It Doesn’t Look Like Christmas Part 1: Guinée Forestière

Once again I took Chevy Chase’s lead and got in the car for another grand Christmas vacation this year. The destination was completely different but I had the comfort of my standard travel companions: Shadassa, Tess, and Caleb. We set a date and, like all super teams, assembled –read: met up at a random hotel in Haute Guinea. It took us three days of driving to get to our first destination, N’Zerékoré, the region capital of the lower forest region of Guinea.

Safe travels!

In an attempt to make the long journey more tolerable we broke up the longest stretch between Mamou and N’Zerékoré (Google these names to get a visual- not a terribly far distance but it’s a terribly made road) by stopping in Kissidougou for one night. To get there we had déplaced (bought out) a taxi to make the trip more comfortable as well. We arrived with daylight to spare and walked around Kissidougou for an afternoon. Despite the fact that the Guineans in Kissidougou speak a very different language and consider themselves very different than say the Sussu, Kissidougou was just another Guinean town – market, road, lots of children, and people calling at me when I walk by. On our way out, we stopped by one of the few Guinean National Museums, conveniently located on our walk to the taxi. We all smiled politely at the curator and it seemed like we were listening intently, but really we were all a bit disappointed that all of the “artifacts” on display were mostly items we see in use daily. I give them points for effort but I know the history of Guinea is much richer than the display suggests. 

The forest region is the farthest from the coast and roads leading into the region capital of N’Zerékoré are long and in varying conditions from perfect highway to filled with potholes deeper than the car. With such an effort needed to get to “The Forest”, I had only heard tales about the towns and the people there. When we arrived in the evening and went straight to the hotel to meet up with two other groups of volunteers. Part of the draw to the Forest is that it is home to most of the Christian population of Guinea. We thought this might lead to a different type of city but finally seeing the fabled city was actually anticlimactic. It was just another Guinean town in a new Guinean region with more Guineans speaking another Guinean language.

After our three days of travel, my group had arrived just in time to celebrate Christmas Eve with our friends. We found a restaurant nearby that we talked into preparing a buffet type of meal for our large group. The cook ended up providing an impressive spread highlighted by pork! Pork is virtually non-existent in the other regions of Guinea due to the strong Islamic influence. We enjoyed the night filled with good food, good friends and passable (but cheap) drinks.

Despite the situation, it was still Christmas and we were determined to make it so! As my first task in the morning, I donned the dirty the Santa hat I found in the Conakry house and went to find some presents. I took my trusty elf side-kick Caleb with me on a grand adventure to a gas station where we bought orange juice and it’s best friend, champagne. Christmas morning normally means family, snow, coffee, and presents, but this year we improvised with mimosas and watching A Muppet Christmas Carol as a Peace Corps family. That’s really how most of our time in N’Zerékoré went by. As I mentioned before, it was just another typical Guinean town, meaning that the amenities were limited and the experiences were predictable. The adventurous part of our Christmas vacation was the next step.

As our second stop, we set our sights high; the highest point of Guinea that is, Mount Nimba. A tolerable (read short) taxi ride took us to a city just outside of N’Zerékoré called Lola. In Lola we found a quaint hotel with rooms stocked with the absolute bare minimum as reflected in the price we paid. Thankfully we weren’t staying in Lola for its tourism as much as a solid home base for our trek up Nimba.

So steep!

A few friends had already scouted the trails and found us guides to take us up the mountain, for a reasonable fee. So when we set out in the morning we knew we wouldn’t waste any precious daylight. The hike started at around 7 AM and our group of 20 was broken up into groups of 5. The group system dissolved fairly quickly but we all ended up in appropriate groups while leaving no one behind. I found myself in the front group with 9 other volunteers and 2 guides. We all noted pretty quickly that this wasn’t going to be an afternoon hike through the pasture. By 10 AM we took a pause and caught our breath as our guide giggled at us between drags on his third cigarette; he’d climbed the mountain 34 times before.

The ridge heading to the summit.

