Goodbye Guinea

It is with great sadness that I am announcing that my Peace Corps Service in Guinea has come to a close. I made the very hard decision to come home to the United States to seek diagnosis and treatment for recent medical issues.

In the weeks leading up to my departure, I was not eating or sleeping. I was in bed for 3 weeks with cyclical fever, dehydration, exhaustion, and body aches, followed by anxiety attacks, and finished off with painful neck and face swelling, so serious that I couldn’t open my mouth to talk, eat, or brush my teeth. One day, while lying in bed, I had a moment of clarity – who am I helping by always being sick in bed myself?

On April 29^th, I began the 24-hour journey home from the Conakry airport, through Dakar, Brussels, and Chicago, to my final destination of Newark airport. After my flight to Philadelphia was cancelled due to bad weather, along with many other flights to the East coast, I was lucky to get one of the last 4 spots on the flight to Newark that same night, while hundreds of other travelers sought hotel rooms in Chicago. When I got off the plane in Newark, I was too exhausted to even cry or show emotion when reunited with my family. I threw up and then collapsed into a deep sleep in the backseat of the car, which to my relief didn’t have any goats or chickens in it.

On May 1^st, the day after I arrived, I met with a Board-certified infectious disease specialist. She ordered a battery of tests, including a CT scan and blood work (6 vials worth!). Then, on May 9^th, I received my diagnosis. Certain antibodies were elevated, so the doctor was able to determine that I have a strain of Spotted Fever Group (SFG) rickettsia, caused by a tick bite. The treatment is a double dose of doxycycline for a week. After 3 days of treatment, I’m already starting to feel like myself again.

The goodbyes were very hard. I promised to stay in touch with my Guinean friends, and I set Ismael up with my site mate Sara to continue English lessons. I will continue to support him with whatever he needs in his quest to study abroad. I will miss my coworkers immensely – Sara, Yejide, and especially Christine. Christine and I called each other once, twice, sometimes three times a day and were always on the same page, able to complete each others’ thoughts (even in French/Franglais). We were an unlikely pairing that became inseparable with time. All goodbyes were done over the phone, as I was in the Peace Corps Guinea headquarters in Conakry, so I didn’t even get to say goodbye in-person.

I want to share the aspiration statement that I sent in to Peace Corps in February 2013, in preparation for departure to Guinea. I am proud to say that I have accomplished what I set out to do in the time that I was there, even though my body fought me every step of the way:

ASPIRATION STATEMENT

Kelly Barb

Guinea

What are three professional attributes that you plan to use during your Peace Corps service?

Three professional attributes that I plan to use during my Peace Corps service are interpersonal skills, problem solving skills, and professionalism. I will essentially be in a “fish bowl” during my Peace Corps service and in a position of leadership, representing the United States of America. Interpersonal skills will be crucial to my success as I will need to communicate with the community to build trust, with my students to stimulate learning, and with local partners to gain resources. Problem solving skills will come into play in several aspects of my life as a Peace Corps Volunteer. From daily tasks such as cooking or transportation to a lack of resources in the classroom to helping a student who is struggling to understand a concept, I will constantly be working towards solutions. Professionalism will be important for gaining the trust and respect of the community, especially with my age and gender. It will give me credibility as a teacher and is how I would like to represent the Peace Corps as an employee.

What are two strategies you will utilize for working effectively with host country partners to meet expressed needs?

The first strategy I will utilize for working effectively with host country partners to meet expressed needs is having patience. There will be times when I am asking for assistance, resources, clarification, and so forth and I will need to understand that I am working in an entirely different situation than what I am used to. At home here in the States, if I needed to find the answer to something or needed clarification, I could Google it on my Smartphone or send a quick text message and have the instant gratification of knowing and moving forward. In Guinea, if I need the help of the community, local government, or an NGO, for example, the resources and time frame may vary and I will have to adapt. The second strategy I will utilize is always working towards community-driven development. It is easy to lose sight of what the community needs when personal bias comes into play. But without community buy-in, a project will not be sustainable. I want to be aware of this at all times, making sure that I am completing the task that I am assigned to do to the best of my ability as well as aiding the community in their expressed needs.

