I. WELCOME LETTERS

Guinea Country Desk ............................................................................................ 2

Country Director .................................................................................................... 3

*From Staff .............................................................................................................. 4-9

From Current Volunteers .................................................................................... 10-26
 
 

II. LOGISTIC AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS

Important Things to Remember .......................................................................... 27-32

Frequently Asked Questions ............................................................................... 33-34

What To Bring ........................................................................................................ 35-38

*Health Care ............................................................................................................. 39-41

*Checklist .................................................................................................................. 42-44
 
 

III. PRE-SERVICE TRAINING (PST)

*Overview of PST .................................................................................................... 45

*Letter from Thies Training Staff .......................................................................... 46-47
 
 

IV. PEACE CORPS IN GUINEA

Program Overview ............................................................................................. 48-50

V. APPENDICES

*Guinea Bibliography .......................................................................................... 51

Historical Profile of Guinea ............................................................................... 52-56

Articles on Culture Shock (2) ............................................................................ 57-62

Peace Corps Chronology ................................................................................... 63-65
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

March 23, 1998

Dear Peace Corps Trainee:

Greetings from Peace Corps/Washington!

Enclosed is the country information packet for Guinea. The contents were the combined efforts of the staff and Volunteers in Guinea, the Guinea Desk and other offices in Peace Corps/Washington. We hope this information will help you prepare for your Volunteer experience.

Before your departure from the U.S., you will participate in a one and a half day training and orientation event called Staging, which is currently scheduled for June 23, 1998. Please understand the dates are tentative and may change by several days due to flight scheduling to Guinea. The Staging Office will send you reporting instructions approximately four weeks prior to that. During Staging you will:

If you have any country-specific questions, please contact the Guinea Desk at 1-800-424-8580, extension 2262. Any medical or dental inquiries should be directed to the Office of Medical Services, extension 2290. The SATO Travel Office, extension 2233, can help you with questions about passports and visas. As mentioned earlier, you will receive more information about the Staging event (including transportation and hotel arrangements) from the Staging Office, extension 2256.

Some final words of advice... You will find it very useful to take the time to familiarize yourself with some basic French. This kind of head start will make your initial adjustment and long-term French training much easier.

...on making it this far on the road to becoming a Peace Corps Volunteer in Guinea! I'm the Peace Corps Country Director in Guinea and am looking forward to welcoming you to this beautiful country. You'll be joining a group of dedicated Volunteers who are doing impressive work. They all stood where you're standing now, wondering about their decision, questioning their ability to make a contribution and thinking that two years seems like a long time. Well, after visiting these Volunteers in the field, I can assure you that they truly feel they have made a life-changing decision by coming here.

The same opportunity awaits you. You will find a hospitable people who truly appreciate Peace Corps' contributions, a Peace Corps staff whose primary purpose is to ensure that you succeed and another 100+ PCVs eager to meet you and support you. In return, if you meet the training objectives and decide at the end of three months of pre-service training to become a Volunteer, you will be expected to make a firm commitment to two years of service. Literally thousands of hours of work goes into fielding a Volunteer and communities and counterparts eagerly await the results - an English teacher for the high school, a health education Volunteer to work with a women's group, a Math teacher for the students who lost a year of Math last year because their teacher left early.

I will ask you now - and several times during training - to continue reflecting about your decision and commitment before you become a PCV. I'm sure there will be days when you wonder what you've gotten yourself into. Persevere. Take risks. Don't be afraid to make a fool of yourself. Have an adventure! It's definitely worth it!

Nothing can really prepare you for the reality of living and working in Guinea but we've tried anyway. The following packet of materials contains important information to help you get ready, suggestions on what to bring, background information on Guinea and on Peace Corps - and letters from Volunteers and staff, welcoming you and trying to give you an idea of what life will be like for the next two years. You'll have plenty of opportunity during the pre-service training to learn more.

The arrival of a new group of Volunteers is the highlight of our year - we can't wait to meet you, either in Thies, Senegal during your pre-service training or when you arrive in Guinea. Bring your sense of humor with you. It's a prerequisite to fully enjoying your two years here. I will see you in Senegal. Until then - Bon courage!

I have heard that you have decided to join the Peace Corps and have chosen to come to Guinea. This is wonderful. You made a good choice. As you may already know, Guinea was colonized by the French for about sixty years and used to be called "La Guineé Française." The country is located on the west coast of Africa. Its neighbors are Guinea-Bissau (Portuguese Guinea), Senegal and Mali to the north, Sierra Leone and Liberia to the south, Ivory Coast and Mali to the east and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Guinea gained independence from France on October 2, 1958.

From April, 1984, to December 1993, the country was run by a military government. Presidential elections took place on December 19, 1993 and President Lansana Conte became the first democratically elected President. A new government was formed by the President and installed. Legislative elections followed soon after to strengthen the newly created democratic institutions. From a socialist system of economy, the country has been changed over to an open market economy which has made the whole population of Guinea very happy.

Guinea has four major regions. Conakry, the capital, is a big port located in Lower Guinea. Other regions include Middle Guinea (Moyenne Guineé) also called Fouta Djallon, Upper Guinea (Haute Guineé) and the Forest Region. Let me point out here that Guinea has more than twelve local dialects spoken throughout the country. The principal dialects are Susu in Lower Guinea, Fula, Pulaar (also called Peul) in Middle Guinea, Malinké in Upper Guinea, Kissi, Toma and Guerzé in the Forest Region.

In general, people in Guinea eat rice with beef and fish. The dominant religion is Islam (87%), although there are some Catholics, Protestants and Animists.

Currently we have Volunteers working in projects that include education (math and TEFL), Natural Resource Management (NRM) and Community Development/Public Health. Most Volunteers like it here very much and are very happy. Some of them have completed their tour and have extended for a third year. I am convinced that you will like it here, even love it, because of the country, the climate, the atmosphere, the people and the Peace Corps staff, who know that their "raison d'etre" is to support the Volunteers.

Upon your arrival in September, I will be with the first people you will meet at the airport. I am the Deputy Director of Peace Corps Guinea. You will find that I am one of the people who can answer many of your questions concerning Guinea and will do so with great pleasure.

Congratulations, and see you in Conakry.

Tafsir H. Thiam

Deputy Director
 
 
 
 
 

Dear New Recruits,

Congratulations on making it through the oftentimes long and arduous Peace Corps selection process and welcome to the Peace Corps. Though you may not have realized it, some aspects of the process you have just gone through to get to this point are not altogether unlike the experiences you will soon be having as a Peace Corps Volunteer: You will be excited and motivated by the prospect of adventure. You will be challenged to work hard, to be persistent and determined, to practice patience, and to hold on to your vision in the face of hardship, inconvenience, and frustration. But, as your stick-with-it-ness has so far paid off in your being invited to Guinea, so will your hard work, persistence, and determination pay off here as a Volunteer in the friendships you will make, the lives you will touch, the personal growth you will experience, and the adventures you most certainly will have.

I am currently the Associate Director for Administration. While many may think of that title as just referring to the 'money man,' the Administrative Officer's interests lie much deeper than that. The Administrative Officer's interests are in you, in providing the support you need, and in doing whatever possible to enhance the quality of your experience here in Guinea.

I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Costa Rica in the late 80's. No other experience has influenced my life as much as those three years as a Volunteer, so much so that I've been working with Peace Corps ever since, in Washington DC. until a little more than three years ago when I joined the Peace Corps Guinea staff . It's been great to be out in the field again, and Guinea is truly a beautiful country with wonderful people. But, as they say, all good things must come to an end. And so must my time with Peace Corps. I'll be leaving Guinea in June. I'm sad that I won't be here to welcome you in person. However, my replacement will be on board by then and will have the pleasure of getting to know Guinea right along with you. Enjoy your new adventure.

Bon voyage,

Ted Peck

APCD Administration

Dear Health Invitees,

Congratulations, you have embarked on a great adventure of learning and sharing. You will be learning at so many levels: about yourself, about the new culture, about what's involved in being a Public Health/Community Volunteer, and of course you will be learning new languages. You have shown a great deal of determination and commitment getting this far in the process and soon, as Trainees and then Volunteers, you will find it necessary to dig deeper and reaffirm your determination and commitment. You will alternatively be challenged, frustrated, and ecstatic as you ride a roller coaster of emotions and experiences during your time at training in Senegal and later in Guinea.

I am the Associate Director for Health. I arrived in Guinea in August 1997 so I am relatively new to Guinea but I have spent about 15 of the past 20 years living overseas, previously in Malaysia, Cameroon and Guatemala. Moving to Guinea was one of the easiest transitions I have ever made. We, my family and I, have been warmly received by both the American and Guinean communities. I believe all of you will find this a very hospitable country.

You will at times feel overwhelmed by the newness of the situation. That's normal. But you and your new friends, counterparts and communities will adapt to each other. In this regard, time is on your side. You can use the snail's pace of village life to learn about your village, health center, counterparts and life in general. You will have the impression that you are achieving little, which is one of the most difficult problems that Health Volunteers face. You will have to remind yourself, as we often will, that in reality you are achieving a great deal. As you will learn, our American scale for measuring achievement doesn't work in developing countries.

