Focus on Guinea immigration, focus on Guinean education and life: The nights in Conakry are always exceptionally quiet, without neon lights or bustling traffic, lacking the prosperity and grandeur expected of a capital city. Due to severe power shortages, most of the city is pitch black at night; apart from the headlights of cars on the road, only sporadic lights dot the scattered houses of varying heights.
However, at the airport, at gas stations, and in every place with light, many students gather with textbooks to review their lessons under the lamps. Because there is no electricity, they cannot study at home and have to come to these places to "borrow light."
Several years ago, a photograph became very famous in Guinea: students sat on stone pillars along the airport road, reading books under the streetlights with focused expressions. This photo was used to reflect the power shortage in Guinea, but it also provided comfort and strength to Guineans in distress: their children had not given up. So many years later, this scene can still be seen every day.
The airport has power all day and is brightly lit every night, naturally attracting more students. One side of the parking lot has been occupied by them. Gradually, vehicles coming here have reached a tacit understanding; even if they have to wait for parking spaces elsewhere, they will not disturb them. Later, airport management added a railing there, and that area was completely designated for them.
It seems that most of the students come in groups. Because there are no desks, they spend their time here reading and reciting. Mosquitoes in Guinea are rampant all year round, so they cannot sit or stand for too long and need to move constantly to avoid the harassment of mosquitoes.
Every time the reporter goes to the airport, they walk over to chat with them. After communicating with them, it was discovered that the children who come here share some common characteristics: poor family backgrounds, a strong thirst for knowledge, and a desire to change their own destiny.
A third-year junior high school girl named Fatoumata said that because teachers are poorly treated, the teaching quality in Guinean public schools is getting worse, and private schools charge too much, which her family simply cannot afford. Therefore, she can only work harder and spend more effort to make up for the gap.
She wants to change her destiny. For this group of children, studying and then going to university may be the most direct way to change their fate. They have dreams of changing their destiny and are working hard for them. It is believed that among these Guinean students studying hard under the streetlights, some will eventually become the pillars of this country, and their country will also become different because of them.