Beyla, Republic of Guinea ─ SimFer, the joint venture between the Government of the Republic of Guinea, Rio Tinto and Chalco Iron Ore Holdings (CIOH), has announced today the official handover of seven elementary schools, renovated and built to benefit the communities of Moribadou, Foma, M’Balia, Mafindou, Traoréla, Beyla Sobakono and Banakoro in the Beyla prefecture.
As part of a batch of 15 projects to be launched in November 2023, these new school facilities will provide a quality learning environment for hundreds of children, helping to improve educational conditions in the beneficiary communities. The construction and renovation work, totalling over 11.5 billion Guinean francs, was carried out entirely by local companies.
Each of the renovated and newly-built schools feature fully-equipped classrooms, suitable latrines, water fountains and furnished accommodation for school principals.
Chris Aitchison, SimFer’s Managing Director, states: “Access to quality education is an essential pillar for the sustainable development of our communities. By investing in school infrastructure that ensures a safe and stimulating learning environment for students, we reiterate our commitment to helping improve the living conditions of local populations, and to providing children in communities near our operations with learning opportunities that will enable them to build a better future.”
SimFer is committed to maximizing the benefits of the Simandou project for local communities by investing in key sectors such as education, health and agriculture. In June, we launched nine new community and infrastructure projects worth a total of 22.2 billion Guinean francs for the local communities of Forécariah, Beyla, Macenta and Kérouané. These projects include the construction of a modern high school in Beyla, training programs for young girls, the construction of water fountains and a modern landfill site.