You will soon be departing from the States for Thies, Senegal, where you will spend 8 weeks in training. During this time you will do "homestays". You will receive technical, cross-cultural, language and medical sessions at the training facility during the day, but you will live and spend your nights with a Senegalese family. There you will be exposed to living conditions similar to those in Guinea - large families, lots of activity and very little private time. This will help prepare you for your time in Guinea as a Volunteer. After Thies, you will move to Mamou, Guinea for 4 weeks to complete training. This portion does not include "homestays" but you will do a site visit to a Volunteer living in the region where you will be posted.

The training period is intense and I urge you to put all your energy into it. A successful training will go a very long way in making your time as a Volunteer productive and enjoyable. I will visit you at Thies and spend time getting to know you. At Mamou we will have more time to get acquainted and discuss the post where you will serve. Then you will be sworn in as PCVs and the really great part of the adventure beings. I'll be here to see you through the 2 years of service, ready to support you in all ways possible. Looking forward to seeing you in Thies and Guinea!!

We would like to congratulate you on being invited to Peace Corps Training for Guinea. Yvonne and I look forward to meeting you and helping you stay healthy as a trainee and volunteer. We'd like to give you an idea of our setup here in Conakry and how the Peace Corps Health Unit (PCHU) works and a little about what to expect during training.

The clinic is located on the ground floor of the Peace Corps Office in Conakry and offers a waiting area, exam room and small laboratory in which simple lab analysis can be done.

The staff is as follows:

- Two Full Time PCMOs Yvonne M'Carthy, RN

(Peace Corps Medical Officers) Kay Burke FNP-C

- One Area PCMO who resides Jim Creighton, MD

in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire

- One receptionist/secretary Anne-Marie Loua

- One part time lab technician Dr. Honorio Lama

Our office hours are Monday, Wednesday and Friday 8:30am-4:00pm and Tuesday and Thursday 8:30am-12 noon. On a rotating basis, one of us is on call 24 hours a day 7 days a week for emergencies. You will be supplied with all the contact information when you arrive in Mamou.

During your training period in Thies, Senegal, approximately 12 weeks, you will have about one session a week on medical issues, conducted by the Health Unit staff in Senegal. There are two PCMOs and an APCMO, Hal Glucksberg, MD, in the Health Unit in Dakar. Important medical issues will be covered in sessions designed by the PCMOs in Senegal. These sessions will include food and water sanitation, preventing diarrhea, harassment issues, malaria, personal safety, mental health issues, nutrition and dental care, and sexually transmitted diseases and HIV. Immunizations will be given in accordance with recommendations for those living in West Africa for extended periods. And, you will be given malaria prophylaxis for your weekly protective dose. During your training period, one of the PCMOs from Guinea will come to Thies for a week or so to meet and interview you individually and answer as many questions as possible concerning life and health in Guinea.

In Thies, the PCMOs will provide you with a medical kit which contains items described later in this booklet. They will give you a description of the items in the kit and answer questions regarding their use. If you have any products that you particularly like or need and feel concern that they might not be available in Senegal or Guinea, I suggest you bring a supply with you. Even though we try our best to maintain full stocks of all supplies, we frequently have problems with the length of time it takes to ship supplies from the USA or Germany and stocks either run low or we run out before the new stocks arrive.

Approximately, four weeks before swearing-in, health and NRM trainees will come to the training center here in Guinea, at Mamou, where you will have a chance to meet the other PCMO and possibly the APCMO. We will be covering a few health issues as well, but will also address any health concerns you may have. Two weeks later, the education trainees will join the health trainees in Mamou, and again, be introduced to the Guinea Health Unit staff.

IMPORTANT ISSUES:

We request you bring the following health care products with you:

- two pairs of prescription eyeglasses. We do replace broken or lost glasses but it can take up to 2 months to get them. We do not supply or replace prescription sunglasses.

- 2 years' supply of tampons; they are very expensive and hard to find in Guinea.

- any favorite over-the-counter products you might want while you are here that we do not supply to volunteers, i.e. skin lotions, shampoos, toothpaste, soap, razors and general toiletry items which you are accustomed to using.

We wish everyone all the best for what the future brings. It is definitely hard work, a lot of fun, and "the toughest job you'll ever love".

Sincerely,

Kay Burke, MSN, FNP-C, PCMO, Guinea

Yvonne M'Carthy, SRN, SCM, PCMO, Guinea
 
 

Dear Future PCV Teachers,

Congratulations on being selected as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Guinea. You are part of a highly recruited and unique group of Americans. We are very happy that you will soon be a part of the education project team. Many people, including staff in Guinea, our country desk unit at headquarters, and our training team in Senegal, are busy preparing for your arrival. We are very excited to meet each and every one of you.

I imagine that you must be feeling both excited and a little nervous about your upcoming adventure. Learning new languages, adjusting to the complexities of a different culture, and leaving behind family and friends will pose many challenges over the next few years. At the same time, you will find the experience deeply rewarding and enriching in so many ways.

We are sending you this packet of information to assist you as you begin planning for your departure. I hope that you will find this information useful and that it will help to ease your transition. If you are feeling a bit overwhelmed, keep in mind that you will receive three intensive months of training before you arrive in the Guinean village or town where you will teach. Although no amount of information or preparation will keep you from experiencing the feeling of awe, confusion and excitement that will make your first few days, weeks and months in Guinea, the training will provide you with skills and tools that will be helpful during this period of adjustment. These challenges are part of what will make your Peace Corps experience so wonderful and exciting.

I can certainly empathize with being just a little overwhelmed. My name is LeAnna Marr and I have just been hired as the Associate Peace Corps Director (APCD) for education in Guinea. I am attending intensive training to prepare me for this position. I depart for Guinea in less than two weeks, where Wick Powers, the current APCD, will continue to prepare me for my role as APCD. I will work hard to ensure that you receive the necessary guidance, direction and support to enable you to do your project work effectively. I hope to help make your experience a satisfying and productive one.

I am looking forward to meeting you and am particularly excited as you will be the first group of that I will have the privilege of welcoming to Guinea. I look forward to working and growing with all of you over the next few years. It will be an adventure that we will all remember for a lifetime

See you in Guinea,

LeAnna Marr

APCD for Education

Dear Volunteer-to-be!

You have just embarked on an interesting and challenging job, maybe one of the most exciting endeavors in life. Welcome to Guinea, one of the most fascinating places to visit on the African continent. With its beautiful scenery and hospitable inhabitants Guinea could be a dictionary definition of "land of wonders and challenges". This is partly due to the fact that Guinea had been so long closed to the outside world that the country seems "unexplored" and longs for human potential and technical skills. You are more than welcome to this beautiful country in need of teachers, health and environmental workers. You will discover for yourself!!!

My name is Mohamed Fofana. I came to Peace Corps on August 1st 1997 as the Project Assistant for the Education sector. My main duties are to assist the APCD/Education in technical support to PCVs, evaluate PCVs and the project, serve as a liaison between Peace Corps and the Guinean authorities. I will also take on cross culture support and training management soon.

Although I had no previous working background with Peace Corps, I have met and shared experiences with Peace Corps volunteers and former volunteers both here in Guinea and in the U.S. I think that weighed heavily in my choosing to work with Peace Corps.

Your coming to Guinea reminds me of the opposite journey I have made so many times in my life as a visitor and scholar outside of Guinea. I have come to know how important and useful it is to get to know the way other people think and organize their lives. From England to the United States and elsewhere in Africa, the lesson I learned was PEOPLE ARE JUST PEOPLE.

I believe my experience outside of Guinea has been a great asset for me in understanding and appreciating similarities and differences between people and personalities, more than my academic background in the social sciences.

I hope your undertakings here in Guinea will help you expand your experience about the world, and fulfill the goals of mutual understanding and assistance between your great country and the rest of the world.

Once again, welcome to Guinea, and I wish you all the best during your stay here.

I am looking forward to meeting you very soon

Peace
 
 

Mohamed Fofana

Project Assistant
 
 

Congratulations to Prospective Peace Corps Volunteers

My name is Abdoulaye Tiaghe DIALLO; I hold a M.S. degree from the University of Arizona in Tucson. I recently joined Peace Corps Guinea as the APCD for the Natural Resources Sector. I am looking forward to working on this new project with a new group of volunteers.

As I have recently joined the Peace Corps program in Guinea all the pleasure is mine to welcome you to the country I call home.

For Americans leaving the States, coming to Guinea can be challenging both by the number and the diversity of obstacles to overcome. It can be overwhelming given the uniqueness of the situation and exciting given the people of this country.

Nowadays, Peace Corps is seen as an opportunity for Americans to use their knowledge and creativity in the development of host countries. Since its inception in the early sixties, Americans have been showing through this program that they will not let needy citizens around the world fend all by themselves.

Guinea is a subsaharan low income developing country with 7.2 million inhabitants, an area of 245,857 square kilometers (almost the size of Arizona) and sizable endowments of natural resources. Such an abundance of natural resources suggests that the main constraint to the country's development is the mobilization as well as the allocation of scarce resources to the sectors where they are needed the most, will get the highest returns and will have the greatest impact.

As development within Guinea is definitely possible, the issue is how to make the most of the country's potential to achieve prosperity. I strongly believe that Peace Corps action in Education, Health and Natural Resources can play a major role in promoting sustainable development of this country.

Giving up your comfortable American lifestyle to live like a Guinean villager is quite a leap which you will enjoy only if you are willing to adjust or adapt. Adjust to the food, cultures, people and learn the languages because there are many of them depending on the regions you are living in. Many of your predecessors enjoyed their service as PCVs in Guinea, and I am hoping that you will too. Needless to say, the experience of your years of service will depend to a large extent on what you want out of it and what you are willing to do.