The grueling hike continued, baking us in the hot afternoon sun once we’d left the shelter of tree cover. The worst part was cross over the ridge to get to the summit. We had to climb certain spots that were not only steep to a severe degree but also covered with slippery grasses that provided great camouflage for the treacherous rocks we tried to use for leverage. Progress was slow through these conditions but after 3 more hours we made it to our official lunch spot: a natural spring 100 meters from the summit. We refilled all our water bottles and enjoyed our “SPAM” sandwiches like they were a gourmet meal. The rest, the food, and the shade kept us company as we mentally and physically prepared ourselves for the last ascent.

Leaving all bags behind, we set off lighter than before with greater energy and motivation. Seeing the summit get closer and closer was the only thing on anyone’s mind. With that said, it still took another 45 minutes of exhaustive hiking. Maybe it was the altitude, maybe it was the steep incline, or maybe it was the previous 6 months of limited physical activity, who’s to say? But I struggled and fought to see it through.

First group to make it to the top!

Located at the southern border of Guinea, Nimba’s summit is techinically in Cote D’Ivoire and only a few miles from Liberia as well. So from the top we could see three different countries and had, by legal terms, illegally crossed a border, but damn it was worth it. The view was simply amazing.

As with all hikes, the way back down seemed to go by quicker and with less effort but it actually took around the same amount of time as the ascent. After beginning with the sun rising we got back to our launch point, a small village called Boussou, as the sun was setting. We didn’t make it back to our hotel in Lola until midnight. Unfortunately for us, the hotel was no longer a deserted space of calm but instead was packed with party going Guineans and the air was filled with music from the dance club at the back of the compound.  Even though our group had filled 90% of the rooms in the hotel, the dance club was clearly the weekend hot spot of Lola and our presence was not going to slow it down one bit. Having no energy to deal with Guineans and their endless inquiries of foreigners, we all snuck into our respective rooms and waited for exhaustion to overpower the thumping of the bass beats not 30 yards away.

This is where our group split paths. The next morning some of them started towards Kankan and others towards Mamou. So once again, it was only Tess, Shadassa, Caleb and myself. We deplaced a taxi to take us the entire 18 hours to Mamou. Our Forest adventure had come to a close. I’d like to say I watched in fade away in the distance as we drove off, but in reality, I passed out after 30 minutes and woke up in the next city. I don’t expect I’ll make it back to the Forest before I leave Guinea, but I’m glad I got to see it, especially Mount Nimba, a place that not many Guineans can say they’ve seen, let alone climbed.

Christmas vacation was already a success and a bit over athletic, but that was only part 1.

Artsy Fartsy Africa

One rule about Peace Corps service is that you truly never know what you’ll do during your time as a volunteer; case and point: I helped to organize and run a classy art show. Though I’ve never really thought myself much of an art aficionado, I’ve always enjoyed going to galleries and taking in the sights, but putting myself in any position close to “an authority” on art, never. The truth is I was mostly brought on to the planning team of this art exhibition as a consultant. I’m the closest volunteer to Conakry and in the best position to help with the leg work. Also, I guess I can be a bit artsy at times, at least I pretend like I am. 

The months leading up to the exhibition had been periodically interrupted by meetings for the preparation of our grand opening. One piece of this artfully designed (more art puns to come) project was to make a promotional video showing interviews of three different artists with three different forms of art. Our first interview was with an artist who is a close friend to all the volunteers in Guinea. His name is James Bucher, but most would know him by his trade name, Batik James. Batik is a traditionally African form of painting using colored waxes on cloths. James provided wonderful footage of the surprisingly simple process as well as an impressive back story. No matter who you meet, if you take the time to hear their back story, you’re guaranteed to be surprised. James’ roots in art go deep. He learned much of his craft while living and studying in Tanzania. He, like many others, made his way to Guinea when the fighting began in Liberia. He took his wife and some other family members and began a new life in Conakry, where he now lives in a small compound hidden through some back streets. His work is always beautiful and, god bless him, cheap. I’ve already made a few gifts out of the works he’s talked me into buying. James’ story is very rich and I do enjoy visiting with him whenever I get a chance.

Gibril Bangura

Our second interviewee was another painter by the name of Gibril Bangura. Another close friend to many volunteers, Gibril not only participated in our little video project but also helped to organize all the artists for the show. He was a great contact to the very connected community of artists in Conakry. The other artists readily trusted him thanks to his first profession of being a pastor. It was nice to see that throughout the entire weekend of showings they all called him Father, regardless if they were Christian or not. Like James, Gibril is a refugee and has been living in Conakry for some time pastoring and painting to support his family. He too has a rich back story that could inspire a Lifetime movie. I’ve never interviewed anyone until these two and I found out how intimate of a process it truly is. I was very happy and humbled to hear such personal stories from both of the above artists.

