A Victory in the Conflict Diamonds Struggle
Girls’ Conference Fundraising Succeeds!
Secretary Notes
Adventures in Sannou
Listserve Notes
Webmaster’s Report

Project Notes
Les Griots Nous Dits
News from PC Guinea

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) were pleased by
the passage by Congress of The Clean Diamond Trade Act
and its subsequent signature by President Bush in late
April. So-called "conflict" or "blood" diamonds have
been used by rebel groups "to finance their atrocities
committed on civilian populations and their
insurrections against internationally recognized
governments," the president noted in a statement after
signing the legislation.
Many NGOs have spent years intensely lobbying
Congress for passage of this bill. Sierra Leone is
generally considered the country worst affected by the
blood diamond trade, as it financed much of the
activities of the Revolutionary United Front
rebellion. Liberian strongman Charles Taylor has been
implicated in diamond smuggling and some have alleged
that such trafficking have also passed through Guinean
territory. Friends of Sierra Leone helped spearhead
hearings before Congress on the topic and Friends of
Guinea played a very anciliary role at that time (you
could say we were a part of the "coalition of the
willing" against blood diamonds).
Passage of the act puts the United States in line
with the Kimberly Process, an international mechanism
in which 50 countries are currently participating as
well as the diamond industry. "The Clean Diamond Trade
Act requires diamond dealers to keep records of all
diamond shipments and make such records available to
U.S. law enforcement authorities," noted Reuters.
"Americans buy 65 to 70 percent of the world's
diamonds, including rough diamonds, polished stones
and jewelry containing diamonds, according to the U.S.
General Accounting Office."

Adventure in Sannou

Hello Everyone;

We survived! In fact, I have never felt better than
when I was with my daughter at her site in Sannou.
It was beyond my expectations. The people, the food,
the landscape, the brush fires, the poverty, even the
lack of water.
Where do I start. We arrived in Conakry 5PM one hot
Saturday. Dana was there to meet us just behind the
customs counter. She looked marvelous...my first hint
that this would be a unique trip. We stayed at the
Riviera Royal which was far from the Peace Corps
House, but was a great place for parents to stay. Good
food, flowing water fountain, swimming pool etc. with
showers that work and flush toilets!!!!
I need to talk a little about walking in Guinea. In
Conakry, you don't really walk too, too far since
there are taxis readily available....so say 4 street
blocks or so of walking. Of course, this is on rubble,
not necessarily on pavement. Good walking shoes are in
order. I also had a hiking cane...came in very handy
here and in Labe with the hills.
All in all I found that I could get around, better
than I thought. It is steamy in Conakry, so be
prepared to sweat. In fact, you'll just sweat anyway.
It was 104 in Sannou and even with dry heat, we were
still sweating, except in the early morning when its
cool.
The people everywhere we went, were the most
hospitable and warmest folks in the world. They made
us feel truly welcome...like a part of their families.
They fed us everywhere we went. You must try the hot
tea. I'm not sure what it is called, but its sweet and
strong and tastes great. Besides its fun to watch the
men make it. The egg sandwiches were good, as well as
the meat sandwiches near the Peace Corps House.
Rice and sauce..hm... Sometimes it was great..or
maybe I was just hungry. Sometimes, it was a bit
overwhelming, but there is always fruit. The best
oranges I've ever had were in Guinea. The mangos
luscious, the pineapple to die for. French baguettes
are everywhere, enven in the village market. The
grilled fish at the beach bar was the best. Protein is
scarce in Guinea, at least up-country, so be prepared
to eat lots of rice.
Bush taxis are an experience in themselves. We had
really good drivers, especially Hassan, who drove us
to Labe. There is no real way to describe 8 people
inside a Renault and two hanging on the top of the
roof. You just have to experience that one yourself.
We are planning to go back and visit Dana at the end
of her tour. We made many friends and learned so much
from the humble people of Sannou. I would not have
traded this experience for anything. If I, an
arthritic 50 year old teacher can navigate Guinea,
anyone can. Just take your time, and enjoy the view,
the people and the country. Of course Dana helped us
out a lot and eased us into Guinea life a little at a
time.
Bucket baths aside, the pit latrine experince was not
as bad as I imagined, and you do get used to things
fairly quickly. The volunteers..our kids/collegues are
an amazing group. The impact they have on Guinea and
the people of their villages is fantastic.
It's a wonder to see smiles on the faces of the host
families as they greet us. Definitely a humbling
experience coming from the excesses of the USA to the
bare minimum of Guinea.
If you are thinking about going...do it!!!! I will
say that the heat is something, but not unbearable,
especially up-country. Bottled water is available
pretty much everywhere, its just not cold. It was the
dry season, so maybe it was better in terms of smells.
They didn't seem to bother me. The dust is everywhere,
but you do cope with it. Bring bandanas...they are
good for covering hair and face, moping your brow etc.
Looking into the faces of the petites, your heart is
so moved. I found dignity and caring in a people who
have so little its amazing. They were grateful just to
have us come and visit....talk a while..even when we
didn't speak the same language. I miss Guinea
already.