How will you adapt to a new culture?

To adapt to a new culture, I will learn first by extensive research prior to traveling but also by observation. I will observe how the women conduct themselves especially, so that I can integrate into the community as an accepted member. I want to adopt as many aspects of the Guinean lifestyle as I can, but I would also like to share my cultural background with the community in an appropriate way, meaning that it would not seem forced, pretentious, or indoctrinating. I will ask questions and really use the time with my host family to learn about the culture before I start my official assignment. I will work to break any stereotypes of the American culture by remaining professional, compassionate, and hardworking.

What do you hope to accomplish during Pre-Service Training?

During pre-service training, I hope to accomplish several things. First, I want to improve my skills in French speaking, reading, writing, and listening. This will be crucial to my success as a teacher and community member. Also, I want to learn how to teach effectively. I am an engineer, so my background is technical with an emphasis on design work and calculation. I have a lot of knowledge but I was never formally trained as to how to convey it in a classroom setting, especially to younger adults. I am excited to gain these skills in my Peace Corps training, as I feel it will make me more well-rounded and marketable in future job hunting. I would like to learn about current resources that are available to me, as well as what has historically been successful in programs like this – essentially, what worked and what didn’t work? Lastly, I would like to learn more about the culture so that I can properly integrate myself, be culturally sensitive, be aware of my surroundings, and ultimately thrive.

How do you think you will benefit from Peace Corps Service?

I believe that my Peace Corps service will make me a more marketable candidate for employers in the future. I will gain a level of proficiency in French, will gain skills as an educator, and will prove that I can work and thrive in another culture, climate, and set of conditions. I hope to show all of the people that told me I was crazy for doing this that this is truly a life-changing, incredibly fulfilling experience. I hope to have a plethora of amazing stories to tell my grandchildren someday.

Terminating my service was the hardest decision I’ve ever made, but it is definitely for the best. Unfortunately, I will not be returning to Guinea. I plan to spend several weeks recovering, working on my physical and emotional strength. I have had the most amazing outpouring of love and support, especially from my family, best friends, and boyfriend (who has visited me every day since I’ve been home). Thank you to everyone that sent texts and Facebook messages, called, visited, and sent flowers. While I miss Guinea immensely, it’s good to be home. The transition has been interesting, speaking English all of the time with access to food other than rice and 2-ply toilet paper, but it gets more comfortable and “normal” every day. I do not know what’s next for me, whether it’s school, an engineering career, or more overseas work, but I’m not worried about it at this moment. I know that I will now be able to help others and contribute to society while taking care of myself as well. Thank you for your support and for being a part of this adventure, and keep an eye out for what I’m up to next!

A day in the life

This idea was borrowed from my coworker Christine’s blog. As the school year winds down and I prepare for my trip home to the United States, I took the time to reflect upon the schedule I have built for myself this year.

This is the schedule I have during the week (when I am not battling various illnesses):

5:30 am

My neighbor is the town crier for the mosque. Every morning, at 5:30 am, he steps out on the front porch and sings the call to prayer at the top of his lungs. Muslims pray five times a day, so this is the first prayer of the day. This is my alarm clock. I get up, make breakfast, and put the finishing touches on my lesson plan for the day.

7 am or 9 am

Depending upon the day, I leave for school at either 7:15 (Wednesday, Thursday, Friday) or 9:15 (Monday, Tuesday). As I walk or bike along the road to school, I greet everyone in Susu and make small talk.

7:15 or 9:15 am

When I arrive at school, I must once again greet everyone, including the Principal, Director of Studies, and the other teachers, inquiring as to how they slept, how their family is doing, and how work is going. This takes time – that’s why I leave my house so early!

7:45 or 9:45 am

I get breakfast from the school lunch ladies. The options are 1) spicy sweet potato sauce over rice, 2) keke ground manioc tuber with fish, 3) a bean sandwich with oily fish sauce dripped on it.

8 am or 10 am

I have to get my lesson plan “approved” by the Directeur des Etudes. He signs it without looking at what I wrote.