I will be working with you and be assured I will do whatever it takes to make your years of service productive and enjoyable.

Welcome to Guinea and to Peace Corps Guinea.

Sincerely,

Abdoulaye T. DIALLO,

APCD/Natural Resources

After navigating your way through the mountains of paper work and circumventing the medical office's "No talk Thursdays" you may think you've made it through the hard part. Well ... the most difficult and most wonderful parts of your service are still before you.

Enjoy Senegal. Eat plenty of riz-gras and Ice cream, study hard, use the French language whenever possible, and absorb as much as you can. Stage is both exciting and tiresome use the support network that you are weaving around yourself. Take good notes, once you get to site you'll have time to digest the information.

When you descend through the clouds to come to rest in the mountainous, green country below, you'll be coming home. Guinea is as beautiful as it is diverse. You're in for a treat. Be sure to bring all of your courage and excitement, you'll find a new challenge everyday. Daily life definitely varies by region, site and the type of work you've come to do, but I imagine we all have at least one thing in common... TIME. You'll have plenty of it to absorb, reflect, learn and share with your host-country nationals. So, bring an open mind and heart and come ready to work. You'll have moments of frustration and moments of joy, and you'll find us there to share them all with you. Welcome to our wonderful extended family.
 
 

Suni D. Elgar

Health Volunteer

********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Welcome to Peace Corps - Guinea! It seems a very long time ago that I was poring over my recently received Guinea information packet, though it was actually less than a year. I remember reading about volunteers getting up in the morning, going to their health centers, eating rice and sauce and taking bucket baths under the stars at the end of the day. It was easy to glean from those letters that health/community development volunteers could have a lot of time on their hands. I suppose this is true for me as well and, like them, I have established a routine for myself.

But it's easy to talk about routine. What's a bit more difficult to explain is the way your brain, particularly during the first few months at site, is in constant fits of sparking and spelching just trying to figure out what in the world you've gotten yourself into. It suffers from complete intellectual and emotional overload. Initially (that is, the first several weeks at site) it may be considered a major accomplishment to get oneself out of bed in the morning and brush one's teeth. Everything you manage beyond that should make you quite proud. But that does improve with time. It's amazing how adaptable we humans are.

As for the ups and downs you've heard about time and time again, it's true. There will be a lot of them over the course of your three months of training, and if you decide you really do want to swear in, that won't stop once you've taken your oath. The rule of service is that you could be having an absolutely fabulous day, you walk ten steps, something happens and all of a sudden you're in the midst of something so annoying, frustrating or heart-wrenching that you can't begin to imagine how you got there so fast. But it's those downs that make the ups so very worth while.

At any rate, as I've begun to settle in, I've found my greatest challenge to be coming to grips with the fact that I'm accustomed to deriving a certain sense of purpose, my raison d'être, from the amount of measurable work I do in the course of any given day. It's an interesting aspect of our Western existence that I've not found to be easily thrown off. If I'm not busy, not making plans, getting phone calls and e-mails (certainly not a possibility at site), scheduling meetings, doing something, then why is my life important? I personally cannot get beyond my need to do something to give me a sense of purpose (real or imagined), though I am making more of an effort to be a little more Zen about life. What I've had to adjust is my interpretation of work.

The reality is that most of our work here truly rests in the second and third goals of Peace Corps. (In case you've not yet memorized them, they are: "To help promote a better understanding of the American people on the part of the peoples served" and "To help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of the American people".) It's in the relationships we form, in the knowledge we're able to acquire about how people live here and what we're able to pass on about ourselves and our lives as Americans, that we find our work. That's not to say that helping to organize Women's Day activities, working with teachers to incorporate health into the curriculum, or building n'importe quoi are irrelevant. But if that can just be icing on the cake to the relationships you build here, you'll be just fine.

So, enjoy your training and time in Thies as much as you can. Remember as you're melting in your bed at night that it is cooler almost everywhere in Guinea than it is in Senegal (though I'm sure some volunteers in Haute Guinée and around Koundara would beg to differ). And we have good ice cream here, too! Take in as much language as you possibly can. Have fun with it, but don't over-stress. Though you may at first seem to be divided by groups of who can and cannot speak French, the playing field will even out over time and you'll see there's a lot more to your service than language. (I struggled like anything, for the record!) Finally, remember what your mother always said about losing your sense of humor. Hang onto it for dear life!

Anyway, we'll be here waiting, ready to welcome you and help you in whatever ways we can. Bonne chance!

Vickery Prongay

Health/Community Development

*********************************************************************************************************

As a Peace Corps Volunteer, along with all the feelings of community and belonging, you will probably, from time to time, experience feelings of loneliness, being out of place, and being something of an oddity. If you are gay/lesbian/bisexual, chances are you're no stranger to being made to feel this way. Unfortunately, those feelings can be intensified here.

I have found this group to be extraordinarily tight, close and open-minded and have gotten nothing but support from them. What's missing, however, is complete understanding; I've not found other gay/lesbian/bisexual volunteers to discuss this with, so, though my friends are perfectly willing to hear me out whenever I need or want to talk, I've not found anyone who really knows what I'm feeling and going through. Part of the responsibility for that rests on my shoulders as it took me a while to feel comfortable enough to come out in a somewhat public fashion and I didn't really seek out other people in the same position.

One of the most incredible things I've witnessed here is how amazingly close this group has become; one reason for that, I'm sure, is that, while we are all individually going through huge changes and learning tons about ourselves, we are also going through a lot of the same things together. The amount of support and caring in this group is unbelievable and is one of the most important factors in my happiness here. However, on this one issue, I don't have that commonness of experience with everybody else, and that's been difficult and at times somewhat alienating. I have to say, however, that I've never been made to feel uncomfortable or judged by any volunteer or staff member with whom I've talked about this, and I think that says a ton about how wonderful these people are.

In my site the question of my sexuality has never been raised. The idea that I'm anything other than straight doesn't seem to have occurred to anyone and I've chosen not to challenge that assumption. As I'm not here looking for love (as that would clearly be an example of, in the brilliant words of the late, great Buckwheat, "wookin' pa nub in all da wong paces"), but rather am here to work, whether I'm gay or straight is not really an issue. Fielding the all-too-frequent inquiries as to why I'm not yet married and wouldn't I like to become the fourth Mrs. Mamadou Camara is, not surprisingly, somewhat uncomfortable, but I'd have to imagine that that's not so pleasant for the straighter among us either. I actually derive a fair amount of enjoyment seeing how outrageous a description of my fictional husband I can come up with in an attempt to put a stop to this line of questioning.

So, I guess what I'm trying to say with all this is: The Peace Corps can be hard, being gay can make it somewhat harder. Or, looking at it another way, being gay can be hard, being in the Peace Corps can make it somewhat harder. However, because of the universal support and acceptance from staff and volunteers alike, it's not been at all unbearable or anywhere close to making me regret having chosen to come here.

Dear minority volunteers,

Congratulations on your placement in Guinea. It is a beautiful country that presents a PCV with many challenges and rewards.

You may be wondering how being a minority will affect your stay in Guinea. Well, like every volunteer's experience in Guinea, it will be very different from everyone else's.

Once your village or town gets over the fact that you look nothing like the picture in the catalog (PCV pictured in teal), they will realize that you too, are a certifiable American.

Although being a minority will affect the nature of your stay in Guinea, life here will probably not be any more or less difficult for you. There are benefits and difficulties ranging from being a minor celebrity, to not sticking out as much as other Americans - this of course depends on the type of minority, and time of day ( for example Indian Americans tend to be most visible between 6 and 7 am, while Filipino Americans are more visible after sunset).

You will face different challenges, but at the same time you will be coming in with useful "life skills" that you picked up as a visible minority in America. The fishbowl effect, and issues of cultural identity/relativity will not be new. The sessions on them, however, may be bothersome. Bon courage - stage can be difficult.

What is life like in Guinea, did you say? Well, I am a math teacher in a tiny, tiny, tiny town in the forest region of Guinea (did I mention it's not too big?). Most all education volunteers, and in fact most health volunteers will be located in larger towns; I am an unusual exception.

I teach two classes at the local junior high, and a typical day is as follows: Wake up to the rustling of neighbors and their chickens, goats, sheep. Scare kids off my front porch (goats, not Guineans). Ride to school, teach classes. Return home, eat lunch and listen to BBC. Aid students if they come by (they often don't). Pursue a hobby, read, explore my neck of the woods by bike, or play soccer. Contemplate starting to prepare for class. Maybe starting to prepare for class. Eat dinner with Sous-prefet's family. Definitely starting to prepare for class. Stroll around village, watch kids dance and sing, talk to villagers. Go to sleep - sometimes very early.

Village life, even more than Guinea-life in general, is chock-full of free time. Guineans like to quote the American saying "Time is money," unfortunately though, in Guinea it's not worth too much. I try to pass my time pursuing hobbies, planning secondary projects, reading, trying to get to know my community (only about a 150 more to go!), and seeing how fast I can count to a hundred (just kidding). In light of that, the best packing advice that I received prior to coming is bring things that will make you happy (like pictures, music, books etc.).