Sekou Oumar Thiam

The final feature of our promo-video was a younger sculptor named Thiam. I have a very personal connection to Thiam because he was one of my first friends in Guinea. Thiam was my host-brother during my training in Dubreka. He really impressed all the volunteers with his creative style for carving words into wood in such a way that makes it look abstract while 5 minutes of observation will make the theme of the piece quite clear. I knew he’d be a good friend to keep around when, early on, he asked me about American music artists (a standard question here) but instead of asking about Rihanna and Chris Brown, he asked me if I knew Chris Issac and Brian Adams. Despite one of those artists being Canadian and not American, I was impressed he knew their names at all. I was happy to bring him into the art show as well as interview him to better understand where he’s come from and what obstacles he’s faced to get to where he is today.

So there’s my personal interest story for the month. The event itself went by with much less fuss than the lead up. Before the weekend got going, we gave the artists a training on client relations and self-marketing. We planned on them using that training the very same weekend as they were visited by many members of the ex-pat community here in Conakry. Sitting down during a calm Sunday afternoon I thought to myself, how nice it was to see a project up and running. Being a teacher will definitely have a product at the end of the year but this was tangible differences made in a weekend. When all was said and done, the 35 artists had sold close to $5000 worth of art. It was also nice to see how many gifts I got from thankful artists.

I hope to organize another art show, with the help of some fellow volunteers, before I leave Guinea. It was a nice way to help the art community of Conakry but there was much room left for improvement. If we do go for it a second time, keep an eye out for things you liked and I could pick up some nice souvenirs!

PS: For more photos of works from James, Gibril, Thiam and more artists, check my facebook albums.

Same Place. Same Job.

This is near where we had the meeting, not The Lord of the Rings

After almost two straight months of traveling, I’ve finally made it back to what I’ve come to know as normal life in Guinea: teaching most mornings, Coyah in the afternoon, and all the reoccurring characters who’ve stealthily taken important roles in my service. My return to Wonkifong was quite unceremonious. Seeing village friends who I hadn’t seen or called in two months were polite enough to show a whole minute of excitement before going back to normal. It was a calm transition which was probably the best way. The habits of my daily life conformed quickly the village life I’d started a whole year earlier.

That’s really all that October had for me. I got to spend some extra time in Conakry to help plan an art exhibition. Time in Conakry most always leads to more time with other volunteers. I had just as much work as play mind you, it’s just that fun in Conakry with friends beats a Fanta and the BBC for a Saturday night.

November brought a few more noteworthy weekends. The first being a meeting for education volunteers. We got together to edit a new training manual another volunteer had recently produced. It was a motivating weekend during a school year that looks pretty bleak, so far as educational system goes. That same weekend was the weekend of cousin Daniella’s wedding to a great guy. I was sad I couldn’t be there for her big day but they understood the circumstances. So here’s my public congratulations to them!

.

A student just happened to pass my house with a monkey!

The second major highlight of November would be the holiest of all American holidays, Thanksgiving. Last year’s turkey day was quite impressive with a large spread of western food. This year’s Thanksgiving involved much of the same, I even made another lasagna, but then was topped by adding the second must-have of Thanksgiving: football. I mentioned offhandedly to my director that I’d be ducking out of dinner early to try and catch some of the UofM vs. OSU game. She then feels it’s the right time to inform us that she’s recently been connected to American TV programs like FOX, ABC and dieu merci, ESPN. Meaning, in a Thanksgiving Day miracle, I got to watch, in real time, a great UofM/OSU game. I would have enjoyed a better ending but I can only ask for so much on one day.

That’s October and November. Normally a time for fall trips and bon fires. I got to spend one more autumn watching rain fall incessantly instead of leaves and watching my students play futbol instead of UM play football. I’ve already made the promise to my mother that I’ll be home in time for next year’s Thanksgiving so I’m glad I made the most of this autumn in Guinea.

