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
- Outreach to neighbouring schools
Teacher support
- Teacher training
- IT classes for staff
- Staff room with WIFI
- Annual staff training
Gender equality
- Scholarships
- Health club
- Menstrual Health Project
Educational excellence
- Scholarships
- Conakry Academy of Science and Technology (CAST)
- Science lab
- Library and reading room
Student wellbeing
- Health club
- PHSE lessons
- Menstrual Health Project
- WASH facilities
Tolerance
- Multi-faith school
- UK school outreach
- Talks to UK organisations
IMPACT
Students receive a quality education each year
Scholarships awarded to vulnerable student annually
Students access health education each year
Female students gifted a reusable menstral health kit
Teachers get a living wage and professional development
School meal support
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
FCRS success funding 100 scholarships!
Every year since 2017 FCRS has taken part in the Big Give Christmas Challenge. For the last few years we have sought to raise money to fund scholarships for students at CRS. In 2017 we supported 150 students paying 100% of their fees! We also aim to pay the exam fees...
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 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...
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...