See ya in Guinea,

Ravi Goud

That was my initial question, but it took me quite sometime to realize that the people I were asking were of the wrong color! So I had to redefine my purpose of being here. If you're looking for a great fulfilling experience this is the place. If you're looking for the African Experience this might be the place. It all depends on YOU! Yes, all these people here look like US, walk like us, but they don't talk like us. God has made us all different and unique for His pleasure. So before you go thinking that you're going home to the Mother Land, which you will be, you have to realize that this is going to be "your experience" and no one else's. You may look at your Peace Corps group and realize that there are very few brothas and sistas in your group. You may look around and see all these white people and think this is a white man's organization. You may have been told that African Americans come here and never go back home. Let me tell you that none of that is true. Let me also tell you that Your Peace Corps experience is going to be whatever you make it. If you want a great experience it will come, but always be aware that there are downfalls. If you are not used to adapting to a new environment, get used to it quick! You have to be willing to adapt, and if something doesn't go your way, don't wimp out. Times will be difficult from the time you arrive in Senegal to the end of your COS [completion of service].

For me coming here, at first the thought was greater than the expectations. Then they finally caught up with each other when I saw how much work was ahead of me. The work in stage [pre-service training] was all apart of helping me to adapt. As one of the older volunteers it's always useful to tell younger volunteers what its like. Let me say that I quit one teaching job, turned down another, told the world that I was going to AFRICA. West Africa as a matter of fact, the land of Sekou Ahmed Toure', where he told the French, "Non." That Guinea would take its independence from the French reign. Also this is a land where they look like, act like, and but don't talk like me for which I had to learn their language to be able to adapt. French is a language of which I had very little skills. And everybody in my group had so much more of. I struggled with the French and the Math at first, because I had been a Middle School teacher for three years, and that was where my Math level had rested for a small period of time. But each day I kept pushing and pushing until I finally got with it.

During stage there were many times I thought seriously about quitting until I ran into an older African American Professor visiting Senegal from Chicago. I shared my grief with her and my aspirations for coming. In her words, she said, "Peace Corps is the greatest vehicle that African Americans can use to come to Africa and learn about their roots and heritage. And after that then you can go on continue your education, young man." In closing she said, "Don't quit anything, finish what you started and start what you planned to finish, never leave a job undone. You're setting a great example for the younger generation." Ever since then I've never looked back. From time to time I wonder how much greater this experience is going to be. But then I realize it'll be whatever I make it.

James T. Ham

Peace Corps Guinea 96-98

Greetings from Guinea. As you know by now, things are pretty different here on every level. Religion, culture, food, general outlook - everything is pretty unusual. For Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual volunteers things are both different and the same .

To begin with, most Guineans seem fairly unaware of the existence of Gays and Lesbians in Guinea. From the few conversations I've had on the topic, the reactions were at first denial of homosexuality in Guinea followed by a condemnation based on religious beliefs. The Muslim attitude echoes the Christian attitude that most of us are probably more familiar with in the US. Suffice to say that the gains made in the US have not traveled this far, yet. So things are similar and different, en même temps.

As a volunteer one of my greatest challenges was adjusting to the lack of a Gay and Lesbian community here in country. Here any volunteer must rely on co-volunteers for support and understanding for almost all issues. For Gays and Lesbians, this is definitely the case. The community many of us have at home is replaced by the volunteer group here. For my group, we all gelled nicely and a supportive community has formed. This support is, of course, available to any Gay or Lesbian PCV when they arrive. Hopefully, as you train your group can form the type of support networks that you will use later.

As I believe you are learning already, we are seen as different no matter what we do. Our love interests are rarely a topic of conversation, beyond simple questions about why we aren't married yet. Whereas no one has ever harassed me or threatened me based on my sexual orientation, I can say that I've never come out to anyone and no one seems clued in enough to ask. It is basically not an issue because there seems to be no consciousness of our existence. For day to day existence this makes things a lot easier; overall, there is no hiding the fact that for those of us who were out at home, this is a return to the proverbial closet. It is not always a pleasant experience but it could be seen as one of the many challenges we all face on so many levels.

So Peace Corps for Gays and Lesbians is tough. However, we have some positive things going on here in Guinea that can help ease the adjustment. First, the volunteers already in country are very supportive, as I've pointed out. Second, the administration is actively engaged in helping ALL volunteers reach their potential here. This means that gay and lesbians volunteers are treated fairly and have the full support of staff. For example, our country director suggested and encouraged this letter. Finally, there are gay and lesbian volunteers here as you now know. We will do whatever we can to help you succeed.

This seems a little vague as I read it over. It's so hard to generalize when you're are talking about the world of PC Guinea. Suffice to say that you'll be able to succeed here as do all volunteers. There is great support and I personally feel being a Gay or Lesbian volunteer creates a special challenge but not one any more difficult than others faced by PCVs. So Bonne Chance et Courage, Quoi!?

Dear Volunteer-to-Be...

Welcome to the hood! See you soon... I'm a first-year PCV near Fria, about 5 hours from Conakry. What have I done during these first four months at site? It's pretty varied: I've set up my house, learnt names and faces, studied and practiced language(s), refused numerous marriage proposals, contacted various organizations, watched things happen (or not) at the health center, helped out a bit with a women's gardening co-operative, read technical manuals, and drank lots of strong sugary tea in the market with my friends.

A typical day? That's hard, as my life is very unstructured. For instance, I may get up around 7:00 and heat some water on my gas campstove for some tea. Drink some tea, eat some oatmeal, and read some Newsweek. Feed my cats. Brush my teeth using the bucket to which I (so cleverly) attached a faucet. I like to go to the health center every morning to greet everybody. Then I'll do a mixture of things, perhaps read a little about nutrition, study a little Pulaar, write in my work journal, go water my plot in the women's co-operative. Later, do a little housekeeping (dust is omnipresent), eat some rice and sauce that my neighbors bring me (I buy them rice once in a while as an exchange). Afternoons are mellow because it's too hot to do much -- I'll read, write, maybe visit people. Take a nice cool bucket bath, pouring water over me with a cup. If nobody brings me dinner, I'll cook a little spaghetti or whatever I have around -- eggplant or canned beans. Bed is around 11:00, I dream strange dreams, and get up the next day.

Since the last volunteer here married a Guinean, I'm usually required to include refusal-of-marriage-proposal in my activities somewhere each day. Even if she hadn't set that precedent, I would still face the same kind of unwanted attention. You learn to take it -- what we would term "harassment" -- with a certain amount of humor. You draw your own lines of tolerance, and make those known in your community. People in general will respect that, and those that don't, you try to avoid.

So, each day is not chock-full of world-saving activities, but things move so slowly here -- both in terms of Guinea's development and our own learning process as PVCs. It takes a lot of energy, because each little step comes from you -- there's no boss with a daily to-do list. We end up needing a lot of sleep, because it's quite exhausting. Yet, too, so many of those little steps are so important, and so fulfilling. Things happen slowly, but they do happen, and it's a great feeling as you see work paying off. I do love being here, I'm having the time of my life.

A word about sexual diversity here. We are a diverse group (I, for instance, am bi), and you can comfortably come out to fellow PVCs and staff. Be prepared for a certain level of quietness, however. I came here from San Francisco, and it was quite an adjustment. I found PST (stage) to be particularly quiet about diversity issues, but that should change. Speak up to your trainers if you feel it is not being adequately addressed.

I have advice. First of all, realize we can't possibly paint the entire picture for you. Even during Stage, you'll be begging your trainers for more information about Guinea. You'll see when you get here. Trust me. Be patient. I know it's hard.

Other advice -- start studying French now, no matter what your level, so that you can get into a higher level class in Stage and maybe get to local language earlier.

Take Stage seriously, but relax too. Be nice to each other, lean on each other, give to each other. Have fun!

And check out my web page, it has lots of useful links -- Guinea, Africa, RPCVs -- at www.concentric.net/~margec.

Stephanie Chasteen, PCV Baguinet

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Dear new health volunteer,

Hello and congratulations on your decision to come to Guinea. It is beautiful here. You will be so relieved once you finally arrive, because you will stop hearing "You'll see when you get there". I'm sure you have compiled a book full of questions that this booklet will not begin to answer. The only thing I can say is try to relax as you jump on the roller coaster known as Peace Corps.

I live in a village of 1600 people in "the Basse Côte" region of Guinea. I have a site-mate which is a rarity for health volunteers. My day begins with the rising of the sun. I get up, eat breakfast which consists of bananas and the yogurt I made the night before, and listen to the BBC. At about 8 a.m. I head off to the health center to see if I can help out in any way. The only thing I can really do there is fill out patient charts. Things tend to slow down after a couple hours, so I then take a stroll through the market to see if anything looks appetizing. The women there usually find a great deal of laughter in my attempts to speak Soso. When I return home, I read for awhile until lunch which always consists of rice and sauce. After lunch, everyone takes a sieste. I begin my evening rituals when the sun begins to hide itself in the trees. I take a bucket bath, eat something (yes, rice and sauce) and finally crawl under my mosquito net with a book and walkman. By 9:30 p.m. the Mephloquine dreams begin to take form. Without electricity, it is easy to conform to these solar cycles.

As a health volunteer you will have a lot of time on your hands to get to know your village and the local language. My site-mate (a math volunteer) is sometimes bitter about all the books I read. I will warn you, this job is ambiguous and training may not answer your questions. It will be up to you to create what is right for you. The first two months in Thies are mentally straining. It is similar to grade school. Just don't forget to take some time and enjoy Senegal. It is well worth it.

