About Us
Jeune Espoir equips young people in rural Guinea to learn, work, serve, and build sustainable futures in their own communities.
Our Target Audience and the Particular Problem They Face
We work with primary and secondary teachers in rural areas in Guinea to help children and adolescents reach their full potential. The education system in the country generally focuses on rote memorization. Students are taught to remember information but are not pushed to higher levels of learning, namely application, analysis, evaluation, and creation (Bloom’s Taxonomy). Rural cities further get less qualified teachers, exacerbating inequities.
This education system leads to poor learning outcomes. It also limits children from becoming critical thinkers and applying what they learn to create or secure employment in the future. Regardless of these issues, in rural places, students are resilient and do everything they can to succeed and contribute to the community.
We also work with unemployed rural Guinean youth to give them the opportunity to prosper in place despite persisting adversities. The high rate of unemployment and underemployment creates hopelessness and pushes many educated young people to leave the country, contributing to brain drain.
Our World View and Values
Jeune Espoir begins by changing minds, challenging assumptions, and seeing things differently. Here is a comparison of Jeune Espoir’s worldview to some common beliefs that lead to dead ends.
- Society says the goal is to become rich; JE says to be responsible for what God has given you.
- Society says you are poor; JE says you have resources that can allow you to prosper.
- Society says the wealthier or more powerful you are, the more respect you deserve; JE says all people are created in the image of God and integrity, humility, justice and love are worthy of respect.
- Society says you have to go along to get along; JE says never compromise your integrity.
- Society says you are a consumer and are happier the more you buy; JE says you are a steward responsible to God and the community for the resources you produce and consume.
- Society says nothing can begin until someone gives you a handout; JE says begin by developing what you already have.
- Society says spend it now; JE says invest it for the future.
- Society says manual labor is less worthy than intellectual or managerial work; JE says all honest and hard work deserves respect.
- Society says start big to make it big; JE says start small, be faithful with little, and you will be entrusted with more.
- Society says women are for the benefit of men; JE says women and men alike are created in the image of God and called to develop creation in love.
- Society says what is imported from the West is always better; JE says what is African-made can be just as good or better.
Our History
In the summer of 2006, a forerunner of Jeune Espoir—Jeunesse Espoir—came to be. Four college students from North America led a six-week program at Centre Espoir involving 15 Guinean youth. Participants learned computer skills and English, studied and debated issues of the day, performed community service, and visited NGOs and private enterprises.
One participant was Sekou Mansaré, who went on to found the NGO Jeune Espoir in 2014. In 2008 and 2009, he and friends began managing educational activities and computer training at Centre Espoir. They later developed a cybercafé, installed English-learning software, taught live English classes, and supported after-school tutoring, homework completion, and preparation for national examinations.
Jeune Espoir now carries forward a significant part of the work that Centre Espoir’s founders formerly did. Through its programs, JE equips Guinean youth to participate in and contribute to the global economy from Guinea, helping to break cycles of unemployment, poverty, and forced emigration.
Our Theory of Change
Theory of Change defines an initiative’s goal and maps backward to identify the conditions that must be achieved for success.
Jeune Espoir’s Theory of Change presents the impact we want to see in the lives of young people in Guinea: successful school-to-work transitions and responsible leadership. It also shows the outcome pathways and activities required to reach that goal.
The proposed activities appear in green boxes. Many are delivered through our learning-management systems. The outcome pathways in light gray represent the changes that must take place in targeted communities. Our direct ceiling of accountability is placed after effective working skills and increased job opportunities in the areas we serve.