GAC and the Délégation générale du Québec à Dakar (DGQD) donate equipment to the Beli Kindi sewing cooperative

Beli Kindi, Boké Prefecture, Tuesday, 7 March 2023: Today, Guinea Alumina Corporation (GAC) and the Délégation générale du Québec à Dakar (DGQD) turned over a donation of equipment to the Beli Kindi sewing cooperative. Plans are in place to purchase solar panels and semi-industrial sewing machines to help the cooperative eventually increase its production capacity.

Iya Touré, Delegate General of Québec, attended the donation ceremony in Beli Kindi and said, “The Délégation générale du Québec is pleased to contribute to the growth of the young Beli Kindi seamstresses’ cooperative. You already supply uniforms and safety equipment to local mining companies, and we hope that this donation will enable you to modernise your production. Your remarkable story is a model for all organisations working to empower women in Guinea.”

“Beli Kindi is a village on our mining concession that was relocated in 2017,” said Youssuff Sylla, Director General of GAC. “Today, the Québec delegation joins the many partners who have responded to our call to support the residents of this village. GAC alone cannot do it all. By rallying partners such as the DGQD around common, promising, and forward-looking projects, we can contribute to the social and economic development of Guinea, one project at a time, one village at a time. I would therefore like to thank the Délégation générale du Québec for its support.”

The Beli Kindi sewing cooperative brings together 32 young women in a 240-square-metre building. The seamstresses were trained by Édouard Diakité, who was in charge of training and design at Disneyland Paris for more than 25 years. Today, the seamstresses design and produce uniforms for mining companies and garages, pennants, beekeepers’ hats, and much more. They are also able to respond to any call for tenders for the design and production of specialised and ready-to-wear clothing.

This donation will help them work more efficiently and increase their production, which will have a positive impact on their income and empowerment. In addition, the use of solar power will help reduce energy costs and minimise the environmental footprint of their operations.