If you are questioning what you may possibly need to bring to get you through the next two years, bring things that make you happy. You can get clothes made here and cheap, used American clothes are available at the markets, but the markets can be intimidating at first while in Thies (especially if you don't speak French). Remember this is a Muslim country and as miserable as it may sound in a hot, tropical climate, you will rarely be able to wear shorts. Another necessity is a sense of humor. Throw out all of your expectations and enjoy, you will not regret it !

Tracy Cowger, Tougnifily

Dear incoming Health Volunteer,

Hello and congratulations. I'm sure you will be just full of questions at this point, and I am acutely aware that reading this booklet doesn't answer the half of them. DON'T WORRY; your questions are good ones, and most of them will be answered - eventually; you just need to be patient.

Very patient.

In fact, life in Guinea is a function of your patience level, a fact you can't let daunt or discourage you. It may take the full two years to answer all your questions, but this very search is what makes your life here in Guinea ultimately fulfilling. Take for instance the question, the Big Question, the question that is paramount to you as a Health Volunteer: But what will I be doing? This is the question that makes you tear your hair out and want to throttle your trainers as they look at you with a mixture of pity, envy and wisdom. The reason they don't respond immediately is that they cannot, for this is the question whose answer you have come to fulfill. In trying to figure it out, in other words, you form the response.

If this all sounds a little Zen, I apologize; one thing I can say is that the Health Volunteer has time. It is enough time to really think about what you are doing and why you are doing it. Most Education Volunteers scoff haughtily at the Health Volunteers' pathless existence, but they don't realize how difficult it can be - or how rewarding. Your rewards will come in small, powerful doses. The other day my town finally unlocked a perfectly functional well that had been shut for six months for various silly bureaucratic and personal reasons; for me this was the culmination of five months of political trenchwork - soothing ruffled egos, poking in the right spot, scratching the right itch, the occasional temper tantrum. It was a trial throughout, but the sense of elation I feel as a result of it is brought home to me every time I see a little girl carry water past my front door.

I have a range of activities that include: giving health talks, or even better, watching my Guinean counterparts give them: check up on village health committees to assure that they are doing their jobs; working with (or around) town officials in order to establish development priorities. On top of this, there are any number of secondary projects you can undertake that will keep you very busy indeed. They can range from small to huge, and can become your primary focus if (rarely, but not impossibly), your health center is one that functions well.

On the subject of development, I'm sure you have plenty of concerns and worries - all well founded. But what you do here, what you make of it, is up to you; I think anybody can have a profound experience. There are countless reasons why you become a PCV; I guarantee that some of these will always be actualized. One week you may be utterly unhappy about some personal situation, while at the same time some secondary project is going well for you. The next week your whole professional world might crash down around you, but you'll find all sudden that your love life has come up roses. It could be anything; twenty-four hours makes more of a difference here in Guinea than everywhere else I've ever been.

But, to give you daydream-during-French-class fodder: I live in a village of 4000 in a Forest Region. I rise early (depending ...) and eat something sinful like fried bread and mango jelly, then take a stroll through the health center to see if there's anything I can be helpful with. At my health center, the answer is usually no, which is a good thing. So I observe, try to pick up the impenetrable local language (Guerze) and make old ladies laugh (very easy, just open your mouth and try to say hello). Then I might venture up to the market see if anything looks amiss in the local rice bars and coffee shops, while keeping an eye out for attractive t-shirts and flip flops. In the afternoon, I might go to the Sous-prefectorial offices and try to work on a secondary project, or perhaps ride out to one of my districts on a coffee-blossomed road to give a health talk. As the sun nears the horizon, I take a jog, a bucket bath, read some and have (yet another) plate of rice and leaf sauce - green, ugly, and delicious. Evenings with candles usually have me wondering how quickly such a slow day went by. It's a strange, full life.

So, I urge you all to think about your questions, ask them, enjoy stage [pre-service training] (which can pack a pretty impressive number of highs and lows into a day) and finally - Come to Guinea! It is something you will never regret, even if we don't have ice cream.

Jeremy Eggleton, Koule

(now in N'Zerekore)

I was a health and community development volunteer in a small village 35 km east of Kankan, the regional capital of Haute Guinea. There are eleven villages in the sous-prefecture of Missamana. The center village has a population of 1,500.

The first month I went to the health center every day, or visited the outlying villages for vaccination tourneys. During the next few months, I focused on getting to know the community outside the health center. I visited and gave health talks at the primary school and NAFA Center, went to the fields during harvest and land clearing times, washed clothes with women at the river. Missamana is a beautiful place; the villagers and health center staff are friendly, motivated people; I had no major problems. However, after being at site for four and a half months, I have decided to terminate service. Why am I leaving ?

The health program involves a lot of down time. Indeed, most of the time "work" is equivalent to hanging out in the village--chatting, dancing, sharing meals. From the knowledge you gain and the connection you form with your community emerges the shape of your work. This is a slow process. There are many long hours spent wondering and figuring out "Why am I here?" This question relates not only to your place and purpose in the community, but to you personally. What do you want from your Peace Corps experience? Take a moment to be selfish, and think about what you hope to get out of service in Guinea. Is this enough to keep you motivated in a program that lacks definite structure and purpose?

My goals for the future have shifted since coming to Guinea. The stagnant time in the village became frustrating, and I realized that the desire to move on would torment my service. ("Why am I here?" becomes a nagging question unless you have a solid answer to chase it away.) This has been one of the hardest decisions I have ever made--no choice could be free from regret. These months in Guinea have been a time of unmatched growth and exposure . I leave with a small sense of what I will be missing, and the pain of never truly knowing what I have lost.

Please write or e-mail if there is anything you would like to discuss:
 
 

Michele Wiegand

125 Moore Lane

Woodstock, NY 12498

wiegand@mhv.net

Greetings from Guinea, West Africa! I'm in a small village of just over 1000 people in the southeastern forest region near the border of Côte d'Ivoire. Although each day always brings about new surprises, I'm well habituated to the daily tasks of drawing water from the well, taking bucket baths, washing clothes by hand, finding new ways to start the fire to cook dinner, stomping on my straw mattress hopelessly trying to get it to conform into more comfortable lumps, chasing the ants, frogs, crickets, preying mantises, and a multitude of other strange African species from my house, carrying the matron's newborn on my back wrapped in a pagne (strip of cloth), and balancing rice, wood, or water on my head.

A typical day usually starts by getting up with the sun. With no electricity in the villages, it's easy to get used to living daily life from sunrise to sunset. The mornings are usually misty, creating a big pocket of trees enveloped in fog. I spend the next couple of hours working, reading, or writing in my small two room house, taking advantage of the comfortable cool mornings. Around 10:00 a.m. I'll visit the health center and help out where needed, as well as make the rounds to my various counterparts to discuss possible or current secondary projects that are going on. Depending on the day, I could be giving a health talk in the health center, or traveling on my bike to an outlying district between 3 - 20 km away to give a health talk. In the afternoons a lot of people take siesta to escape the overbearing heat. It's also a good time to visit friends, sitting and talking in the cool shade under a mango tree. For dinner sometimes I'm invited to eat with a family, or I'll go buy some rice and sauce from the rice bar and bring it back to my house. Food in the forest usually consists of rice and sauce - sauce varying from bean sauce, leaf sauce, or soup sauce, all fairly tasty when you find the good cooks in the village. And you will never run out of bananas - unfortunately most of the monkeys have been made into monkey meat which probably accounts for the overflow of bananas! In the evenings sometimes I have friends over; the kids love to play cards and talk about America. Other evenings are fairly quiet and I can relax in candle light with a good novel, or listen to Voice of America or BBC on the short wave radio.

Lonely times can come and go but it always helps to get out and be with the villagers. There's always someone happy to have your company and sign language works wonders when there's a language barrier. When I'm missing home I always think of the place where I am - where else would I be surrounded by acres and acres of beautiful forest, in my very own backyard? Continual appreciation of my present environment always helps to diminish the loneliness and hard times that will inevitably come. I would never want to trade the experiences I've had here for anything else.
 
 

PCV Dawn Rabey, Tounkarata

One of the popular questions asked by prospective Peace Corps volunteers is, "Will I live in a hut?" Well, I do! It's a round cement hut with a straw roof. One room is my bedroom/kitchen/office/salon and the other room has my latrine and space for me to take my bucket bath. I've become proficient at chasing away the various African creatures that like to creep inside my dwelling and because it always stays cool in straw-roofed huts I sleep most comfortably on my double bed within the protection of my green Peace Corps mosquito net.

I live in Kanfarandé, a "presque isle" on the Basse Côte of Guinea. I have to take a boat to travel from my site and half of my sous-prefectoral districts are islands. It's lush and beautiful, especially during rainy season. I'm surrounded by tons of palm trees and I have huge mango trees and one large baobab tree in my backyard. Recently, there's been a family of monkeys stealing mangoes from the trees. Unfortunately, there's not a beach in Kanfarandé, but there are several beautiful ports where I can go and watch the waves, crabs, and the fisherman rowing out to catch fish to feed the village.