8:15 am or 10:15 am

I teach 2 back-to-back classes, lose my voice from yelling, and leave really frustrated. Every day. Just recently one of my students confided in Ismael that he never understood math before he had me as a teacher, and he likes the way I teach more than the way his other Guinean teachers teach. Why don’t my students show this appreciation in class, instead of acting out all of the time??

1 pm

I walk home from school, using the afternoon Susu greeting.

1 pm – 3 pm

I try to eat at this time, whether at the port or by cooking something myself at the house. There is always the option to visit someone with the ulterior motive of hoping that they will feed me, but I also risk getting sick from their food preparation.

3 pm – 6 pm

Grading, lesson planning, reading books, writing letters. There is also usually a phone call to my coworker Christine to discuss (vent about) the days’ events.

6 pm

I heat water on my little stove for a “shower,” which is essentially dumping water from a bucket over my head and body. I may have to go to the water pump during this time if I don’t have any water.

7 pm

I watch the sunset from my front step, as the children play soccer in front of my house.

7:30 pm

I eat with my host family. This consists of a giant bowl of rice, with fish, oil, and hot peppers. Everyone eats out of the bowl with his or her hands, but they always offer me a spoon. I tried to eat with my hands 2 times since I’ve been here, and both times have been a disastrous oily mess.

8 pm

I sit outside with my host family, enjoy the ocean breeze, watch the stars, and get lost in my own thoughts.

9 pm

At night, I watch TV on my computer or pre-draft emails. I have to conserve computer battery, since I have to bike to charge my computer at a charge center when it runs out. Then it’s time for bed! After a long day of dealing with my students, speaking in another language, the diet, and the heat, I am exhausted!

On the weekends

I visit friends, go on outings with host brothers or site mate, clean my house, do laundry and dishes by hand, and surf the internet at the charge center at the port, in no particular order. I don’t get much sleep on the weekends, as there is a nightclub about 3 houses away from me. They blare music until 4 o’clock in the morning and it shakes my whole house!

Some words of wisdom…

I wanted to share this blog post from Hannah Harrison, a Peace Corps Volunteer in Zambia, which I found to be incredibly well written, inspirational, and very true. It’s called “Show Me a Peace Corps Volunteer”:

“Show me a Peace Corps volunteer and I’ll show you people of all colors, ages, and creeds. I’ll show you men and women and people who are sitting in between. I’ll show you daughters, sons, mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers, all of whom have left those families to find new ones across the world.

Show me a Peace Corps volunteer and I’ll show you someone who knows illness, misery, cold, heat, and crawling infestations of a thousand varieties. I’ll show you someone who has become intimate with infection, friendly with fungus, and can compare the viscosity of fecal matter over a meal. I’ll show you someone who gave up deoderant long ago, and subscribes to “it’s clean enough” more often than not. Show me a Peace Corps volunteer and I’ll show you someone who hand-scrubs their one collared shirt every night in order to be presentable before their tribal leadership, their classroom full of eager students, or their government official. I’ll show you someone who boils their water to bathe, filters it to drink, and sweats to haul it home.

Show me a Peace Corps volunteer and I’ll show you hair that’s too long, a bike that’s too seldomly maintained, and an entire wardrobe that hasn’t been washed in weeks.

Show me a Peace Corps volunteer and I’ll show you someone who has faced fear, change, animosity, and misunderstanding. I’ll show you someone who looks at those obstacles as learning opportunities, even if it is just learning to cry at the end of the day for all that didn’t work.

Show me a Peace Corps volunteer and I’ll show you people driven to purpose, to change, to throwing themselves whole-heartedly into their work and living it out, each and every single day of their service. I’ll show you someone who is up at the crack of dawn to dig a fish pond and burns the candle late writing grants and letters home. I’ll show you someone who knows when, sometimes, it’s better to take the day off and play with the kids than to go to yet another meeting. I’ll show you someone who, when they do hold meetings, may wait for hours for no one to show up, but will keep showing up themselves in case someone finally does.