A New Kind of Boot Camp

When getting ready to leave for the Peace Corps over a year ago, I found myself talking with service men and women pretty often. It was always pretty awkward for me to hear a military veteran compare his/her service to what I was planning to do. Then, in a twist I never saw coming, I can say that during my service I've been through Boot Camp....I guess the serviceman's analogy wasn't too far off.


So as not to confuse anyone, I'll give some back story. If you've diligently read my blogs so far, in April I wrote that the largest health concern in Guinea, by far and away, is malaria. Guinea is not alone in this battle; throughout the entire continent, malaria weighs a heavy burden on men, women and children alike. One of the first goals that the Peace Corps was founded on was the fight against malaria, but it's only in the past few years that this fight has found a great new weapon. Peace Corps service takes many forms but a new program is creating a new type of volunteer. Through continent-wide trainings of selected volunteers, Stomp Out Malaria, an initiative-based program, is helping PCV's collaborate and synchronize their public health efforts. They reason that many small separate events are a nice effort and lightly effective but more large scale events connected by a common brand and message create a movement.


And thus, I'm now in on the movement. I'm hooked. I'm motivated. I'm encouraged. I'm empowered. All thanks to Stomp Out Malaria's Boot Camp. Two weeks in Thies, Senegal with a group of 32 PCV's has entirely refocused my service and maybe even my career path.


I was selected to attend the Malaria Boot Camp after a brief application process in June/July. I had heard great stories from other volunteers who had already been, so I was really excited to be apart of the team. My flight leaving Guinea was a bit in question due to the upcoming elections, so I arrived at the airport at 4PM for a 9PM flight. After 4 hours waiting in the lobby, I found out my flight was delayed to 1AM which then became 3:30AM. Great start.


I landed in Senegal around 5AM and got my finger prints taken for the biometric VISA. The poor chauffeur waiting for me woke up from his cozy front sear sleep and brought me to a hotel where I promptly passed out. Waking up a few short hours later was tough but I didn't want to the “that” guy who missed the bus. Imagine my sleep-deprived stupor being broken by the sight of an old college friend! I couldn't believe my luck finding a friend in a hotel in Dakar, not to mention he was going to the same training! My morning was saved and I handed decision powers over Dan. The ride to Thies, Senegal seemed quite familiar. Despite being in a new country with people I had just met, boarding a large bus, identical to the one we use in Guinea, packed in with bags and other visiting volunteers just felt like normal Peace Corps.

Sleep under your nets kids.

The following two weeks were some of the best of my service so far. The training, in general, was so well run that I forgot it was a Peace Corps training. That is to say that, an air-conditioned conference room equipped with Wi-Fi strong enough to Skype the U.S. from a Mac with a wireless keyboard, doesn't come standard for most PC functions. We talked about malaria, public health, and development from all angles giving me a full view of the global malaria situation. I could go on for much longer explaining the actually intriguing sessions on mosquitoes or the fun and active sessions using soccer to teach people about malaria, but I'll save you the time and say it was impressive.

Wherever you go, GO BLUE!

Outside of the training itself, the PCV's there with me made this training stand out. We chalk it up to the environment, affectionately called the Peace Corps Effect, but after just 3 days together, we all felt like longtime friends. Three days Peace Corps time is like 6 months back home. I got to meet PCV's from all over Africa, from South Africa to Ethiopia to Senegal. This also means I've been schemeing to find a way to visit a lot more countries. Anyone want to meet me in Malawi? Cameroon? Kenya? Madagascar? Benin? Liberia? I've already mentioned that I saw a fellow Wolverine but 4 Wolverines in the same place in West Africa....amazing!


Nearing the end of the training I got a message telling me I had a choice to make: leave in the next 10 minutes or stay in Dakar for an extra week and a half. This dilemma caught me off guard but was caused by the mounting tensions in Conakry over the impending elections. Not wanting to miss any of the training, I chose the long-stay option. And thus, I prepared to spend another week in Dakar. The last night before everyone else left we went out for a nice dinner and some dancing. Then, for the first day of my extended stay, I sat on the beach all afternoon. Rough. My luck continued when I found out my COS'ed friends from Guinea, who I thought I had said goodbye to already, were still in Dakar. The next week was looking pretty great now. Unfortunately, I found out early the next morning that I'd be taking the a flight that evening. It was bittersweet news because it meant that things were calm in Guinea but it also meant that I wouldn't be spending my birthday in Dakar at a bowling alley. So I went downtown, had some Korean food, ate some ice cream, saw my friends then ran off to the airport.

