January 1 in a mosque, and on Friday do so with common prayer

New Year’s Day and a sermon. Islam also requires that make -bissau March 8 a pilgrimage, called the Hajj, to the holy city of Mecca International Women’s Day at least once in their lifetime. Islamic holidays include March/April* Ramadan, the holiest month of the Muslim calendar, Easter which commemorates the month in which Muhammad May 1 received the revelations that became the Koran. Eid Labor Day al-Fitr is a joyous feast celebrating the end of Ramadan September 24 and the month of fasting. Al-Hijra celebrates the Islamic Independence Day New Year.

December 25 Animism is the term used to categorize the plethora Christmas of localized indigenous throughout the world. Animists live in a world dominated by a complex *date varies interplay of spiritual powers—those of the creator or creators (gods), the destroyers (demons), the forces in Guinea-Bissau of nature, the deceased (ancestors), and the living Half of the population in Guinea Bissau are Muslim. (healers or witches). The manipulation of such powers Forty percent follow indigenous beliefs and another 10 through magic, to benefit humans, is subject to strict Population 1.6 million percent are . rules, including rituals, sacrifices, and trance. Animists believe that when people die their life force (soul) leaves Capital City Bissau Muslims are followers of Islam. Islam is an Arabic the body, joining the invisible world of ancestors. The Official Language Portuguese word meaning “submission to the will of Allah (God).” invisible world is also populated by nature spirits of the Muslims believe that Allah’s will was revealed to the Per Capita Income US$550/year wind, rain, forest, animals, and earth. prophet Muhammad more than 14 centuries ago Youth Literacy Rate 79% male/67% female and was captured in the Islamic holy book, the Koran Christians are followers of Jesus, a carpenter and a (Qur’an). Together with the Sunnah, a collection of Jew from the city of Nazareth in present-day Israel. Access to Safe Water 94% urban/54% rural sayings attributed to Muhammad, these texts provide Christians believe that Jesus is the only son of God, born Under 5 Mortality Rate 129/1,000 live births a firm basis for religious and social life for all Muslims, of a virgin woman (Mary) in a stable in Bethlehem. His Source: The State of the World’s Children 2014 (UNICEF) including rules for diet, dress, hygiene, and more. story is told in the New Testament of the Christian holy Islam is a religion of peace and prayerfulness. A devout book, the Bible. Muslim prays five times daily. If possible, Muslims pray Guinea-Bissau is a former Portuguese colony located on the west coast of Africa

Additional sources include the CIA World Factbook and State Department websites. between Senegal and Guinea. Guinea-Bissau comprises the mainland and a group of 30 offshore islands called Bijagos Archipelago. Guinea-Bissau has more than 30 different Plan International USA is part of a global organization that works side by side with communities in 50 developing countries to ethnic groups, with the Balanta and the Fula groups making up 50 percent of the total end the cycle of poverty for children. We develop solutions community by community to ensure long-term sustainability. Our level of community engagement, long-term outlook, and constant focus on the needs and priorities of children is unique among population. Despite their ethnic diversity, the people of Guinea-Bissau live a unified life international development organizations. Our solutions are designed up-front to be owned by the community for generations to and are considered among the friendliest people in Africa. Guinea-Bissau is host to a vast come, and range from clean water and health-care programs to education projects and child-protection initiatives. foreign community, including Sierra Leoneans, Guineans, Senegalese, Mauritians, and Liberians. The coastal region is littered with rivers and streams and tangled with rain Promising Futures, Plan International USA Community by Community 155 Plan Way • Warwick, RI 02886 forests and mangrove swamps, while the interior is largely composed of sparsely wooded 1-800-556-7918 • planusa.org savannah vegetation. With the exception of Bubaque Island, the majority of the offshore islands are largely untouched by modern civilization. A Brief History Quality basic education

