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Before & After
Restoring services destroyed by war encourages displaced people to return home
Rebuilding a Hospital Devastated by War
Photo: USAID/Plan Guinea
BEFORE: Just three years ago, the Gueckedou Hospital stood in ruins, an empty shell that was heavily damaged by rebels from Sierra Leone and Liberia. All of its equipment was destroyed or carried away and had to be replaced.
Photo: USAID/Laura Lartigue
AFTER: The Gueckedou Hospital was completely rehabilitated, and it re-opened in July 2004. Rehabilitation work included rebuilding walls, windows, ceilings, the roof, and electricity and plumbing networks. The reconstruction was also used as an opportunity to train local technicians in carpentry, masonry and plumbing. The hospital was reequipped with furniture and basic medical equipment, and an ambulance was donated for emergency transportation.
After being displaced by rebel incursions from Sierra Leone and Liberia in 2000-01, many Guinean residents returned home to find their infrastructure demolished, social services no longer functioning, and their means to earn a livelihood destroyed. The Gueckedou, Kissidougou and Macenta prefectures were the most adversely affected. USAID has helped three-quarters of a million Guinean citizens in the Mano River region rebuild, stimulating economic activity through small loans and grants and re-establishing key social services and infrastructure, like health and education. By re-establishing key social services, USAID contributed to creating a favorable living environment in the Forest Region, and encouraging those who left to come back.
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