The office of Guinée 44 is in Nantes center (500 000 inhabitants), the sixth agglomeration of France. Nantes is a very dynamic city, with a very rich and pleasant way of life. We share our office with an other association "La maison de l'Europe" (The Europe's House) which regularly welcomes students and trainees from different european countries.
Guinée 44's team is young and welcoming. Lots of guinean and french partners evenly go on our office.
The team's working time is shared between the office and the field work with schools, associations and cities of our territory.
The two previous volunteers were hosted in a hostel for young workers, in Nantes center. There is the possibility to have a room or an individual flat.

Since 1994 Guinée 44 is engaged in the European voluntary service. The association has already received two volunteers: a Polish (in 2005) and a German (in 2006).
These experiences were very interesting both for the volunteers and for the Association. Johana, the Polish volunteer, decided to pursue her professional experience in international cooperation. At present, she is in Guinea as part of one of our project. Sandra, German volunteer, seized the opportunity of her stay in France to increase her competences in the work with handicapped young people (running activities and accompaniment). She has chosen to stay in Nantes and she pursues her commitment within the association.
For Guinée 44, the European voluntary service program is an occasion to go out of our glance on Africa (loaded by the history) and to confront us (with the young people of our territory) with the others Europeans' perceptions of it.

Guinée 44 is a French association (1901 Act). It has been created in 1994 by the departmental council of Loire Atlantique (French local administration). The Association is engaged in the international cooperation of the departmental council. It implements economic and developing partnerships with the region of Kindia, in Republic of Guinea.
In Guinea, the actions brought as part of this cooperation are organized about two axes: to intensify the capacities of local authorities and to strengthen the actors of the civil society.
In France, Guinée 44 makes the local elect and the actors of civil society on our territory more sensitive to the Guineans' realities. The Association also helps them to understand better the complexity of the relations between North and South.
In Guinea, our association employs 20 persons: 1 coordinating, 1 volunteer of progress, 10 salaried managers, 1 official turned away from Guinea state and contract employees. Kindia (town of 120 000 residents) is the principal institutional partner of our Association. Others partners occur in their field of competences: for instance, the KI.AM for urban fitting out of Kindia, the FPAKI (Prefecture Federation of Kindia's craftsmen.) for economic development, the APEK Agriculture(Association for Economical Promotion of Kindia's Agriculture ) for agricultural development, or the ACCMY (Association of Yeole's Municipal Cultural Centre) for youth.
Some examples of our realizations in Guinea :
- Building of youth hostel;
- Building of urban infrastructures: bridges between quarters…
- Fitting out of play-ground and of associative structures;
- Fitting out of water sources;
- Training of associative representatives;
- Training of Kindia's technical services.

In Loire Atlantique, the Association employs 4 persons in its office of Nantes. There are the director, 1 secretary, 2 persons in charge of cultural activities. Guinée 44 works also with 150 partners: the Foreign Office, the democratic local authorities, the consular chambers (Chamber of Agriculture), associations, enterprises, educational establishment (college Jean Rostand), universities (Architect School of Nantes), training centre…All of these partners take part in development of actions so economic as cultural:
Some examples of our realizations in Loire Atlantique:
- Creation of an internal paper: "Kindiatlantique" and a web site (www.guinee44.fr)
- Exchange between a secondary school of Loire Atlantique and the cultural centre of Kindia
- Reception of Guinean theatre group in Loire Atlantique
- Activities in primary school of Loire Atlantique in order to expose and talk about Guinea
- Travelling of Loire Atlantique's elects in Guinea and meeting with leaders, Guinean young people and adults.
- Reception of Guinean's elects in Loire Atlantique's cities
- Reception of Guinean sport teachers at the IUFM (training teacher institute) and stay at Kindia of two teachers coming from Nantes.
- Realisation of an exhibition on the water in Guinea. This exhibition was visited by more than 20 000 visitors with 50 % of pupils.

http://ec.europa.eu/youth/evs/aod/hei_form_en.cfm?EID=14000711201