Our Mission

As part of her studies medicine and gynaecology, dr. An Vercoutere from Avelgem in Belgium met people from the ngo Felica in the West-African country Guinea, back in 2005. The warmth and the enthusiasm with which this organization helped (teenage) mothers and (orphan) children, who otherwise would have been left to fend for themselves, touched her deeply. She decided to support Felica, both in Africa and from Belgium. She collaborated as a doctor in a hospital in Conakry and helped in the orphanage run by Felica. When she was in Belgium, she was the moving force behind many fundraisers in support of Felica.

Five years after she first met the people of Felica, dr. Vercoutere and a few other volunteers decided to found the non-profit organization Aniké. The objective of Aniké – which means ‘thank you’ in one of the local dialects in Guinea - was to provide structural aid in Guinea, to enable a more efficient way of working, at larger scale, with the ultimate aim to improve the disastrous situation in which some mothers and vulnerable children have to live in Guinea. More local partners were brought to the table and the fight against female genital mutilation (FGM) became an important focus.

How is Aniké making a difference ? The organization believes that change comes from within and can only work with the support and the help of the people of Guinea itself. Therefore Aniké collaborates with local partners, who know the local situation and who are aware of all possible sensitivities. We also feel it a matter of honour that each euro donated to Aniké, goes directly to the projects we support. Most importantly : Aniké defines ‘development aid’ not in terms of ‘help’, but ‘as an encounter between cultures, in which each party has got something to offer to the other’.