| Volunteering
at the time of independence: Guinea I and II by Susan Whitelaw
‘63–’65
Ed. note: Susan Whitelaw, a new member of Friends of Guinea, was a
member of one of the first groups of PCVs to work in Guinea. She shares
with us the following memoir of her time there and adds the following:
"At the 40th Anniversary of the Peace Corps Conference, in Washington,
DC, in June, 2002, a number of RPCVs from Guinea I and Guinea II got
together for a wonderful weekend of sharing memories and catching up
on news. We were particularly pleased to meet volunteers from the 90's
who were able to give us updates on what is happening in Guinea now.
A highlight of our reunion was carrying the Guinean flag across the
Memorial Bridge and to the closing ceremonies in Arlington Cemetery.
We created a contact list of Guinea I and II RPCVs, and have plans for
another reunion before another 37 years go by."
When we arrived in Guinea in 1963, the country was in transition from
colonialism to independence. Guinea, alone among French West African
nations, had chosen independence over continued confederation with France,
and was feeling the economic effects of that isolating choice. Public
services had deteriorated. Shortages of food and supplies were widespread
and severe. But Guineans were optimistic about the future and ready
to build their country, and we, the volunteers, were hopeful for them.
We were about 60 volunteers, half English teachers and half rural economic
development workers, deployed all over the country. The Peace Corps
wanted volunteers in Guinea to counteract the Soviet bloc’s effort
to pull Guinea, with its rich resources of cold-war-necessity bauxite,
into its realm of influence. We were the first Americans most Guineans
had ever seen, but we joined a host of foreigners from France, China,
and the Eastern Bloc countries–Czechoslovakia, Russia, Bulgaria–all
teaching in the high schools and offering technical and material assistance.
The Cold War was a constant presence. During training, we mastered the
Communist Manifesto, to inoculate us from anticipated propaganda. When
some Russian teachers made friends with Conakry volunteers and arranged
reciprocal language lessons, the Russian leadership put a stop to it–no
fraternizing with the capitalists. PC Washington, in urging Conakry
teachers to move out of the international teachers’ bloc of apartments
and into Guinean neighborhoods, fanned suspicions that we were spying.
During one three-month period, we received no personal letters from
home at all, and our letters to the States were often waylaid. It turned
out that someone (the Red Chinese?) had bribed drivers carrying mail
from the airport to deliver it elsewhere; huge piles of soggy, contaminated
mail were later found on the beach and stuffed down toilets. Our very
concerned parents flooded the State Department with requests to know
what was going on–clearly their kids weren’t getting any mail!
Finally, they let parents send us mail through the diplomatic pouch.
Some Guineans in my town, Dubreka, unable to understand why else I would
have landed in their small corner of the world, assumed that the American
government sent me there to punish my family, having heard that in the
U.S. the rich oppressed the poor. Yet, on a personal basis, the Guineans
were very hospitable and welcoming. The night Kennedy was shot, a few
weeks after I arrived, all the teachers and dignitaries of the town
came to my home to offer condolences. The Cold War seemed very removed
from daily life at the College Court at Dubreka. I became part of a
group of young teachers from all over Guinea, the first cohort of home-grown
teachers to graduate from Guinean teacher’s colleges. They took
me under their wing and taught me essential skills–don’t flash
the flashlight in people’s faces when walking out at night (tres
impoli)–the cadences of the extended ca va? greetings (ca va la
frigo? was a favorite in a land of chronic kerosene shortages), how
to wait patiently for parades, ballets, and concerts to start hours
late, how to take it easy during the long, hot afternoons, how to share
what we had–cigarettes, records, coffee, bug spray, soup packages–and
take care of one another. They included me in their lives, and with
them I attended the activities of the town: parades, theater evenings
featuring political skits and local music and ballet, a declitorization
ceremony, a funeral, Muslim holiday feasts, visits from Sekou Toure,
and daily life in family homes. I taught them English, typing, and sewing,
and they taught me, by example, about the strong ties and obligations
of family and community. Some aspects of life there may sound familiar
to today’s volunteers. The short wave radio, issued to each PCV,
was our indispensable link to the outside world, as no newspapers or
magazines were available. Obtaining kerosene was a constant problem,
needed to fuel the gas burner for cooking, the lantern for evening reading,
and, if all went well, the refrigerator. Food was scarce most of the
time, and I lived on canned salmon, coffee, noodles, bread, and seasonal
fruit, and, sometimes, PC issued K rations. The rainy season, though
it brought flies and mosquitoes, also brought cool air and fresh water,
caught in a rain barrel as it fell off the roof. I was through, for
awhile, with muddy water pulled from the town well, needing endless
filtering. Travel was always an adventure; I took taxis, in the form
of very old and beat up cars, back and forth to Conakry. The taxis were
packed with travelers, came irregularly, and often broke down en route.