An average morning in Kanfarandé starts when the sun comes up and the roosters are crowing. I struggle out of my mosquito net, take a bucket bath, and go and pull more water from a nearby well. I usually eat a baguette (loaf of bread) and whatever fruit is in season for breakfast. Sometimes the village is out of bread and I've actually grown to like fried manioc balls with fish sauce and roasted peanuts. Then, if I'm not teaching in one of the schools, I'll go over to the health center and talk to my friends that work there. I've worked with the health center staff to find out the main health problems in my village. I've helped to give AIDS talks, document children's vaccinations, and I've seen several births. Around 2:00 I'll go over to my adopted family to hang out before lunch. Here I'll play with the children, hold a baby, help prepare the sauce for the rice, or just chat with whomever's around until lunch is ready. Lunch time consists of myself, a few women, and a few small children sitting on the ground in the shade around a large bowl of rice and sauce and fish. We eat a lot of palm oil and fish with our rice here on the coast. I really like rice and sauce (peanut butter sauce, palm oil sauce, manioc leaf sauce). It just can get monotonous and there's no Pizza Hut if I want a change. In the afternoon I take a siesta or read or listen to the radio. As the sun gets cooler I like to get some exercise or play soccer with the kids. I take another bucket bath before the sun goes down and then either retreat inside my hut with a candle, a good novel, and the BBC on my short-wave radio or go out to drink tea and chat with my friends.

I used to have dreams about my family and friends and life in the U.S., but now I dream more about my life here. Not that I don't still miss everything in the U.S., it just gets easier. I would never change my decision to come to Guinea, but it's also not for everyone. It's hard to deal with the slow pace of progress and the problems and poverty all around you. At the same time, there's so much beauty in the land and the people---it makes it all worth it.

Congratulations and Welcome to Peace Corps Guinea.

Being chosen to serve in Guinea means that you will soon be asked to challenge yourself, expand your knowledge of the cultural spectrum, and help an energetic country whose people have the will to ameliorate the conditions for all of its many ethnic groups. Let me first say that it is beautiful here. There are forests, mountains, rivers, plains and even beaches. In addition, there are lots of bananas, pineapples, mandarines, guavas, mangoes, avocados, papayas, coconuts, oranges, and other exotic fruits I've never seen in the U.S.

I am teaching English in Middle Guinea or the Fouta Djallon. I live in a Sous-Préfecture called Kankalabé. Most teachers will serve in bigger "Prefectures". Being in a Sous-prefecture means (often times) no electricity, no post office, no telephones, no running water, and (more than likely) pit latrines. This is why you must be motivated for Peace Corps service.

In addition to teaching English at the college (junior high) and lycee (high school), I am also the teacher for the literacy and numeracy classes given at the primary schools for girls who have dropped out of school (Centre NAFA). In addition, I teach English to adults 2 nights a week at the primary school. I am currently occupying myself with secondary project plans. The secondary project can involve a lot of work. You will find out more about this in stage. I have found however, that the secondary project really forces one to try and get to know their community and surrounding villages.

Speaking of villages, when I go out to visit my friends' or students' families, I always receive chickens. Get prepared to be around very thankful, grateful people. I have already received 3 roosters and 5 hens , bags of cassava, huge papayas, sacks of millet, bags of peanuts, oranges, bananas, traditional African clothes. And an old man (mawdo in Fula) just gave me his "vieux paysan" farmer's hat yesterday while I was in Gabire, his village.

Also, be prepared to be compared to the Volunteers you are replacing. The people will always say "Volunteer X spoke better French than you and she spoke FULA (national language ) perfectly the day she arrived, she did this, she did that, she built the town with her own two hands. She danced and cooked better than you and...etc., etc." But, after 3 months they will forget about your predecessor and you will love it here. If you don't after 3 months, come visit us in Kankalabé.

* CYNTHIA'S MUST LIST: A walkman, cassettes, lots of batteries. Reminds you of a home, friends, gives you solace and refuge. 20 pairs of underwear. Hankies (midwesterner's "mouchoirs"/bandannas/handkerchiefs) are a must. Wipes sweat, ties hair, cleans wounds.

Cynthia M. HIRD

Hi! Congratulations on being accepted to Peace Corps Guinea! We can't wait to meet you! I'm an English teacher in a small town called Koubia, north-east of Labé in the Fouta Djalon. Although my town is a prefecture capital, there's only about 1,500 residents, so I feel like I get the best of both worlds: There are the basic amenities (taxis leaving everyday, post office, hospital, etc.) but the atmosphere is small enough so I feel like I know almost everyone. Although cities have a lot more to offer (dance clubs, imported food, contact with other Volunteers and administration) I think everyone would testify that Volunteers in the cities don't get the same kind of community integration as those of us in villages do.

In my opinion, one of the most positive aspects about Guinea is the natural beauty, especially during rainy season when all is lush and green. If a particular day isn't going smoothly, it's never anything a bike ride out to the waterfalls can't help ease over. Also, the warmth and generosity of people in the villages - by village, I mean a cluster of huts on a hillside - is simply incredible. It can often be a bit disappointing to realize how strong of an impact the American culture has had on people here, but when you get a chance to escape to one of these villages, you are rewarded with a very fulfilling, enriching experience.

The overwhelming negative aspect about Guinea is difficulties with communication. Letters usually arrive, but they can take up to 4 months; and packages are often stolen, or "lost". (Given this, if you realize once in Africa there are things from home you need, get them sent to you while in training in Senegal. It may be your last chance for a while). Phone service is off and on, but usually I manage to receive a phone call from home about once a month. Also, roads "en brousse" are unbelievably horrible, which makes all travel frustrating, uncomfortable and tiring for those of us who don't live on the main national route.

Given all of this, in general, Guinea has a great program here and the difficulties just turn into interesting and even amusing adventures. Our administration is wonderful and a lot of Volunteers choose to stay on a third year.

- If you don't already have a radio, you can buy cheap ones here. Also, CD's are almost impossible to find, and all the local music is on cassettes.

- Bring a credit card: In big cities like Dakar, and even in a couple of places in Conakry, you can use it.

- There are occasional times when you get together with other Volunteers in cities and go out, so don't hesitate to bring one "going out" outfit.

- Teachers: don't worry about grammar books and such. Peace Corps provides.

- If you like to cook, bring spices (don't worry about recipes - Peace Corps gives you a Guinean -adaptable cookbook).

- Don't overdo it on books. All the houses have a stock, and Volunteers trade.

- In general, anything you need can be bought in Conakry or Dakar, so don't worry too much about it. Kristin Wojtkowski

Dear Future Volunteers:

Welcome to Guinea! I'm sitting right now at my desk in my hut (cement walls, straw roof), writing by candlelight and squishing moths which would have incinerated themselves, anyway. The cassette player is on, gobbling batteries as usual, but I can still hear crickets and frogs chirruping outside (accompanied by the distant bass of the dance/video club's generator). A typical evening at my site, a remote prefecture in North-Eastern Guinea, closer to the Mali and Côte d'Ivoire borders than anything else. Admittedly, every Volunteers likes her own region best, but there is nothing as beautiful or quintessentially African as sunrise over the Sankarini flood plain. In truth, all of Guinea is so beautiful that you'll love wherever you end up.

I'm an English Education Volunteers, teaching all of the students in Mandiana's only high school. It is challenging (most of the students are older than me), sometimes frustrating (they think I'm unfair when I don't let them cheat on tests), but often fun (Simon & Garfunkle sing-alongs) and yes, even rewarding (amazingly, 70% of my students passed their Baccalaureate Exam this year). During the school year, most of my time was spent in the classroom or at my desk, preparing lessons. Being a first-year teacher is hard, in any country. But I still had time to visit friends in the market (and learn to bargain!), attend baptisms, ride my bike en brousse, play with kids, speak some Malinke, eat lots of rice & sauce, learn to pan for gold, and risk schistosomiasis for an occasional swim in the river. Plus reading books, playing guitar and taking the occasional jaunt to Kankan to visit other Volunteers. A rather nice life, now that I think of it.

Now for the big issue: What to Bring. The source of many wrenching choices and last-minute trips to Wal-Mart. Well, I'd say don't worry too much about it. If you can make it through three months of training, you'll get to Guinea where you can buy everything you need. Clothing, shampoo, sheets and sandals are plentiful and cheap around here. So instead of things you need, focus on things you want. Comfortable clothing which you enjoy wearing. Things which make you happy. What do you like? Music? Bring your tapes and your instrument! Art? Find room for pens, paints or colored pencils. Athletics? Good running shoes sure beat the local equivalent (jellies). Nature? How about a West-African bird book, or astronomy charts. Cooking? Spices, salt/pepper shakers and garlic presses are hard to find here. Photos from home are gold - I brought about ten, should have brought a hundred. Unless you are 100% un-vain, heavy-duty facial cleansers could be a small but important joy. Just bring things that make you feel good. Feeling good is important around here.

So once again, welcome to Guinea. It may not be like anything you've imagined, but it's worth the trip.

Good luck!

Aimee Beal (1995-1997)

Baggage

Your total carry-on luggage should weigh no more than 11 pounds. Your total check-in luggage should weight no more than 80 pounds. Your first check-in bag cannot exceed the total measurement of 62 inches (length + width + height = 62 inches). Your second check-in bag cannot exceed the total measurement of 55 inches (length + width + height = 55 inches).

Adherence to these guidelines is necessary to minimize baggage-related problems during international travel. If you choose to ignore them, all additional charges will be solely your responsibility.

Climate

The climate varies across the four natural geographic zones but in general the dry season is from November to May and the rainy season from June to October. It rains sooner - and harder - in the Forest Region and the Coastal Region. Upper Guinea (toward Mali on the map) tends to be drier and somewhat hotter. And while the climate most of the year is warm to hot, it can get chilly in the Fouta Djallon Region.

