Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) provided materials to Wakilare, a group of people with disabilities who make a living by producing handmade slippers, bags, and shoes in the division of Kaloum in Conakry, the capital of Guinea, and opened a new shop for this group to sell their products.

In his speech at the opening ceremony, Bernard Tamba Teinguiano, leader of the group, said, “When we first started this business, no one believed that we would come this far. Now, as 25 families with disabilities, we make a living by producing handmade slippers, bags, and shoes. TİKA did not only renovated our shop, but also provided machinery and materials to improve our product quality.”

Fatoumata Binta Barry, a person with disability who runs a shop, stated that the interior design that TİKA renovated gave the shop a new look, that sometimes people visited the shop only to see what they were selling, that their sales increased, and that they would ask TİKA for support in opening similar shops in different places in the future.

Gökhan Keser, TİKA’s Coordinator in Guinea, noted that the shop is located on a main road, opposite the Ignace Deen Hospital and adjacent to the international 5-star Noom Hotel, 5 minutes from the Presidential Palace and the Ministries. He said the location of the shop will provide advantages in terms of visibility and sales.

Keser added, “Regardless of production activities, in case sales are not managed properly, products are sold at a loss or remain unsold. The shop, which is in a central location, was given a new look in every aspect, in order to help Wakilare, a group of people with disabilities, to become successful. The support provided for people who are struggling to stand on their own two feet in the spirit of the times despite their disabilities will motivate other people with disabilities who are losing hope.”