Saran Diaby is a civil society activist, and founder and president of the NGO EDUFEEM (Education Femmes et Enfants pour leur Emancipation). She is former president of the Alumni Association of the CRL Yali Dakar Guinée and member of the coordination committee of the AfriYAN Guinée network (African Youth and Adolescent Network on Population and Development). Saran has 11 years of professional experience in marketing as well as 8 years of experience in the associative sector. EDUFEEM secured funding in partnership with the Japanese Embassy to renovate a middle school in the city of Kindia and build a library. 

Saran received the J-Awards Guinea for young activists and the Prix des Actes Posés, an award given to Guineans making changes in their community. She received the US Embassy's SELP HELP 2021 program through her Amis Des Routes project, a road safety education, information and awareness-raising project for children. In November 2022, she was appointed Prefectural Director of Agriculture and Livestock in Coyah. 

IVLP Impact Award Project: Digital and Small Business Development Support Center for Women (CENADPEF)

This project trained rural women in entrepreneurship, digital skills and trades so that they can become financially independent. A total of 200 girls and women were equipped with the skills they need to create and develop their own businesses and earn an income. A series of 12 workshops promoted sustainable economic development, entrepreneurship and social impact. Twenty-five of the participants also received in-depth training on entrepreneurship fundamentals, digital marketing, project pitching and business plan development.

“The CENADPEF project has been a wonderful experience for me, and today more than ever I'm driven by the ambition to move forward with [my juice processing business.]” – Project Participant

IVLP Exchange Experience 

Saran participated in the IVLP Project Women and Entrepreneurship, organized by the U.S. Department of State and FHI 360, in partnership with Georgia Council for International Visitors, Global Ties Akron, and International Institute of Buffalo.

Saran's exchange experience led to the development of her IVLP Impact Award Project: "I was particularly influenced and [impressed] by the efforts of the American government and major American institutions in women's empowerment programs."

U.S. Communities Visited

Washington, DC; Atlanta, GA; Buffalo, NY; Akron, OH

"I [participated in] the IVLP program with a project on women's empowerment... and came back with a more refined, clearer and more complete project thanks to the skills I [acquired]... I came to the conclusion that I needed to duplicate this model and these best practices in my country, adapting them to the needs of women entrepreneurs in Guinea." - Saran Diaby

Country: Guinea 

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