Women Empowering Women in Guinea Bissau

Mariama Elie Camara is Gender Activities Coordinator in Sinaprof, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau West Africa.

The Gambia Teachers Union organized training for 105 female teachers from the National Teachers Union of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau on July 26th, 27th, and 28th 2022.


This training was run under the technical support of the Gambia Teachers’ Union and the financial support of the Steve Sinnott Foundation in the UK. These female teachers came from different primary and secondary schools and some were recent graduates from the national teacher training college. 


The positive periods training included how to make use of locally sourced materials to make and maintain pads. The teachers were shown how to make reusable sanitary pads to give access to effective, sustainable, affordable , eco-friendly and safe menustration products. It was very hands on as all participants were engaged in the cutting of the patterns and sewing, either with hands or machines. At the end of each day, everyone was able to make two sets of re-usable pads, and a bag (for packing them) from a variety of patterns.


During these three days of training, everyone was very motivated to learn new skills that are now helping them to save money previously used every month to buy pads in the shops. Also, the trainers demonstrated how to wash, clean and dry the pads and told us how many times the pads can be used. 


The training was very productive because the approach used by The Gambia Teachers’ Union trainers was very collaborative and very creative. They shared their experiences and strategies to help teachers get an idea of how to save money and be healthy using reusable sanitary pads made by themselves. 


The Gender Based Violence (GBV) activity encouraged participants to discuss the types and causes of GBV using case studies of the different types of violence. They also looked at school related gender based violence such as physical punishment, sexual harassment, use of verbal words at students, sex for marks, work place harrassment as experienced by two of the participants and a rape case that took place in one of the rural areas that led to the death of a woman.


In recognition 0f the support of the Steve Sinnott Foundation, and The Gambia Teachers’ Union, the teachers from the National Teachers’ Union of Guinea-Bissau promised to expand more training for their sisters in other regions represented by the union. This is a big success in Guinea-Bissau. 



This article first appeared in Engage 25.


MARIAMA CAMARA • February 8, 2023

An Education Revolution

By Ann Beatty • April 6, 2025
This week while out and about in Hertfordshire and we visited the British Schools Museum. We discovered the first school opened by Joseph Lancaster, was known as the ‘Poor Childs Friend”, was in 1810. It was his lifelong mission that all children regardless of their circumstances, should benefit from an education. Apparently, Joseph heard a small girl say, “Oh that I could read!” and this inspired him to create a simple education system that eventually would benefit children across the world. Joseph was the tenth son of a poor man himself from South London. His aim was to offer free education for everyone. However, it would be 93 years before the U.K. government finally made education free for all. There are still many countries today where education is still not free to access and it is certainly not compulsory for primary and secondary age pupils. Joseph’s mission really resonates with that of the Foundation, to support access to education for all. We enjoyed our visit and appreciated the tour given by two of the Museum’s volunteers, Angela and Clare. They described some of the challenges faced in the early years of formal education and shared some of the rules that teachers and students had to abide by with us. 

Sparks Bristol

By Ann Beatty • April 4, 2025
Sparks Bristol is a collaborative community project initially envisioned by The Global Goals Centre, (GGC) more of which below. A few years ago, GGC took over an empty Marks and Spencer store and that’s how Sparks was born. Sparks is a department store with a difference, co-created by Global Goals Centre and Artspace Lifespace. On the ground floor is a huge range of shops, installations, events and more. Upstairs is a hub for local artists, it offers affordable studios as well as rehearsal and performance space. The Global Goals Centre is a Bristol-based educational charity inspired by the Sustainable Development Goals. (SDGs). GGC believe the SDG’s or Global Goals as they are sometimes known, can be reached, with imaginative solutions and widespread education and engagement. They work with partners to promote creative solutions and deliver ground breaking projects that work towards these ambitious goals. The Steve Sinnott Foundation supported the Global Goals Centre with seed funding when it first started over 5 years ago. This month we went to visit them to see how they are getting on and we were taken aback by the volume of work they have achieved since they started. It is amazing to see how though working together with other local community groups it has grown into the vibrant centre it is today. All of the creative projects they host are linked to the SDGs. They cover topics that tackle poverty, education, climate change, fashion recycling and upcycling, to name a few.

Spring is Here! Looking Ahead!

By Ann Beatty • March 28, 2025
Spring is definitely here, daffodils, blossom and crocuses are all basking in the bright sunshine. There is still a chill in the air in the shade but it's happening and all the seeds that were sown over the last few months are coming to fruition. At the Foundation, we have been planning the year ahead and our Positive Periods and Prevention of Gender Based Violence programmes got underway this weekend in Haiti and Ghana. These projects will have a long-lasting effect on the lives of the women and girls who take part: tackling the root causes of gender-based violence and enabling girls to attend school every day when they have their period, to feel safe at school and know how to take action when they are faced with violence. These are the first of many projects planned for the year ahead as we continue to work towards Education for All children everywhere.