Kristen O'Planick - Previous Advocacy Director 2006-2007

I went to University of Maryland and towards graduation, one of my friends randomly suggested that I do Peace Corps. It seemed to make sense since I love to travel, do new things, and have interesting stories to tell. So I ended up in Guinea from 2000-2002. I taught English in Siguiri and fell in love with Africa. Siguiri, although a big town, seemed to be on the edge of nowhere. It lived up to the expectations of a frontier town. I'll never forget the first time the taxi I was traveling in was put on two pirogues and rowed across the Niger River.

Apparently Guinea is somewhat my fate. After I came back to the States I started working for a USAID contractor in Washington, DC, and I now manage an agribusiness project funded by USAID in Guinea.

I still love to travel and love the fact that I get to work with Africa everyday. The best is when I get to travel to Africa for work! Working with FOG is one more way to keep those connections and stay involved with promoting African development and even basic awareness.

John Taylor - Webmaster - 2007
web @ friendsofguinea.org

The only member of the FOG officer team who's not a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV,) my own involvements in Africa inevitably led me to a similar love of Guinea as my RPCV associates.

My first encounters in Africa were as a tourist, backpacking through Europe and into Morocco. It was then that I was bit the first time. Subsequent trips including work with NGOs and wildlife would bring me to the sub-Saharan, including Guinea, Mali and Senegal, where Africa's red earth seeped through my skin and into my soul.

There are few days since that I don't think of the continent, the land, the people, the unpolished and uncompromised beauty of it all. Not blind to the problems, I simply find the promise is the far larger portion of the vista. I volunteered to serve as Webmaster to continue my involvements with Guinea and her people, hoping that my work with FOG will do Guinea some good even when I am in the States.

Jody Sites - Previous Financial Officer