Yaguine and Fodè’s journey
In 1999 Yaguine, 15, and Fodé, 14, wanted to leave Guinea Conakry to study in Europe. To do that they hid in the undercarriage compartment of an aircraft heading for Belgium. They froze to death during the trip.
The two boys carried with them a letter which mentioned their problems, in particular the school. “Help us! Here in Africa we immensely suffer. Help us. We have many problems and some lack of children’s rights. Among the problems we have: war, illness, nutrition, etc. As regards the children’s rights, in Africa, and in Guinea especially, we have schools but there is a serious lack of education and teaching, except the private schools where you can have good education and good teaching. But you need much money and our parents are poor even though they do their best to feed us”.
Yaguine used to say: “When I go to France I will help all of you study”. In Fodé’s class there were 107 pupils. Here is the description of his school: “Then Fodé headed towards a one-story building, covered by disjointed roof tales to sit in his classroom, the 6/B. The furniture were poor: a blackboard, some gaps in the walls to let the light come in, because there was no power, and few desks which the pupils huddled around”.
Now Yaguine’s mother says: “The only thing he desired was studying, at any cost”.
The young boys of Guinea Conakry’s letter
Your Excellencies, Messrs Members and Persons in charge for Europe,
We have the honourable pleasure and the great trust of writing you this letter in order to speak to you about the aim of our journey and the suffering of us, children and young people of Africa.
But, first of all, we present to you our most exquisite, adorable, and respectful salutations in life. For that purpose, be our support and our help. You are for us in Africa those to whom relief is to be requested. We beg you for the love for your beautiful continent, for your feeling towards your peoples, your families, and above all for the affinity and love for your children, whom you love just as life. Besides for the love and the timidity of our Creator the Almighty God who gave you all the good experiences, wealthy, and power to well build and well organize your continent so that it becomes the most beautiful and admirable among the others.
Messrs Members and Persons in charge of Europe, we in Africa invoke your solidarity and kindness to get relief. Help us! Here in Africa we immensely suffer. Help us. We have many problems and some lack of children’s rights.
Among the problems we have: war, illness, nutrition, etc. As regards the children’s rights, in Africa, and in Guinea especially, we have schools but there is a serious lack of education and teaching, except the private schools where you can have good education and good teaching. But you need much money and our parents are poor even though they do their best to feed us.
Besides we don’t have sport schools where we can practice soccer, basket, tennis, etc.
Therefore in this case we, the Africans, and above all the African children and young people, ask you to make a great effective organization for Africa to allow it to progress. Therefore, if you see that we sacrifice ourselves and risk our lives this is because we suffer too much in Africa and we need you to fight against poverty and to put an end to war in Africa. Nevertheless, we want to study and we ask you to help us study in order to be in Africa just as you are.
Finally, we beg you to forgive us very very much for daring to write this letter because you are great personalities to whom we owe much respect. And do not forget that it is to you whom we have to deplore the frailty of our strength in Africa.
Written by two Guinean children: Yaguine Koïta and Fodé Tounkara
