Our project was made possible thanks to #NationalLottery players!
Thank You so Much! With your help we are connecting people of all ages, cultures and abilities in our community through performances, workshops, stalls, craft making, food and more at our free cultural festival.
“London is quite diverse and sometimes you feel you are in your own different pockets…Salifest is an event where you feel people are fusing together.”
Salifest 2024
a vibrant community music festival for all ages, backgrounds and abilities.
The festival is held in memory of the late African drummer and Lewisham resident Salif Sylla whose love for music, culture and community inspired many lives locally and in Guinea. We are joined by local professional and amateur artists, community groups with music, dance, art work and craft making for children, food and stalls. See Salifest 2024 for more details
To give everyone the chance to take part we are keeping it free but appreciate any donations to make this event and our work possible. The link below is for our appeal to help our partners in Guinea with medical emergencies
See Salifest 2023 to get a feel and idea of the day
Fun and Fitness Dance Project
Compost Toilets for Africa Project
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In spite of the very difficult time of the pandemic we have kept going mostly online in the UK and were able to fundraise successfully to help our Guinean partners to build an environmentally sustainable Compost Toilet Block. Salifest 2020 & 2021 was online with contributions of music, dance, photos and cooking video from all over the world. We also raised funds with proceeds donated from tailored Facemasks made by Hanna to help with medical needs in Guinea.
Alanouwaly Salifou Sylla Foundation was founded in honour of Salifou Sylla, who died young in a car crash in 2008. Salifou was an exceptional African musician and dancer with huge generosity who had a vision of creating an understanding across cultures through his artistic skills and ability to inspire, connect and unify.
We perceived Alanouwaly Salifou Sylla as an ever increasing international connections who’s members and friends share whatever they have, be it knowledge, skills, material resources, finance, holidays, conversations, dance, music, opinions, anything that contributes beneficially to the human experience.
We organise African Music and Dance classes and the Annual Salifest in the UK.
The love for Salif by his family and friends everywhere brought this project to life. So many aspects of human life can’t be measured in monetary value. It is important we share these other aspects as well as the material goods and knowledge. Each person and culture has something to contribute to this exchange.
In Guinea we support our partner group and its Community Centre and projects for learning, exchange of information and with educational and material resources.
We have all much to give and share and Guinea has much to offer us, but is also in dire need of resources to pull itself out of poverty. We welcome anyone, whatever you want to share. Please get in touch if you want to take part in any of our activities or just want to find out more @ info@alanouwaly.com. contact us
We are ready to receive visitors to learn the complex West-African music and dance traditions of Guinea, or to just experience Guinea, a beautiful country. The guesthouse has 4 rooms with 3 simple bathrooms.
To help us go to Donate page or directly to secure online donate facility
Current Projects that need your help:
Learning and Information Centre this is improving the ability of Guineans to help themselves: knowledge and information through the IT and internet suite. The computer learning centre has been running on solar power since 2016 and we are nearly ready to expand it to work with local schools, who have no facilities. We can then start the Sewing Project to learn skills & commerce. We have all the materials for this, but we still need to find funding to finish building work.
Water Project in 2013 Alanouwaly undertook a big consultation, Guinean volunteers filming interviews with over 200 local people about the issues that stops then improving their lives. Access to clean and safe water is the most fundamental problem. We have worked with the Eau Pure Project of the German water engineer A. Sigmund who brought a drilling machine and a solar pump to Guinea. Alanouwaly has sucessfully installed the solar pump at local failed water source at the site of a medical centre in construction. Alanouwaly Guinea is now running an affordable drilling operation.
Both projects will contribute hugely to the empowerment of women, who are core providers of families, herewith everyone. Especially easier access to clean water will free women to have time for education, training and business activities and it will improve everyone’s health.
See what we achieved with your donations of money, time and skills
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