Show me a Peace Corps volunteer and I’ll show you someone who knows that even the most impoverished person can be rich.

Show me a Peace Corps volunteer and I’ll show you someone who has tried nine different ways to cook an egg. Only one of them has little bits of shell still in it.

Show me a Peace Corps volunteer and I’ll show you someone who knows great frustration but also great love. I’ll show you a person who knows the greatest extent of hopelessness after another sleepless night next to their pit latrine, and I’ll show you the great depths of compassion when a friend brings medicine.

Show me a Peace Corps volunteer and I’ll show you ecstatic joy, bitter cynicism, and crushing despair. I’ll show you blind optimism, deadening restlessness, and persevering hope. Sometimes all in the same day.

Show me a Peace Corps volunteer and I’ll show you a 55-year-old divorced mother of three who has weathered some of life’s greatest challenges — getting married, raising children, reentering the workforce at the age of 40 — and who is now throwing herself head-first into another. I’ll show you a 22-year-old who just graduated from college last semester and has the world at his fingertips. I’ll show you a 65-year-old retired widower coming back for a third tour of Peace Corps, driven by a new chapter in life.

Show me a group of Peace Corps volunteers and I’ll show you someone who is Haitian American from Washington D.C., someone who is Japanese American from Hawaii, someone who is Pakistani American from the San Francisco Bay Area, someone who is Irish American from Georgia, someone who is Mexican American from Los Angeles, and someone who is Italian American from New Jersey. All of whom are called, without variation or discrimination, “white foreigner.”

Show me a Peace Corps volunteer and I’ll show you a sense of humor warped by 18 months’ worth of poop jokes and a vocabulary honed on a collection of novels large enough to make a lit major turn green with envy.

Show me a Peace Corps volunteer and I’ll show you a person who wants to change the world. I’ll show you a person who gets easily frustrated because she has high expectations for herself and doesn’t want to let her community down. I’ll show you a person who is idealistic and enthusiastic and dedicated and determined and maybe a little bit naive. I’ll show you a person who fails at changing the world. But I’ll show you a person who has come to realize just how much her world has changed her. And I’ll show you a world that is ever so slightly better for it.

Show me a Peace Corps volunteer and I’ll show you a citizen of the global community. Someone who can never go home again, or see the world as they did before their service. Someone who was once a child, staring at the finger pointing toward the sky. Now, they look and see the moon.”

A Guinean marching band

A Guinean marching band

My site mate Sara and Ibro the Giant!

My site mate Sara and Ibro the Giant!

Developing a fever during an Ebola outbreak…

On Sunday, I developed a fever. I was lying in bed, sweating, shaking, and crying. Memories of Pre-Service Training flashed before my eyes, of the bacterial infections and viruses that were a weekly occurrence. Alone with my thoughts, all electronic devices dead and my host family away in Conakry for a wedding, my mind wandered to the extremes. I have malaria, or worse – I have Ebola. An exaggeration of course, but when one has no avenues of communication or entertainment, the mind works overtime!

On Monday night my health took a turn for the worst. I was vomiting, dizzy, sweating profusely, shaking, and had chest pains, blurred vision, and a headache unlike I’ve ever had before. I texted my site mate Sarah and my friend Christine to call me as early as they could the next morning, to make sure I was ok. I was delirious and panicking, never having experienced symptoms like this.

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday followed suite, although new symptoms developed that pointed to malaria, including joint and muscle pain. I was advised to take a home malaria test, which turned out to be quite an ordeal. I ran into several complications. In my first attempt, I had a friend assist me in pricking my finger, since I am not good with stabbing myself or dealing with blood. We were able to collect a blood sample but then found that the test kit was a dud, that the reagent bottle was dry and unable to be used. In my second attempt, I found some more reagent but when my friend pricked my fingers, even after 5 attempts, we could not get blood. Therefore it was decided that I should come into Conakry for a medical consultation and testing at the Peace Corps office.