The natives of Guinea-Bissau are a combination of Plan works to increase access to quality basic education early settlers from ancient Ghana and people of the for all children, as well as decrease dropout and 14th-century empire of Mali. When Portuguese sailors repetition rates. The returns on investment in basic arrived on the west coast of Africa, they built forts education are very high and include additional benefits: along present-day Guinea-Bissau and other parts of the better health and nutrition, reductions in the spread continent from which they traded slaves, gold, silver, of HIV and other diseases, and increased employment and pepper. In 1879, Portugal extended its influence opportunities. inland. The Portuguese held on to Guinea-Bissau until the African Party for Independence in Guinea and Cape Mother and child health care Verde (PAIGC—Partido Africano da Independencia da Guine e Cabo Verde) successfully overran the country We work to improve access to quality basic health care and conducted elections in the liberated areas in 1973. in communities, supporting local efforts to expand Economic Security Those who do not know English will be assigned The following year, Guinea-Bissau became independent. the depth and use of effective preventive health care, community workers or volunteers who will explain your Attempts to unify Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde failed including in the areas of child survival and reproductive The principal economic activity is subsistence letters and help the children compose their responses. after the first president of the newly independent nation health services. agriculture. This sector includes farming, fishing, and The following are expressions in Creole you might was overthrown in a coup d’état in 1980. After this forestry and employs more than 82 percent of the want to use in your correspondence with your child: coup, a long period of Marxist rule was implemented, Potable water and sanitation population. The majority of the people live in rural Bon dia during which time the country plunged into deeper areas where schools, markets, and health centers are This program is an important component in helping Good morning poverty. not easily accessible. The lives of the people in the rural children to survive and draws heavily on community areas is fairly routine. The work day begins at sunrise Boa noite Good night The first democratic elections were held in 1994. The participation, from installation to management and ends at sunset. At daybreak, women wake and clean PAIGC secured a clear majority in the National People’s and maintenance. We support communities in the the house before preparing the first of the day’s two Obrigado Thank you Assembly (62 out of 100 seats). But peace in the region construction and rehabilitation of wells and the meals. Children look after their younger siblings, while was shattered in June 1998, when full-scale civil war installation of hand-pumps to help increase access to men spend the day working on the farm. At nightfall, Na bai broke out. A new military administration promised an safe drinking water, hygiene, and sanitation services. the whole family returns to the village where the Goodbye early return to civilian government. This took place evening meals are prepared. City life operates in fairly with elections in January 2000. The PRS (Partido para a Children’s role in civil society sharp contrast to life in the village. Here, women can Holidays Renovacao Social) defeated the old PAIGC and another be seen working in the administrative service sector or Children have the right to participate in decisions that new party, the RGB (Resistencia da Guine-Bissau), for owning private enterprises. Celebrations are very important to your sponsored child the presidency, and also became the largest single party affect their lives. When children’s voices are heard and family. The Carnival Festival, which always precedes in the National Assembly. and their experiences are taken into account, better Easter celebrations, plays a key role in the social lives of decisions can be made on their behalf. Participation in Language Guineans. Folklore also forms part of the culture of rural decision-making also helps children prepare for their The official language is Portuguese, but it is spoken by life. It is not uncommon to witness evening gatherings Plan’s work in Guinea-Bissau covers more formal civic responsibilities as adults. Through four core areas, all of which are only one-third of the population. The language barrier where women sing and dance frenziedly in circles of advocacy, Plan promotes the rights of children and in this ethnically diverse population is resolved by the onlookers, or tell stories to their children. There are rooted in the rights of the child: generates pressure on the government to consider and common use of Creole, which is a mixture of Portuguese also men’s groups that wear masks depicting animals Quality basic education enforce laws to protect the civil rights of children and and several ethnic languages. It is very likely that you as well as various styles of costumes made of animal Mother and child health care women. will encounter a language barrier in communicating horns, skins, feathers, and sometimes leaves or dry Potable water and sanitation with your sponsored child, as the majority of the grass. Other important holidays that have religious and Children’s role in civil society children do not know enough English to write a letter. political significance include: