there for children.

Bridge access through the mangrove swampa

Many thanks for your support, which meant we were able to complete the project successfully.

Project SummaryThe villages of Meyingbé and Taayaki in Guinea are separated by a large estuary, which is dangerously deep and raging depending on the tides. Support the construction of a bridge with a dontation of CHF 100.00, so children and women can safely attend school and walk to the market.

Background

On their way to school in Taayaki, the primary school children of Meyingbé have to cross a large estuary, which, depending on the tides, is dangerously deep and race. The villages are located in Guinea on the Kokoboundji peninsula, which is totally neglected by the government. The inhabitants are very poor, live from fishing and lack any infrastructure: they have no electricity, no fresh water, no health care, no road connections and had no school facilities for their children until DYARAMA built a school in 2016.
DYARAMA additionally built a sturdy iron bridge across the estuary between Meyingbé and Taayaki in January/February 2020. The bridge is 45m long. It allows the children of Meyingbé the journey to the DYARAMA SCHOOL in Taayaki, the only one on the peninsula. The bridge also provides a great relief for the women of Meyingbé who bring the fresh and dried fish to the markets of the capital (3 ½ hours one way!) and it generally connects the two sectors Meyingbé and Taayaki.
From Meyingbé, the access route to the bridge through the mangrove swamp causes major problems now. At high tide, the path is flooded and cannot be used. In a first attempt, the inhabitants of Meyingbé built wooden footbridges. But the sea has a huge force at high tide and the footbridges are repeatedly damaged/destroyed.

Idea

We want to build a stable access road from Meyingbé through the swamp, so that people can use the bridge safely, regardless of the tides, and children can go to school.
The actual bridge construction has stood the test of last year's storms. Now, cement pillars have to be concreted into the mangrove swamp to make the access path stable. Wooden planks are used for the walking surface. The length of the access path stretches over 200 m.

Implementation

First, deep holes are dug in the swamp, into which large stone blocks are sunk. Concrete consoles are constructed on top of these, on which the cement pillars are then anchored. The pillars support the walking surface made of wooden planks.
The village population is actively helping with the construction of this access path. An experienced engineer is carrying out the main work. DYARAMA supervises and coordinates the work, buys the necessary building materials and transports them to the site by pirogue (simple boat).
As there is no road connection on the Kokoboundji peninsula, all building material has to be transported by pirogue. The pirogue is provided free of charge by the project leaders. Only fuel costs and the pirogue driver are charged.
No financial help or solution can be expected from the government. In order for DYARAMA to be able to finance this access road, we are urgently dependent on donations.
DYARAMA needs a total of CHF 28,000 for the construction of the access road, which will pay for the building materials, the transport of materials, the work of the masons and carpenters, as well as supplies for the workers and the expenses of the donation platform.
DYARAMA recently received a large support contribution of CHF 13,000 from the Swiss Embassy in Abidjan (responsible for Guinea) for the construction of the bridge access. From further donations another CHF 11'000 could be financed. We now need another CHF 4000 for the completion.
With the support we have already received, we could already start the construction of the access. Take a look at the construction progress under UPDATES.
Together with the people of Meyingbé, especially the school children, DYARAMA thanks you very much for your support!

Initiators

DYARAMA, organized as an association based in Zurich, is committed to improving the living conditions of the people in Guinea/West Africa.
The main focus is on: Education for children, clean water, health, humanitarian emergency aid, various projects to improve livelihoods.
DYARAMA works according to defined goals and monitors and accompanies all projects on site. The project leaders live on site.
The board of directors, the members and the project leaders work for free.
Website: dyarama.ch
Email: dyarama@dyarama.ch

YOUR SUPPORT WAS GENEROUS AND GREAT! THANK YOU!

10/01/2021

DEAR DONORS, TOGETHER WITH THE PEOPLE OF MEYINGBE, WE THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT! YOUR DONATION EASES MANY PEOPLE'S DIFFICULT SITUATION AND ENABLES MANY CHILDREN TO ATTEND SCHOOL.