On Friday, I woke up after a good nights’ sleep without a fever. I went for my medical consultation and testing first thing in the morning. Dieu Merci, I did not have Ebola or malaria. Still, they weren’t quite able to determine what I have. Potentially it’s a persistent virus that my body has to take the time to fight. I still have a headache and sore throat, and I haven’t really eaten in 5 days, but the worst is behind me and I am on the road to recovery. I have been trying to identify the cause of this illness, and this is my theory – Since my host family has been away, I have been eating with other host families since last Thursday for at least 2 meals a day. Their food preparation methods may be different from what my system is used to, so my body was fighting off the intrusion. Or maybe one of the children from my loyal entourage, covered in dirt and snot, got me sick when they rubbed me with their sticky little hands. Or maybe, when Sarah and I were the guests of honor at the Kattep vs. Espoir de Koba soccer game last weekend, and everyone shook our hands, I contracted something. It’s anyone’s guess at this point!

A note about Ebola – The Ebola outbreak of Guinea has gained worldwide attention in recent weeks. International media has presented headlines like “Ebola patients await death in Guinea isolation wards” (CTV News) and “Current Ebola epidemic ‘unprecedented’, WHO warns” (FRANCE 24). The international media has done an excellent job of exaggerating the situation and spreading fear. There is a lot of conflicting information out there, but the risk of us contracting Ebola here is actually pretty low. While it is true that no vaccine or cure exists for Ebola, it is nearly impossible to contract the illness unless one comes in contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person or dead person. Or if you eat infected bats or monkeys. Those that have been affected so far have been people that ate contaminated meats, their health care workers, and those that came in contact with dead bodies. World Health Organization, Doctors Without Borders, and Center for Disease Control are all involved and are working hard to bring the illness to an end, along with other aid organizations. Earlier in the week, France sent a medical team to the Conakry airport to screen people leaving the country for the illness as well.

For the statisticians among us – as of April 8^th, 7 new cases were recently identified, bringing the total up to 151 suspected cases and 95 deaths. The disease is most concentrated in the Forest Region of Guinea, specifically the cities of Gueckedou and Macenta. There are 20 cases and 6 deaths in Conakry. 33 people with Ebola fever have made a full recovery. And as to the rumor that there was a case on the outskirts of my site Koba, we have learned that that was not true.

Shout-out to Mr. Burkhardt’s 7^th grade Dream Team science class, in which we watched the documentary about Ebola. Some images that stayed in my mind from that video were people shoveling bodies into mass graves, foreign aid arriving in Haz-Mat suits, and lots and lots of bleach to disinfect all surfaces. While this may be the scene out in Gueckedou and Macenta, where I live, it is not like that at all. Guineans aren’t worried, and they even make jokes about it. While I don’t agree with the lackadaisical approach, and I do receive a lot of flack from Guineans for being so concerned about Ebola, I am not panicking currently. I have taken several precautions: I am not traveling during this time, but I will resume travel when this whole thing is over. In Koba, I do not attend funerals, frequent the health center, or come in close contact with others where bodily fluids would be a factor. I take my malaria prophylaxis every day to avoid that illness as well. I am confident that this will be over soon.

So to my family, friends, and followers – I am ok and we are all ok. We are informed about the situation, taking precautions, and except for the occasional short-term illness, are continuing to work and socialize at our sites. Before Googling “Ebola in Guinea” and having a panic attack from the articles listed on the web, rest assured that I would be on a flight home before anything in this country got out of control, whether it’s Ebola, political violence, personal health issues, etc. Peace Corps is a great experience, but it’s not worth putting my life at risk.

In other news, last week Ismael and I finished “The Outsiders” by S.E. Hinton and have already gotten halfway through “The Last Lecture” by Randy Pausch. When we finish this book, Ismael wants to write a letter to Randy Pausch’s wife Jai to tell her how inspired he is by her husband.

Only 63 days until I come home! Au revoir!

Le Voleur

Yesterday I had money stolen for a third time since arriving in
Guinea. I noticed that money was missing each day from my bag, and I
suspected that it was one of the 10-15 children that come over every
day to play. While the other children were ripping a comb through my
hair, kicking over my computer, and using permanent markers as
make-up on me, it would have been easy for one to grab the money out of the
bag hanging on the wall by the door. Still, it broke my heart that one
of my little friends felt the need to do that, when Madame Kadiatou’s
house is a magical place of “TV” (watching shows or movies on my
computer), American food, makeovers, and Jenga.

