Guinea-Bissau

As an expert in the fields of agroecology and gender equality, SWISSAID works in nine countries. On the ground and in close cooperation with local partners, we promote initiatives by people who are independently seeking a way out of poverty.

SWISSAID invites you to a discussion on April 25, 2024 at 12.30 p.m. about the challenges farmers face and the solutions offered by agroecology. A change of perspective and an exchange of experiences in Switzerland and the Global South will share how sustainable food systems can be developed.

In Guinea-Bissau, SWISSAID has set up literacy courses for women, covering reading, writing and arithmetic. These new skills, which make selling and negotiating easier, enable them to increase their income and feed their families.

26.09.2022 | The war in Ukraine has drastic effects worldwide. Especially in our African partner countries, the consequences are worrying. People who were already threatened by hunger before are now facing food shortages and price increases for basic foodstuffs. On this page you will find news and developments in our partner countries.

In some parts of the world, owning land is the key to sustainable food security and the assurance of being able to provide for one’s family. But with women – 50% of the population – denied access to land, incomes are meagre and families struggle to make ends meet. A project on access to land for women in Guinea-Bissau aims to restore this balance and improve the agricultural diversification of families.

14.12.2021 | The fight against hunger is multi-faceted. It starts with women being able to inherit and own land. This is what Isabela, a farmer from Guinea-Bissau, is fighting for. With the help of SWISSAID, she has broken through the patriarchal traditions in her country.

Ermelinda Pedro Mendonça is president of the farmers’ association Granja Pessube. This mother of 4 children has both suffered the crisis and participated in the solution, distributing emergency aid. One year later, we asked her about the situation in the country, the changes that have taken place and her vision for the future.

In the rural areas of Guinea-Bissau, the best way to provide sustainable and effective aid is to work directly with the farmers, grouped together in associations. But bringing these smallholder farmers together is only the first step.

As a foundation for development cooperation, SWISSAID is also heavily affected by the corona virus. Faced with the crisis, each employee and each project had to reinvent themselves and often work in a hurry. On this page, you will find news from our partner countries for the months of March and April. –Translated with DeepL

15.04.2020 | Washing hands, restricting contacts, exposing fake news: the measures against the coronavirus in our partner countries in the south are similar to those in Switzerland. The only difference is that the general conditions are much more difficult. How SWISSAID is tackling the problem – and why hygiene is not only fundamental to health, but also counteracts the threat of conflict.

25.03.2020 | The global corona crisis does not affect everyone equally. Some people are much more economically and socially affected than others. Women, who are often victims of domestic violence as well as being the sole earners of their families and in precarious employment, are especially under pressure.

A centre of expertise which trains future experts in agroecological techniques – farmers, promoters, association leaders. Widespread dissemination at local level and lobbying at  national level: this is the ambitious project of SWISSAID Guinea-Bissau.