Even in my relative backwater, however, I remained aware of Guinea’s
emergence in the international arena. U Thant and Ben Bella visited,
and the U.S. sent the Hope Ship, which docked off Conakry to provide
medical training and services for a year. Volunteers taught English
to Guinean medical personnel working on the ship. Harry Belafonte came
to recruit the astoundingly talented indigenous musicians and dancers
for international tours, and SNCC members, invited by Sekou Toure, reminded
us of the tumultuous developments in Civil Rights back home. Sekou Toure
seemed ubiquitous on the radio, urging his country to greater efforts
in development, and he sounded the same themes on his frequent visits
to the prefectures. My first lodging was in the President’s guest
house in Dubreka, decorated with huge Guinean flags and portraits of
Sekou Toure. Three more PC Guinea groups arrived during and just after
the departure of Guinea I and II in July 1965, but an increasingly oppressive
government evicted them within about a year. The hopes we had for Guinea
seemed lost in the harsh regime of intolerance and administrative chaos.
Like other volunteers, I was fearful for my Guinean friends; a curtain
had fallen and the country was no longer accessible to the outside world.
It is a relief and a delight to know that the Peace Corps is back in
Guinea, and stronger than ever, at the invitation of a new, more open,
government. Keep up the good work, and let us know how we can help!
Listserv/GPS Report
Marilyn Pearson (PCV Parent) listserv(at)friendsofguinea(dot)org
Hello everyone. My name is Marilyn Pearson and I am the new Guinea
List Administrator elected by the members of Friends of Guinea (FOG)
in October 2002. The Guinea List is a free email discussion list (group).
As a parent of Jenni Pearson, a Peace Corps Volunteer teaching English
in Siguiri, I’m finding volunteering on the FOG Board both enlightening
and rewarding. The Guinea List serves all PCVs past, present, and future
as well as family and friends who need a quick, reliable way to communicate
on all matters Guinean. Current membership is hovering at 312. Check
out http://friendsofguinea.org to become a member of the list. I’m
also the coordinator of the Guinea Parent Support (GPS) listservs. As
a new PCV parent, I was desperate to communicate with other parents
when my daughter left for Guinea. Although the Guinea List was helpful,
I wanted to communicate with the other parents of my daughter’s
departure group because I knew we would all be experiencing the same
feelings and concerns. . . “mail takes HOW LONG to get there?!!!”
GPS was born when FOG generously offered to set up a listserv for each
PCV departure group (typically June and October each year). Each group
has a volunteer “leader” from a previous parent group as well
as several “mentor” parents who are in the 2nd or 3rd year
of the PC experience. (See the accompanying article, “Guinea Parent
Support”, in this newsletter.) As of January 2003, we have 104
parents, family, and friends communicating and supporting each other
in two GPS groups, one from June 02 and one from Oct 02. We’ve
also started a general Parents group which any parent past, present,
or future can join. To join any of these groups, visit http://friendsofguinea.org
and look for the “Guinea Parent Support” link. As you can
see, FOG has communication opportunities galore on its various listservs.
As both the Guinea List and the GPS listservs grow, my goal, as a fairly
new convert to listservs, is just to keep them all straight!
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Girls’
Conference Fundraising Succeeds!
The Girls' Conferences Fundraising Committee:
- Anne Redmond ’94-’96 conference(at)friendsofguinea(dot)org
- Emily Byram ’98-'00,
- Mary Ann Pfeifer (PCV Parent),
- Judy Oetke (PCV Parent),
- Kathy Tillman (PCV Parent), and
- Susan Whitelaw ’63-‘65
THANK YOU Friends of Guinea! We did it – we raised the $8,000
needed for the 2003 Guinea Regional Girls' Conferences and more! We
currently have over $10,000 in funds and donations continue to be received.
All funds collected over the needed $8,000 for this year's conferences
will be saved for next year. The Girls' Conferences Fund Raising Committee
wishes to thank each and every one of you for your efforts and generosity,
and particularly a few of our major donors: Kathy Tillford, former PCD
for PC Guinea who currently lives in Niger; and Jeni Moore, of Pasadena,
CA. Look for a full report on our fund raising efforts in the May CaVa,
but until then, Congratulations – this is a great success for all
Friends of Guinea!
Guinea Parent Support (GPS)
Marilyn Pearson, PCV parent
listserv(at)friendsofguinea(dot)org
Parents, family, and friends of Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) in Guinea
have a new way to keep in touch with other parents, sharing tips, support,
and experiences. The idea for GPS began in July 2002 when a group of
Peace Corps Trainees (PCTs) in Dubreka sent a list of email addresses
home to give parents in their group a way to contact each other. With
lots of help from Stephanie at FOG and the Peace Corps Guinea desk in
Washington D.C., Guinea Parent Support was born. Parents can join a
group, based on their PCT’s departure date, to share support as
they embark on the Peace Corps adventure. Parents, who may not have
heard from their PCT yet, are moved to tears when they are able to view
photos shared by other GPS parents, or read a reference to their loved
one in an email. Each group has a volunteer parent leader from the previous
group as well as several “mentor” parents who are in the 2nd
or 3rd year of the Peace Corps experience. As of November 2002, there
were 94 parents, family, and friends communicating and supporting each
other in two GPS parent groups, one from the June 2002 departure and
one from the October 2002 departure. New groups will be added as each
batch of PCTs leaves for Guinea. We have also started a general Parents
Listserv group which any parent, past, present, or future can join.