On behalf of more than 70 young Guinean women who
participated in the 2003 Guinea Regional Girls
Conferences, thank you Friends of Guinea for your
outstanding support and contribution! We have received
numerous Thank You letters from participants (soon to
be on the FOG Girls Conference web page) – one message
is clear: Sincere gratitude and appreciation for all
your support!
Here is a summary of the status of the Girls
Conference fund raising activities: From September
2002 to February 2003, the Friends
of Guinea 2003 Girls’ Conferences Fund Raising
Committee raised $12,025.35 to support the 2003 Guinea
Regional Girls Conferences. On January 15, 2003,
$7,227.93 of these funds were donated to the Girls
Conferences through the Peace Corps Partnership
Program, leaving a remaining $4797.42, which will be
save and contributed to the 2004 Girls’ Conferences
fund raising efforts.
Four main fund raising strategies employed to raise
these funds were: RPCV Calendar Sales, Family and
Community Outreach, Girls’ Conferences Fund Raiser
Party, and Guinea Cloth Auction. Information about the
Girls’ Conference fund raising was disseminated via
e-mail, including the FOG list serve, oral
communication, and telephone conversations. Seven
volunteers among FOG members made up the Fund Raising
Committee and contributed their time, effort, and
resources to the fund raising effort.
Of the $12,025.35 raised, $1007.17 was raised through
calendar sales and $716 was raised through the Girls’
Conference Fund Raiser Party. The remaining $10,302.00
was raised through individual donations. A significant
portion of this amount may be attributed to Family and
Community Outreach, but we were unable to track
donations of this kind this year. Several community
organizations and schools donated funds raised through
their own fund raising efforts to the Girls’
Conferences, and the Fund Raising Committee is
currently following up with these
organizations to coordinate a RPCV visit to their
agency to discuss the Girls’ Conferences most in depth
and encourage their continued support.
Clearly, given the enormous amount of support the
Girls’ Conferences received this year, the Girls’
Conferences Project is recognized as an extremely
valuable and worthwhile event that many people choose
to sustain. Look for the Girls Conference Fund Raising
Committee again this fall, when we kick off efforts
for the 2004 Girls Conferences – we hope you will join
us!

Secretary Notes
Stephanie Chasteen ('97-'99), Secretary
[email protected]

The FOG board is running quite smoothly now, with
regularly scheduled meetings and clearly defined job
duties. Most of the FOG processes are much smoother
than they were when we first started this endeavor (3
years ago!) I continue to be proud to be a part of
this group.
We're halfway through the one-year term of the
current officers, and plan to hold elections in
November. If you were waiting until you knew that FOG
wasn't going to evaporate soon before you devoted your
precious time to us, then this is the time to do so!
There is still much to be done, and the current board
is steadfast and hardworking. Please think about
joining us in November.
If you're interested in being involved in a
short-term project, or helping once in a while, let us
know that, too!