Diplomatic Pouch

The diplomatic pouch is meant for official business of the U. S. Government. As Volunteers are not considered employees or agents of the government, they are not entitled to the use of the pouch for their personal letters and packages.

In some instances Volunteers may use the Diplomatic Pouch to receive work- or health-related materials that have been approved by the work supervisor or nurse. The following is a summary of the process by which Volunteers may receive work-related materials and medical supplies through the pouch:

Please also note that INSURED AND/OR REGISTERED MAIL IS NOT AVAILABLE THROUGH THE POUCH. For these services, the U.S. Postal Service or a courier service such as UPS or DHL should be contacted by the sender.

Illegal Drugs and Alcohol

The Peace Corps takes a very firm position with regard to the unauthorized use or possession of illegal drugs including marijuana by trainees or Volunteers. Such use or possession is grounds for mandatory termination from the Peace Corps. Such activity is illegal in most countries, and Volunteers are subject to prosecution for violation of host-country laws.

The use of alcohol is left to the discretion of individual Volunteers and staff members. If any individual's use of alcohol results in discredit to him or her or to the Peace Corps, that behavior is considered unacceptable and the individual will be separated. Alcohol abuse may also warrant special attention by Country Directors and medical staff.

Emergency Leave

In the event of the serious illness or death of a child, parent, sibling, or person serving in a parental relationship to the Volunteer, the Peace Corps Office of Special Services may authorize Emergency Leave and travel for you to and from the appropriate location at Peace Corps' expense. Emergency Leave will not ordinarily exceed two weeks, including travel time.

Entertainment

Volunteers do different things for entertainment: read, play cards, paint, play musical instruments, keep journals, dance, run, bicycle, do sports such as judo, karate, basketball, soccer, and softball, and do different crafts. In the capital, PCVs go to movies, dance at various nightclubs, eat out, and congregate at certain bars that don't mind if you nurse one coke or a beer all evening.

When at their posts, they spend a lot of time with their Guinean, American, and other friends. Visiting and conversation are much more important forms of entertainment in Guinea than they are in many households in the States. Without the distractions of television and videos, you will find that your relations with other people take on a greater importance than the same relationships might have had for you back home. In general, it is safe to say that you will rely heavily on other people for entertainment, and that your friendships will be of primary importance.

Financial Gain

Trainees and Volunteers are expected to live within their Living Allowance; they may not accept payment for their services except from the Peace Corps. They may not engage in any activity for personal financial gain within the host country.

Food

Rice is the staple food in Guinea and no matter what region you are posted in, you will find that it is the basis of everyone's diet. If people haven't had their rice, they consider that they haven't yet eaten that day. Rice is served with a variety of sauces: peanut sauce, leaf sauce (kind of like spinach, only tastier), soup sauce, etc. If a family has the means, beaf, chicken or fish (usually dried) may be added to the sauce.

Depending on the season and the region the supply of fruits and vegetables varies. Bananas can be found year round but the best oranges and pineapples are seasonal. Mangoes are available - and cheap - in the hot season.

Intelligence Activities

It is crucial that there be a total separation of Peace Corps from intelligence activities, both in reality and in appearance, in order to protect your safety and to maintain the trust and confidence of the people with whom you will work. Volunteers, trainees, and staff cannot be involved in any activity related to the clandestine collection of information, or the analysis or dissemination of such information, intended for use by any government in formulating or implementing political or military policy. Any approach that appears to be an effort to obtain information of an intelligence nature from you should be reported immediately to the Country Director.

Mail

Few countries in the world offer the level of service we consider normal in the U.S. If you bring with you U.S. standards for mail service you will be in for lots of frustration. Mail takes a minimum of two to four weeks to arrive in Conakry from the U.S., and can take another two weeks to reach other regional capitals from Conakry. Some mail may simply not arrive (fortunately this is not a frequent occurrence, but it does happen). Some letters may arrive with clipped edges because some postal workers have tried to see if any money was inside (again, this is rare, but it does happen). We do not want to sound discouraging, but when we are thousands of miles from our families and friends, communication becomes a very sensitive issue. We would prefer you be forewarned of the reality of Third World mail service. Advise your family and friends to number their letters and to include "Air Mail" and "Par Avion" on their envelopes.

Despite delays, we strongly encourage you to write to your family regularly (perhaps weekly or bi-weekly) and to number your letters. Family members will typically become worried when they do not hear from you, so please advise your parents, friends, and relatives that mail is sporadic and that they shouldn't worry if they don't receive your letters regularly. (If a serious problem were to occur, Peace Corps/Guinea would notify the Office of Special Services at the Peace Corps Headquarters in Washington, and family members would be contacted. Please also advise your family that in case of a family emergency, they should contact the Office of Special Services in Washington. The telephone numbers are 1-800-424-8580, extension 2289 or 2285; after working hours (202) 638-2574 -- ask for the Peace Corps Duty Officer.)

Your address during training will be: [Your Name], PCT

Corps De la Paix Americain

B.P. 299

Thies, Senegal

West Africa

Once you have become a Volunteer and are at your post, your address will be:

PCV (Your Name)

Corps de la Paix Americain

B.P. 1927

Conakry, Guinea

West Africa

Family and friends can send packages, but remember that nothing of great value should be sent via international mail as all too often packages arrive opened with items missing. While marking packages "educational materials" may increase the odds that a given item may get through intact, this labeling should really be reserved for books, magazines, and the like. All incoming packages are charged a customs and handling fee which varies depending on the contents of the package.

If valuable items must be sent to a PVC in Guinea, they should be mailed via DHL, UPS, or some other express mail service; these services are the quickest, safest means possible for sending things to Guinea from the U.S.

Medical Evacuation

Should you be seriously injured or should you develop a serious medical problem that is beyond the scope of treatment available in-country, you will be evacuated to the United States or to an American-standard health care facility at Peace Corps' expense. You will be treated by Peace Corps until you can be medically cleared by PC/Washington to return to post. If medical clearance cannot be given within 45 days, you will be medically separated from Peace Corps.
 
 
 
 

Money

The local currency is the Guinean franc. The current exchange rate is approximately 1995 francs to the dollar.

You will be in pre-service training for twelve weeks prior to becoming a Volunteer. During that time, a small stipend will be provided to you for walk-around money, but you will not begin receiving a living allowance until you are a Volunteer. If you wish to bring additional money from the U.S., we recommend that you purchase traveler's cheques in U.S. dollars which can be converted to local currency as needed.

Passport and Visa

The Peace Corps Travel Office in Washington will direct you in applying for a no-fee passport and will provide you with the necessary visas to arrive in-country. Once you are sworn in as a Volunteer, should you wish to travel outside your country of assignment for recreational purposes, it will be your responsibility to secure necessary visas and tickets.

Photos

During your two year stay, you will need photos for I.D. cards, visas, permits, etc., so we suggest you bring a minimum of 15 passport size photos. Black and white is fine. Please note, these do not have to be passport quality - photo booth pictures or pictures taken with your camera and cut to size will be fine.

Photography

Most Volunteers enjoy having a camera available, and we wish to encourage you, if you are inclined, to take photos. A few cautions are in order, though.

The first is that cameras are valuable, and they are attractive items to thieves. Obviously, the more expensive the camera, the more prized it will be to steal. During your Staging/INTERLOC you will be provided information regarding personal property insurance, and we encourage you to consider that option if you bring property of value.

The second is what to take pictures of. Never take, or pretend to take, photos of military installations, soldiers, or other areas considered security-sensitive, including the national airports. National authorities enforce regulations concerning the use of photographic and cinematographic film shooting of localities relevant to national security in Togo. Because airports are included among localities of national security, please don't take your camera out when deplaning! Also on the list are museum enclosures, the radio station, military camps, and a long list of government buildings. Near any of these areas it's best to keep the camera tucked away entirely.

The last caution has to do with sensitivity. Few people anywhere like strangers coming up to them and pointing a camera in their face. This is especially true if the person pointing the camera is a foreigner. As you get to know people in your community, you will probably find yourself welcome to take photos, but first give people ample time to get to know and trust you.

Political Expression

Since the Peace Corps was founded in 1961, it has held steadfastly to an apolitical course. This policy is the keystone of the Peace Corps' long-term commitment to serve the peoples of host countries and to serve them effectively. Because the Peace Corps and individual Volunteers are seen and respected as being outside the political arena, they have been able to serve people whose governments encompass almost the entire spectrum of ideologies and political alignments.

As a Volunteer serving overseas, you must not become involved in the political affairs of the host country. The Peace Corps' commitment is not to the political forces of a nation but to its people. Its responsibility is to the host country agencies through which the people can be assisted. You may develop personal sympanthies for one faction or another within the host country, but any active expression of these sympathies could seriously compromise your effectiveness, as well as that of the Peace Corps. Volunteer expression of opinion on political issues or other controversial issues relating solely to the host country may be made only in a private manner while serving within host countries.

While serving overseas, you may petition the United States government and its officials in the same manner you could in the United States. You may also express your views on issues relating to the United States in the American press. You are not required to represent official United States foreign policies, nor are you required to avoid discussing United States policies with host country nationals. Generally speaking, while serving within host countries, you may express views on or discuss issues relating solely to the United States or other countries in the same manner you could in the United States, except that you must comply with the laws of the host country and, when expressing yourself, you should not leave the impression that you are speaking on behalf of the Peace Corps or the United States government. A personal sharing of opinions and values is part of the person-to-person relationships that are vital to the Volunteer experience.