Each group communicates via a listserv, generously set up and maintained
by Friends of Guinea. New parents are given a chance to sign up for
the listserv, corresponding to their PCT’s departure date, through
the parent information letter sent to all parents of PCTs. PCTs can
also sign up their friends and family at Staging, just before they leave
for Guinea. For information about joining any of these groups, please
contact Marilyn, the GPS Coordinator, at gps(at)friendsofguinea(dot)org
Finance Report
Jody Sites '94-'96
finances(at)friendsofguinea(dot)org
My name is Jody Sites. I became Finance Director of Friends of Guinea
in the election held at the end of last year. Before I continue with
my report on FOG’s finances, I would like to tell you about myself.
I was in Guinea from 94-96. I lived in Beyla, where I served as a math
teacher for the 9th and 11th grades. I had a hard time being away from
my family and friends for so long, as well as trying to communicate
in a new language–I had a hard enough time trying to communicate
in English! But, while my time was very challenging on a day to day
basis, it was also extremely rewarding. I think about my village daily,
and have developed friendships that I believe will last a lifetime.
I started dating Anne Redmond during training, and our 1st year we lived
about 4 days travel away from each other. For our 2nd year, she luckily
got a position in my part of the country, so she was 'only' 5 hours
away from me. We were married in August of 2001. We were blessed to
welcome our daughter Aidan a couple of years ago while living in New
York City. Before joining Peace Corps, here's some quick data about
myself: I grew up in Maine, went to school for a couple of years at
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Indiana, finished up my Electrical
Engineering degree in Maine, then went to Guinea. After returning, Anne
and I lived in Portland, Maine for a couple of years whilst I worked
at National Semicondutor. In the fall of 1998, I decided to return to
school to pursue an MBA degree from Babson College in Wellesley, MA.
Anne started working on her MPH at Boston University. After graduation,
I moved to NYC where Anne was finishing her degree at Hunter College.
I believe FOG has a tremendous future. There is a huge need for a center
for communication on this side of the ocean, and I believe FOG will
serve this purpose effectively with the help of all the members. So
much for me. Here’s the finance report. Since the last newsletter,
not including donations for the Girls Conference and revenue from Peace
Corps calendar sales, FOG has garnered an income of $691, and incurred
expenses of $603, for a net income of $88. Income was generated through
membership dues and donations. Expenses include web development &
domain registration, costs to send out the newsletter, and costs in
putting together information packets for the new officers. For the Girls
Conference, FOG had revenue in excess of $8000. This revenue came from
both donations and revenue from Peace Corps calendar sales.
Advocacy Report
Brian Farenell '95-'97 advocacy(at)friendsofguinea(dot)org
Advocacy Website Coming Soon. A new advocacy website is under construction
and will be online hopefully soon. Follow the listserv and the main
website (friendsofguinea.org) for more details. Interested In Advocacy?
Some members may be interested in advocacy issues but do not know how
to channel that interest. If you have a particular area of interest
that you want to put your energies toward, please contact me. I will
try to help find a way you can advance that issue. And don't feel limited
by the domains that Peace Corps tends to focus on like education, public
health and environment. Some members are interested in issues of peace
and security, trade policy, generic medicines, etc. The issue can be
as broad or as focused as you wish. I can help direct you toward other
resources as well as other members who might share similiar interests.
ADNA Rep. The Africa Development Network for Advocacy (ADNA), of which
Friends of Guinea is a member, holds monthly meetings. Although I am
on their listserv, I would like very much if FOG could have a representative
physically present at their meetings. ADNA is a broad coalition of NGOs
working throughout Africa; they comprise diverse organizations working
in areas of refugee aid, food relief, human rights, peace efforts as
well as on broader development policy questions. They hold meetings
in Washington, DC on the first Tuesday of every month from 9:30 a.m.-12:30
p.m. Please note that this is a weekday and lasts all morning. Refreshments
are provided. If you live in the DC area and are interested (and available)
to attend these meetings, please contact me for more details.
Webmaster’s Report
Stephanie Chasteen '97-'99 web(at)friendsofguinea(dot)org
FOG Humor
If you haven't already, check out our fun page at http://www.friendsofguinea.org/fun.shtml.
We have links to old volunteer newsletters (Awa, La Pagaille), and other
funny writings. Got anything to add? Send it to Stephanie Chasteen at
web(at)friendsofguinea(dot)org. A big thanks to Jennifer Czysz (Villemure)
for painstakingly converting old Pagaille's to PDF!
Girls Conferences
I would like to take a moment to give a big round of applause for
our Girls Conference Coordinator, Anne Redmond ('94-96). Anne signed
up for a small organizational role, which ended up being more encompassing
than we had originally anticipated. She took on the role with finesse,
acting as a central coordination point for the fundraising of over $8000
for the conferences. She deserves a lot of credit for communicating
with people around the country, and in Guinea, to pull this off. And
once again, the conferences were fully funded without drawing from FOG's
own funds (from membership dues). Thanks to Anne, and thanks to everyone
else who pulled together time and money to make these conferences possible!
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