Listserv Notes
Marilyn Pearson, PCV parent
[email protected]

Guinea List and Guinea Parent Support listservs have
been buzzing with news from PCVs and RPCVs. The
possible regional house closings in Guinea put a ton
of emails in my box! We even had Country Director
Lisa Ellis subscribe to the Guinea List this past
quarter. Worries about security and travel during the
war with Iraq were also discussed. Currently, 306
folks are subscribers to the Guinea List.
The Guinea Parent Support listservs (June 2002,
October 2002, and a general Parents group) have been
sharing letters and photos from their current PCVs.
Several parents visited Guinea this last quarter and
gave detailed accounts of their visits: "The people,
everywhere we went, were the most hospitable and
warmest folks in the world. They made us feel truly
welcome . . .like a part of their families." Betty
Walker. And from John and Melanie Harris: "The
highlight of our visit occurred the first morning when
we awoke. We stepped outside the hut and all of the
elders from the village were sitting in a circle
outside of Deb's father's (chief) hut waiting to greet
us."
We have 108 parents, family, and friends on the three
parent listservs currently. When the next batch of
PCTs goes to Guinea in June/July, we're sure to have
more! To subscribe to any of the listservs discussed
above, visit www.friendsofguinea.org.

Project Notes

Project Notes
Cherif Diallo, Projects Director
[email protected]

Partage Quebec-Guinée is a prominent and successful
NGO that has built two libraries in Guinea and sent
thousands of books to Guinean students and teachers.
Their goal is to provide at least two books for every
Guinean student between elementary and high school.
This year they plan to send school utensils and
clothing in addition to several tons of books, which
they receive from donations made by ordinary people
throughout Canada.
PQG has established some important connections.
Companies such as Alcoa Mining and CBG (cie de Boxite
de Guineé) have agreed to ship all books to Guinea at
no charge for PQG. The Guinean customs in Kamsar have
agreed to allow the entry of those books to Guinea
duty free. Guinean workers in Kamsar and Conakry have
agreed to distribute the books throughout Guinea.
In Canada, PQG has collection centers throughout the
country and the books keep coming and coming.
Unfortunately several problems remain. The director of
PQG, a retired math teacher named Mr. Lescan, has
spent several thousand dollars each year out of his
own pocket to pay for truck rental and fuel to collect
the donated books, storage space and packing materials
such as cardboard boxes and wooden pallets to prepare
their shipment. Performing the majority of the labor
on his own, Mr. Lescan at age 65 is beginning to feel
tired. Unless he is able to obtain financial support
to cover ongoing expenses and hire help for the
strenuous work of packing and moving donated books, he
is seriously considering terminating the activities of
the organization that he founded and worked so hard to
sustain.
We have investigated the track record of PQG in
Guinea and established that Mr. Lescan runs a
legitimate and effective organization. We invite you
to visit http://www.pqg.qc.ca for photos and more
information on the activities of Partage Quebec
Guinea. FOG encourages all those interested in
sustainable development in
Guinea to support PQG, whose continued existence means
thousands of good books for Guinean students every
year as well as a valuable and experienced partner for
our own development efforts. PQG estimates its need at

$3,000.00 to stay afloat and ensure a constant source
of books for Guinean students. You can send your
support either directly to PQG or to FOG's financial
officer, Jody Sites (18 Waterville Ln., Center
Barnstead, NH 03225, or www.friendsofguinea.org).

Webmaster’s Report

Stephanie Chasteen '97-'99 [email protected]

The Friends of Guinea webpage continues to be a
popular site, garnering about 1000 hits a month to our
homepage, and a total of about 7000 hits a month all
over the site. We're linked on dozens and dozens of
sites-do a Google search! We're big! We have recently
updated Notes from PC Guinea
(http://friendsofguinea.org/pc_guinea.shtml) and Girls
Conference reports and photos
(http://friendsofguinea.org/conference2003.shtml). I
could use some help scanning in some old copies of
volunteer newsletters and Awa. Contact me at
[email protected].