Last night and this morning have been a blur amidst all of the
accusations, explanations, and tears. The school officials came to my
house this morning to make sure that everything was secure and that I
was ok. As they were about to leave, the Principal of the high school
asked, “What is the last name of the children that live around here,
are they Syllas? Syllas are thieves.”

This inspired me to write this post and explain the rivalry among the
family names of Guinea.

In Guinea, there are a limited amount of first and last names that are
commonly used. For example, in my 8th grade class I have 5 Ibrahima
Sorys, 3 Mabintys, and 4 Fatoumatas. Same with last names! I have
students with the same last name that aren’t even related. I also have
students with the exact same first AND last name. As their teacher,
this makes things difficult but it also means that I have a pretty
good chance of getting their name right if I just guess.

Certain crimes are associated with certain last names. I have heard
many variations, but these seem to be the most commonly used:
* Doumbouyahs and Barrys are sorcerers.
* Syllas, Bangouras, and Diallos are thieves. Also, Diallos eat dogs.
* Camaras are slaves AND thieves.

Also, if Guineans hear of an event, through word-of-mouth in the
community or on the radio, they will sometimes attribute it to the
person’s last name. For example, when a student stole my lesson plans
a few weeks ago, it was because of his last name, not his spite over a
bad grade, poor upbringing, etc.

Guineans take accusations very seriously. To be called a thief, slave,
or sorcerer is very offensive. Still, they joke daily with each other,
accusing each other of crimes based upon their last name. I can say
with full confidence that I have never gone a day here in Guinea
without hearing a joke of this type. I have even started to
participate and give it right back to them!

Here is an example of a conversation, meeting someone for the first time:
Me: Bonjour, ca va? (Hello, how are you?)
Other person: Bonjour, comment tu t’appelles? (Hello, what is your name?)
Me: Kadiatou Camara.
Other person: Ehh, les Camaras. Tu ne vols pas? Vous êtes voleurs!
(Oh, the Camaras. You don’t steal? You are thieves!)
Me: C’est vous qui volez! (It’s you that steals…great comeback right?)

The motto of Guinea is “Justice. Travail. Solidarité.” (Justice, Work,
Solidarity). Guineans preach solidarity, emphasizing that they live
together as one. When I first heard these family name jokes, I thought
that this divided people rather than unite them. Then, I got to see
the solidarity firsthand when my money was stolen. When the school
officials learned of it, they held a collection at both the middle
school and high school to reimburse me for what was taken. Bangouras,
Diallos, Camaras, Syllas, and Barrys alike contributed to make up the
sum. So, as much as they call each other sorcerers, thieves, and
slaves, or accuse each other of eating pets, they do come together in
times of need!

In other news, Doctors Without Borders and other foreign aid have set
up containment areas out in the Forest Region for the Ebola outbreak.
We hope that this will put an end to the outbreak. Also the government
banned eating bats to prevent the spread of the disease. More
information to come!

Ebola outbreak in Guinea

A recent outbreak of illness in southern Guinea has been identified as Ebola. As of today, 49 cases have been identified with 34 deaths total.

No treatment or vaccine is available for Ebola. While this is very concerning, we are practicing the utmost caution during this time, avoiding travel to the region and maintaining hygiene practices. For more information, feel free to read any of the links below:

http://www.enca.com/africa/ebola-outbreak-southern-guinea-claims-34-lives

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/guinea-confirms-ebola/1045214.html

http://in.reuters.com/article/2014/03/22/us-leone-fever-idINBREA2L0BX20140322

http://www.voanews.com/content/death-toll-from-guinea-hemorrhagic-fever-rises-to-29/1876746.html

Allergic to Mangoes?

