• What was Aicha?
• Why do we need initiatives like Aicha?
• Sample copies of Aicha

Aicha was a twice-yearly magazine, written by Guinean girls for Guinean girls, published by Peace Corps volunteers between 1997 and 2004. Aimed at school-age girls in both 7th grade and through university, it was used in classrooms throughout Guinea to teach and encourage discussion on women's issues.

It was always struggling for funding, and Friends of Guinea was glad to help it print over 2500 copies for each issue.

Studies have shown that the empowerment of women leads to increased productivity, efficiency and economic advancement for entire communities, and that a woman’s level of education is the best predictor of her child’s wellbeing.

Guinea ranks consistently in the bottom five countries in the United Nation’s quality of life index and Guinea women are at a particular disadvantage. A staggering 79% of Guinean girls have never been to school and only 7% make it to secondary school. They are seldom encouraged to look beyond their traditional roles. While the community depends on the work of women, women rarely assume leadership positions.

Aicha empowered Guinean women by giving girls an avenue to express their concerns and to address their issues. Its goals were

• To offer girls an avenue to express their concerns and desires
• To encourage girls to succeed academically
• To discuss and explore the role of women in Guinean society and in development
• To introduce girls to possibilities for their futures which they may not have considered before
• To recognize and appreciate the traditional and nontraditional work that women do
• To help girls take control of their bodies and lives by addressing reproductive health issues
• To build organizational and leadership skills

The following are selected articles from selected issues of Aicha, in PDF format. You can download Adobe Reader for free to read them. Click on the image to download the PDF.