Some policies or actions of the United States or other countries, however, particularly in the area of foreign affairs, may relate to political issues or other controversial issues within the host country. Public statements or actions by Volunteers overseas that relate to such issues could create doubts and misunderstandings as to the Peace Corps' basic purposes within host countries and could damage Peace Corps programs and impair the effectiveness of the Peace Corps and Volunteer in the host country and elsewhere. If during overseas service you are considering making a public statement, whether to the media or otherwise, or taking an action that may relate to political issues or other controversial issues within the host country, or if you have questions about what is such an issue, you should first consult the Country Director. If you still have questions after consulting the Country Director, or are not satisfied with the Country Director's response, you should contact the Peace Corps' Office of the General Counsel in Washington, D.C. In deciding whether the proposed statement of action is consistent with the responsibilities of the Volunteer and of the Peace Corps and the United States, the potential damage which could result to the Peace Corps and the United States must be weighed against the Volunteer's right to make such a statement.

A violation of these policies may result in termination. Should you have any questions about these policies, write to the Peace Corps, Office of the General Counsel, Washington, D.C. 20526.

Professionalism, Dress, and Behavior

One of the difficulties of finding your place as a Peace Corps Volunteer is fitting into the local culture while maintaining your own cultural identity and acting like a professional all at the same time. It is not an easy thing to resolve, and we can only provide you with guidelines (hazy as you may find them). You will be working as a representative of a government ministry and as such you are expected to dress and behave accordingly. While some of your counterparts may dress in seemingly worn or shabby clothes, this will be due to economics rather than choice. The likelihood is that they are wearing their "best." A foreigner wearing raggedly, unmended clothing is more likely to be considered an affront than someone trying to "get closer to the people."

Readjustment Allowance

The primary purpose of the Readjustment Allowance is to provide funds during your transition from Peace Corps service to whatever you plan to do upon completion of service. It is not intended as a deferred salary. For each month of service the allowance is $200, and it accumulates in your account without interest. The accumulation starts on the day you register for training and continues through the date of your actual termination.

At completion of service (COS) in country you will receive a U. S. Treasury check for one third of your accrued Readjustment Allowance; the remaining two-thirds will be sent to your Home of Record shortly after your termination date.

Because the Readjustment Allowance is intended to ensure that you have funds during your transition, withdrawals from your accumulated allowance are permitted only for limited purposes: for family support, for insurance premiums, for loan repayments, for income taxes, and for certain other continuing obligations to third parties incurred prior to Peace Corps training. Unusual family emergencies involving third parties that arise during service may also be accommodated.

Religious Observances

The major religion in Guinea is Islam (85%-90%) but it is a very tolerant country and has a large Christian population in the Forest Region. Volunteers are free to exercise their personal religious beliefs, but you may not engage in religious proselytizing or otherwise engage in activities that could be contrary to law or would impair your effectiveness as a Volunteer.
 
 

Rules and Regulations

Upon arrival in-country you will receive a complete policy manual, which covers the specific rules and procedures for Guinea, including office support services, travel, annual leave and vacation allowances, and specific financial matters.

Safety and Security

Unfortunately, as elsewhere, crime does exist in Guinea. Because you are a foreigner and probably considered "rich," your new home may be more prone to break-ins than those of your neighbors. Normal precautions will usually reduce most risks. Crime at the village or town level is much less frequent, but risks increase in proportion to population size.

Fortunately violent crime is not a severe problem. Guinea is considered relatively safe, although in the capital city of Conakry women should be escorted at night or Volunteers should try to travel in groups.

Telephones

Generally, long-distance communication via telephone is available but expensive. If you are calling from outside the capital city, it may take longer to get a line. It can be difficult and expensive for PCVs to communicate via telephone with their families. The telephone system in Guinea is extremely unreliable and service in and out of Conakry to the United States is problematic at best. Sometimes Volunteers plan to be in Conakry on a certain date to receive calls from home. This can usually work, but there are also innumerable factors that can make the best-laid plans fall apart. Although PCVs are not permitted to make personal calls from the Peace Corps office in Conakry, they may receive calls there. Families can arrange with the PCVs to call the Conakry office after regular office hours In the interior of the country, where most of the Volunteers are located, there are few if any phones. Some regional capitals offer telephone service to the U.S. PCVs generally set up phone calls with people in the U.S. in advance, and have the distant party call them, which is much less expensive than calling the U.S. from Guinea. Sometimes Volunteers can arrange to receive calls from the Regional Representative Houses: Labé (224) 51-08-64, N'Zerekore (224) 91-01-47, and Kan Kan (224) 71-09-20. Volunteers may receive calls at these numbers but may not call out from these numbers. Volunteers and their families are responsible for arranging all calls. Please expect that most of your calls will not go through. Collect calls or calls to 1-800 numbers cannot be made from Guinea to the U.S. Remember, there is a four hour time difference between Guinea and the East coast (five during Daylight Savings).

Important Telephone Numbers:

You will be receiving reporting instructions from the Office of Staging approximately three weeks before your staging. The instructions will include how to go about arranging your travel to the staging. In the meantime, here are some answers to questions frequently asked by new Trainees.
 
 

I have just been accepted for an assignment in Guinea. Is there anything I should be doing to get ready?

Peace Corps must follow the guidelines established by the airlines. You are allowed 80 lbs. of checked baggage. You may check two pieces, the sum of the three dimensions (length+width+depth) not to exceed 117 inches (62 inches for one piece and 55 inches for the second piece). Additionally, you may carry on one piece of luggage which must fit under the airline seat or in the overhead compartment. You, not Peace Corps, will be responsible for paying any extra-baggage fees.

PCVs are not allowed to take pets, weapons, explosives, radio transmitters (short-wave receivers are permitted, and a good source of news), automobiles, or motorcycles to their overseas assignments. Do not pack flammable materials or liquids such as lighter fluid, cleaning solvents, hair spray, or aerosol containers.

What is the electric current in Guinea?

It is unlikely that you will have electricity at your site. If you do, American 110 electrical appliances will not function without a transformer.

How much money should I take?

Volunteers are expected to live at the same level as the people in their community. They are given a settling-in allowance and a monthly living allowance which should cover their expenses. Often Volunteers wish to bring additional money for vacation travel to other countries. Credit cards and travelers checks are preferable to cash. If you choose to bring extra money the amount you decide on will depend on your own personal travel plans and needs.

When can I take vacation and have people visit me?

Each Volunteer accrues 2 vacation days per month of service. During your three month training period, the first three months of service, and the last three months of service, you are not eligible to take vacation. These first months in your site are important for establishing good relations with the community and host agency. For this reason, you are encouraged to remain in your site. Because adaptation to a new culture occurs over many months, it is suggested that your vacation be taken after at least six months of service, and preferably after one year. Volunteers often state an interest in traveling and learning about other cultures as one of the reasons for wanting to be a PCV. Therefore, Peace Corps encourages Volunteers to use their vacation time to travel around Guinea and other countries in the region, rather than vacationing in the United States.

Will my belongings be covered by insurance?

Volunteers are cautioned not to ship or take valuable items overseas. Jewelry, watches, radios, cameras, and expensive appliances are subject to loss, theft and breakage, and in many places, satisfactory maintenance and repair are not available. Peace Corps does not provide paid insurance coverage for personal effects. However, such insurance can be purchased by Volunteers. Ultimately, each PCV is responsible for the safekeeping of his/her personal belongings.

Where will my site assignment be when I finish training?

A common question asked of the Guinea Desk by Trainees is, "Where will my site assignment be when I finish training?". PC/Guinea staff will make site assignments after they get to know each Trainee, usually during your last few weeks of training. This reflects our desire to make the best match possible between an individual's skills, experience, and interests, and the specific needs at each site.

Is there a former Volunteer that I could speak to about Peace Corps in Guinea?

If you would like to speak to a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer who served in Guinea, please contact your local recruiting office, as they keep an updated list of recently returned Volunteers in your area.

Do I need an international driver's license?

Volunteers in Guinea do not need to get an international driver's license. Operation of privately owned vehicles is prohibited. Most urban travel is by bus or taxi. Rural travel ranges from buses to crowded mini-buses to trucks to lots of walking and biking.

On very rare occasions, a Volunteer may be asked to drive an agency vehicle. Should this occur, the Volunteer may obtain a local driver's license. Your U.S. driver's license will facilitate the process, so bring it with you just in case.

The first list suggests clothing for someone who's a Health Volunteer. The second list is suggested items of clothing for an Education Volunteer. The third list is a joint one compiled this year by PCVs attending conferences in Conakry.

Note for NRM group: There are currently no NRM Volunteers in country so we weren't sure what might be different for you. We suggest you follow the list for the Health Volunteers, remembering that you're going to be outside a lot, bicycling and walking to work sites. Good walking shoes or lightweight hiking boots are suggested. And you'll all be in the Fouta Djallon, some areas of which do get - relatively - cold so bring a sweatshirt or two or a light jacket.

W = Women M = Men
 
 

WOMEN

** For women this entails a dress or skirt and blouse. Be sure that dresses and skirts are at least knee length and that the top is not too revealing. Sleeveless shirts are fine if they don't gape at the armpit. Slips should be worn, especially with transparent skirts. Also