Coming up on April 2^nd, I will be officially one third done my Peace Corps Service. While I feel a sense of accomplishment of how far I’ve come, I can’t help but feel a sense of panic at the same time – how will I complete everything that I want to do in the 2/3 that remain of my service? What I find amazing about being here is that time passes so slowly and so quickly simultaneously. A single day can be excruciating, but before you know it, nine months have gone by!

With only a few weeks left until Spring Break, I am working on several things, in addition to teaching:

• Biosand filters. The two prototypes that we constructed in Conakry were dropped off to Koba last week, and my site mate Sara and I have been gathering the materials and making the community contacts necessary to make the installations happen. We hope to install one at the Health Center and one at the school next month. We have already had one slight mishap – in the voyage from Conakry, the filters sustained some minor cracking. I commissioned a mason to do the repair work and he offered to do it for the cost of the materials only (the labor was free) because he believes the project is beneficial to Koba. Later that night, after the repairs were completed and I had returned home, the mason called my host brother and asked him if he could ask me for money. Now in Pre-Service Training we learned that Guineans have an indirect manner of communication, but I never knew that him saying the labor was “free” really meant I should pay him. After all was said and done, the filter ended up cracking even worse with the repairs he made, so I am currently looking for a new mason.

• Malaria awareness mural. In honor of Peace Corps Guinea’s Malaria Month, Sara and I have decided to paint a malaria awareness mural on the wall of the elementary school. I asked my students to bring in cans, either from tomatoes or sardines or milk, so that we could mix paint and work with smaller quantities. I offered a quarter point added to their test grade for each can they brought in, and the response was incredible. While I only needed 20 cans or so, I got hundreds. Some students had 5-8 points adding to their test scores, and tests are out of 20 points total! I wish I could have that much participation in homework and classroom discussions. Next I asked my student Ibrahima Sory Macire Camara, a talented artist, to draw the mural. He provided me with a beautiful and adorable drawing showing a happy and healthy person sleeping under a mosquito net juxtaposed with a sad and sick person not sleeping under a mosquito net. Sara purchased paint in Boke last weekend, so the next step is to grid and map out the drawing with chalk on the wall of the school. Then we can paint! I promise to post pictures when it is finished.

• World Book Day. On April 23^rd we will be celebrating World Book Day. We have approximately 22,000 books being distributed to school-aged children across Guinea, and Volunteers will be facilitating many different types of activities to promote literacy and a love of reading. For many students, this will be the first book they own. The books consist of fables, fairy tales, plays, and biographies in French and some in basic English. Find us on Facebook – For the Love of Reading!

• Arrival of Christine’s family. My closest friend in country, Christine, will be hosting her father and sister in Guinea for Spring Break. I will be in Conakry for Food Security training and I look forward to meeting them! Welcome to the Peace Corps Guinea family!

In other news, within the past two weeks oranges have become scarce but mangoes have been ripening on the trees of Koba. Children climb the trees and knock the yellowed fruits to the ground, or find a stick long enough to hit them (and each other). I was told that in mango season, people sometimes eat 20+ mangoes a day. So when my entourage of children brought me 11 mangoes one day, I dug right in. Before arriving in Guinea, I had never eaten a mango before but with that first taste it became a fast obsession. After a few days of intense mango consumption, I developed an itchy rash on my neck and face, along with a painful burning sensation on my lips. The rash then spread to my arms and fingers. At first, I wasn’t sure what it was – the soap I was using? Contaminated water? Heat rash? But then I discovered the cause: I, ladies and gentleman, am allergic to mangoes. The symptoms lasted for over a week and are just now starting to diminish. How I am going to survive mango season is anybody’s guess, but I’m armed with antihistamines and anti-itch cream.

And now for the good news – I will be back in the United States for vacation June 10 – July 9! I’m looking forward to air conditioning, electricity, Landmark, and 4^th of July BBQ, as well as making everyone laugh with my confusion of the French and English language. Can’t wait to meet for drinks and hear what everyone has been up to!

Moussa

Moussa loves to listen to my I-Pod. He is a big fan of hip-hop and the song “Jai Ho.” In exchange for me allowing him to listen to my I-Pod, he brings me papayas, oranges, and mangoes.