News from PC Guinea

Thanks to CD Lisa Ellis and PVC Mackenzie Pfeiffer for
making available to us the in-house newsletter of PC
Guinea. Here is a little of what we have read therein.

Girls Conferences (CD Lisa Ellis)
"Excellent work!" "Job well done!!" "The best
conference I've ever seen!" These are just a few of
the comments I received about this year's Girls'
Conference. I was able to attend the opening day
session of the Conference in Boke. How wonderful to
see young women so engaged in talking about their
lives and creating a better future for themselves. It
was heart-warming and inspiring. I look forward to
attending next year in another region. And two final
thank you's: One to the Friends of Guinea for raising
over $7,000 for the Conference and the other to the
professional Guinean women who participated. We
couldn't have been a success without you.
New PC Guinea Program
Peace Corps Guinea will be starting a new program in
January 2004 - the Small Enterprise Development (SED)
program. The program will begin with approximately 15
PCVs working in business advising, agribusiness, and
information technology. I have hired an experienced
SED APCD for the program who should arrive in country
around August 2003.
PCV Travel Restrictions
Due to the current war in Iraq and the threat to
American citizens abroad, the following restrictions
on vacation travel will apply until further notice.
Travel to other Peace Corps countries is currently
discouraged and travel to countries with US travel
restrictions is currently prohibited. The following
countries are on the list: Turkey, Somalia, Liberia,
Cote D'Ivoire, and Nigeria. In addition, the
following areas have been listed as posing a terrorist
threat or other substantial risks to Americans:
Djibouti, Tanzania, and Kenya. Please check the State
Department website for complete information.
Memorial Road Safety Walk
The 3rd Annual Memorial Road Safety Walk will take
place in Kankan on Saturday 7 June. Registration
starts at 07h30 and the run/walk will begin at 08h00.
It is a 10K run/walk this year. The walk will end at
the Prefet's and refreshments will be served.
Job Announcement
World Education Guinea (WEG) is urgently looking for
an American to work for their USAID - funded project,
PACEEQ (Participation Communautaire pour l'Equité et
l'Education de Qualité) based in Mamou for anywhere
from 6 months to 2 years. The job involves developing
monitoring and evaluation tools, writing quarterly
reports (in English) to be submitted to USAID and
partner organizations, the elaboration of training
modules, etc. in collaboration with a friendly, close
knit team of Guinean and Senegalese coworkers. If any
RPCV is interested in the job (which will begin
immediately in April/early May) please contact
Kimberly Ross at [email protected] and/or the
Director of PACEEEQ, Dr. Aliou Samba Diallo at
011.33.20.28 or [email protected].
June COS
Close of Service is coming up for a group of PCVs,
including Mackenzie Pfeiffer, 3rd year GAAD
coordinator. Mackenzie has done a lot to keep the
Girls Conferences going, and continue putting out the
magazine for young girls, Aicha.

Le Griot Nous Dit

Jody Sites recently reported: "We saw Jon and Denise
Goldin-Dubois this past week. Jon ran the Boston
marathon, and it was the first time that we saw them
since 96. They seem GREAT. Even better than I
remember them, and I didn't think that was possible.
"Some other news is that Scott and Rakaya (sp?) Smith
gave birth to Idrissa (sp?) Walter Smith on 4-18 (i
think). Everyone seems happy and healthy.
"On May 3, Amy Waldren is getting married in New
Orleans. Anne and I will attend, as well as Samantha
Lobis, Cynthia Gabriel, and other '95-'97 people."

Stephanie Chasteen (Health 97-99) writes: "I'll be
in Washington DC this summer, doing an internship at
the science desk at NPR. Anyone in or around DC who
wants to get together, email me at
[email protected]