will be made by the community...

FCRS promote educational excellence

Educational excellence relies on by well trained and motivated teachers. AT CRS more than 25% of staff have a formal teaching qualification recognised by the West African Exam Council , something that is rare in Guinea's state schools where most teachers have only...

FCRS champion equality, tolerance, compassion

FCRS believes that equality, both gender, religious and racial equality, tolerance and compassion mark CRS out as a remarkable establishment. Equality for female students It promotes access to education for girls as well as supporting them on controversial issues like...

Coding Academy success at CRS!

Learning to code a website in 6 weeks! Many of the 20 students who attended the coding academy at CRS through the 6 week academy break could not open a word document at the start of the summer. After six week they all successfully graduated having conquered word,...

FCRS increase access to education with free school meals

All students at CRS are entitled to a hot midday meal  8 days a month funded by FCRS. This improves access to education for families who have very little by allowing their children to go to school confident in the knowledge that they will not go hungry. School meals...

FCRS promote excellence in science education

The provision of a science lab by The Merck Family Fund and training of two science teachers to run it and teach practical science means science students at CRS can practice their practical science skills throughout their higher education and it has already begun to...

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CRS staff on the global stage

In June Mariama Foryoh and Korto Forkpa attended the 10th African Conference on Sexual Health and Rights held in Freetown. The conference was organised by We are Purposeful, an African-rooted global hub for girls activism and their trip was paid for by a FCRS...

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CRS students debate homework

Debates play a central role at CRS and are taken extremely seriously by staff and students. In December 2022 the first debate to be held in the new auditorium took place. The topic for debate was "Homework should be given to the students" with Grade 8 students arguing...

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