Surprise last visit with Shane and Syd!

I've now been to Senegal twice. Both times were amazing and unforgettable adventures. Going to Malaria Boot Camp had a large impact on my professional and personal life. I don't know how, but I hope the rest of my second year will be this great.....eh a guy can dream, can't he?

Dante est retourné!

For the non-french readers, the above title means “Dante has returned”. It seems an odd statement to use for a title but it works in context. The current president of Guinea, Alpha Conde, ran using the slogan “Guinée is back”, just like that....in English. Not sure what campaign manager told him to use English but hey he's president isn't he?! As educational as this tangent is, I'll continue.


I'm back! Back in Guinea, back to “la vie volontaire”, back to constant (and terrible) Franglais, back to daily fishy rice, back to sitting 2 in the front and 4 in the back. That last one is in no way a euphemism and instead refers to the real packing strategy that is public transportation in Guinea. Throughout my entire trip back home all my concerned friends and family would test my staying power and constantly ask the question “are you ready to go back?”, or something to that effect. I described in my last post the odd feeling of boarding the plane and how the feeling was so different. It was like that arriving too. For as different as my two worlds are, it was entirely natural to get back into Guinea life. I didn't show up expecting that Guinea had magically installed electricity and super markets while I was gone. I got off the plane and saw just what I expected. Things were the same and that much was comforting.


I spent most of my first day back in bed catching up on the sleep that I neglected in favor of watching movies on the plane. Power-napping my way through jet-lag was a necessary step if I was going to make it through the next month. August was a jam packed month with travel, vacation and fun, but now I was looking at September which was just as packed but with travel, work and fun. I went straight from Conakry to Dubreka, the location of my training, a whole year beforehand. This time I was going to Dubreka as a trainer and not as a trainee. Being in Dubreka is a bit of a flashback each time I go back. I see my old host family and walk around where I spent my first three months of my Guinean life. The new group of PCV's arrived in July but this would be the first time that I was going to see them as a trainer. 

Helping out at Practice School.

Being as the trainees were nearing the end of PST, they were already in the middle of practice school by the time I got there. It was really cool to see how far they all had come already. Helping out with practice school was really easy and the trainees were looking really strong. The best part of being a trainer is the chance to meet all the new volunteers, which was awesome. Thankfully, I've now been joined by another fellow Michigan Wolverine. Needless to say, we were fast friends.


That weekend was the planned trip for G24 to go shopping in Conakry, so as quick as I left I was headed back. There really wasn't much work to do that weekend besides playing tour guide for Conakry and drawing the occasional treasure map to finding the hidden gems of pseudo-American products. It was a lucky weekend to be in Conakry because of all the other unexpected guests. A good friend who was weeks away from the end of his service was there and thus, the celebration weekend began. We took full advantage of our last party together in Guinea and pulled out all the stops: decent beer, Jameson, live-streaming the U of M game, and cigars on the roof at 4 AM (after the U of M victory!). It was honestly the best way I could send off a good friend and the end of his time being a Peace Corps Volunteer and a damn good one at that.

Village skies seem bigger.

The last full week of training is pretty light, mostly filled with surveys, tests and ceremonies. I enjoyed the week hanging out with some old friends from my stage and making new friends in the new stage. I was sitting around talking with the Training Manager one afternoon when he mentioned he was in my village recently. I wasn't too surprised since Ousmane knows just about everyone in Guinea but I was a bit disconcerted when he told me he was there for a funeral. He then told me that an old man in village passed away. I immediately knew which old man it was. It was the man who would smile and wave at me every morning on my walk to school. I can honestly say he saw me 97% of the days, I've lived in Wonkifong. He was a staple to me. It hit me pretty hard that I wasn't there to say goodbye and made me realize how much I miss my village. For as much as I complain about them on the whole, there are certain people in my village that I have a true fondness for. We may not sit down and chat about life for hours on end, but we talk everyday and I like that. I'll miss that old man every time I walk by his house and remember his impressively long, white beard and genuine smile as he squeaked out a “Bonjour!” I moved on with the rest of my week and made sure to stop by the village one afternoon, if only for a few hours.


