While the idea of mixing between the leaders of the three major regions where Fondacio is in full influence in Guinea seemed to be progressing, slowly but surely, a national session of leaders is emerging in the context of COVID-19.
From September 23 to 27, 2020, the training meeting for the leaders of Fondacio in Guinea is taking place in Kankan, at the Diocesan Center Immaculate Heart of Mary. For 4 days, 25 young people and adults from N’Zérékoré, Conakry and Kankan will meet to reflect on the issues and pastoral issues of Fondacio in this country.
At the heart of this initiative, Jean-Valentin HABA (Head of Fondacio in Guinea), passionate about nature, had the good idea to combine this pastoral training with an introduction to the culture of Artemisia to encourage young people to undertake in the field of agricultural entrepreneurship. It is a capacity building event aimed at contributing to the eradication of malaria in Guinea, where this Artemisia annua plant, native to Asia, has been the subject of great attention since it was presented as ” possible treatment” of covid-19.
During the opening ceremony, Msgr. Emmanuel FELEMOU, Bishop of the diocese of Kankan, who came to support the initiative, encouraged the leaders in a moving way to reconnect with the land for the promotion of this medicinal plant. The HOREB-GUINEA agro-pastoral farm where the training is currently taking place is one of the fine fruits of the partnership between Fondacio, the Maison de l’Artemisia and the Church of Kankan.
It should be remembered that Guinea is one of the African countries where Fondacio is in full influence. It brings together three community groups spread over three dioceses (Conakry, Kankan, Nzérékoré). It is in one of these three regions that the pastoral team of Fondacio in Guinea has chosen to hold the second edition of the national meeting for the formation of leaders. It should be noted that since 2009, Guinea has not had any other meeting at the national level of the genre, to bring together all the officials in one place. Eleven (11) years later, the leaders of Fondacio in this country are holding out to relaunch activities definitively and engage in a new way in the structuring of community groups and the empowerment of projects in order to encourage young people to become agents of change in their environment.