The big rain had delayed the construction work. The rainy season is now coming to an end and the last cement pillars can be placed soon. Afterwards the wooden planks have to be laid and a railing has to be mounted. After the completion we will provide you with a video showing school children on their way to school over the bridge access and the bridge.

The PRIMARY SCHOOL DYARAMA in Taayaki and the PRIMARY SCHOOL DYARAMA in Meyingbé are free of charge for the children, as the people on the Kokoboundji peninsula can barely meet their daily living needs. The two schools are financed by donations for DYARAMA.

If you would like to continue to support the school possibility for the children of Kokoboundji, we would be grateful: IBAN CH 32 0900 0000 8995 9813 4, BIC/SWIFT POFICHBEXXX, DYARAMA, Zurich, CH.

Please also visit our website: https://dyarama.ch. There you will find a lot of information about the schools.

BIG THANKS TO ALL OF YOU!

Construction progress until 27.5.2021

08/18/2021

With the contribution of the Swiss Embassy in Abidjan and additional donations, we were able to start the construction before the big rainy season. Now we need your support once again to raise the last CHF 4,000!

Since we can only build at low tide and the rainy season has already started at the end of July, we decided to make the first construction progress before then. We have already dug deep holes into which we have sunk large stone blocks. Later, cement pillars will be anchored on them to support the walking surface.

At the moment, the high level of the water is slowing down the construction work. The work is being done under difficult conditions, workers are standing in the mud and are plagued by mosquitoes, the cement bags have to be protected from the rain, and all the material has to be transported by pirogue (simple boat) as there are no road connections on the Kokoboundji peninsula. However, we hope to complete the footbridge by the end of October/November.

We want to finally enable the primary school children of Meyingbé to attend school, which they have been longingly waiting for. With the completed 200-metre-long footbridge, they will have a safe way to go to school.

PLEASE help us to raise the missing balance of CHF 4,000. Every donation will be used 1:1 for the construction.
Together with the children and the people of Meyingbé, WE THANK YOU very much!

Iris & Mauri	100,00 CHF
Christian Hosang	100,00 CHF
Jeanine Weikart	50,00 CHF
Boris Müller	50,00 CHF
Anna Kohnke	20,00 CHF
Conny aus Hannover	20,00 CHF
wiese11GmbH	200,00 CHF
Marco Koelbli	165,00 CHF
Marcel Raschle	100,00 CHF
Oezgür Acili	100,00 CHF
Anonymous	50,00 CHF
Markus Lengacher	200,00 CHF
Kathrin Hüppi	160,00 CHF
Tobias Bussmann	100,00 CHF
Maggie Strasser, Geroldswil	100,00 CHF
Malou Hellstern	200,00 CHF
Iren MB	100,00 CHF
Nadia Brunner	250,00 CHF
Yvonne Benz	500,00 CHF
Verena Trüb	500,00 CHF
Irene Engler	100,00 CHF
Heidi Nuesch	100,00 CHF
Sandy L	50,00 CHF
Schweiz Nominale, Irene u. Brigit	215,00 CHF
Lotti Hasenfratz	50,00 CHF
Peter Engler	80,00 CHF
Pan Salmenhaara	50,00 CHF
Anonymous	300,00 CHF
Anonymous	20,00 CHF
Anonymous	100,00 CHF
Jucara Silva Beloni	20,00 CHF

Currently, there are still no project partners if you are interested, please contact us via info@there-for-you.com.

Status of the project

4'150,00 CHF

4'000,00 CHF

We will send the donation receipt (for Switzerland) in January of the following year.

Major donor

Project supported by Swisscom

Impact analysis by there for you specialists

With a relatively small measure - the extension of a bridge - life quality of people on the peninsula of Kokoboundji can significantly be improved. On the one hand, people are not endangered when they cross the bridge. On the other hand, women and children can go to the fish market or school safely. Short-term this will lead to more income for the women and higher education and better career chances for the children - which in the long run leads to less poverty in Guinea.