The last days of PST were so much fun for me and I was determined to help G24 have a good time too. By that time in PST, you are quite comfortable with your host family, your living arrangement and Dubreka in general so things are really manageable, leaving extra time for fun stuff. So with our free time we took one more trip to the beautiful waterfall near Dubreka. 



In a bittersweet ending to my time as a trainer, I had to run off before the real swearing-in ceremony so I could make it to the second leg of my work/fun filled September: Malaria Boot Camp in Thies, Senegal. 

A Vacation Back Home

It's only been quite recently that I've understood the relativity of the term: vacation. I've grown up thinking that it's not a break from routine until you drive multiple hours on the highway, usually in a general north direction. This summer was the first time that my vacation took me back home and not farther away. I grew up using summers to get away from home but now I see that in the real world, one uses vacation days to get back there.

Everyone, myself included, was a little nervous about my return to America, land of the plenty, land of running water, land of “HOLY CRAP it smells good here!” Much to my surprise, things were....well oddly natural. It was like I was hyper sensitive to noticing the little luxuries that make a typical day in the States darn near magical. But at the end of the day, it's still my home. It's getting back to normal and that's always easy. Seeing my family wasn't movie epic and I didn't have to reintroduce myself to my friends. I was home, we hugged tight, we fell into old habits. I'd make a pop culture reference (albeit a bit obsolete) and my sister's would roll their eyes and my attempt at wit. I'd make stupid joke (sometimes Africa specific) and my friends would still high five me with sarcastic enthusiasm. Getting home and seeing that things don't change all that dramatically was quite comforting.

Looking back it's a bit remarkable at how much I fit into a 20 day vacation. Starting at home my friend's wasted no time in keeping me up past my bedtime as I staved off jet lag. The arrival of my older sister, her then-soon-to-be-husband, and a large portion of the San Marinese kept the pace moving. The third night was highlighted by an amazing dinner with our best friend family. The next stop on this tour of awesome was my parent's gorgeous cottage and more family time. We took a little time to be real tourists with the visiting family, and I was so happy I got to spend time with my little cousin who I'm convinced could actually grow up to be Spider-Man.

Welcome to the family sir!

It took awhile but we finally got to the real reason for the expensive trip home: my big sister's big day. I know I'm young and I haven't attended too many weddings yet but the bar was set high by this one and the rest can try to keep up. My sister's wedding was so fun and full of love that I'm considering not getting married now. I don't want to handle the pressure of having to follow that up! So many friends and family that came from so far. The whole weekend was just perfect. I couldn't be happier to have a new brother-in-law along with a larger extended family, and I can't wait to see them all again!

The past month has given me a second chance that I'd never really considered: I left for the Peace Corps......again. If you've been following my blog since the beginning, or at least read the first one, you'll know that leaving the first time around was beyond tough and grossly emotional. I unintentionally skipped over that part this time around because I wasn't leaving my mom, dad, and sister at the airport, I just got on the “L” and said goodbye to a good friend where the paths to our terminals diverged. Sitting in the airport waiting to start 16 hours of flying, I thought about how much easier it was than the first time. It's not because my dad's semi-teary eyes weren't there to watch me go, it was easy because I knew where I was going. I left the first time only able to comprehend the next ten steps in front of me. This time I knew where I was going, who waited for my return, what I was going to do, and why I wanted to continue.

This has been going on a long time.

I can't thank you enough. My amazingly, large and supportive family. My best friends who know that 2 years is a drop in the bucket that will get washed away after the first beer. My sister for perfectly timing her wedding (partial credit to her husband of course). From the distance I write this at, I can only hope that these few words can help to express my gratitude for an unforgettable vacation and for all the support.

Why Teachers Need a Summer Vacation Too.

Growing up we all remember how sacred of a time that summer meant. It was the highest of holidays for anyone below highschool. The surprisingly similar experience for me has been my first summer vacation from the other side, a teacher's summer vacation. To be fair to educators back home, one's who are a bit more certified than myself, probably won't take to a break like a volunteer does but the intention is the same: I finally had time to do things I wanted to do. Luckily, the Guinean academic calendar is also, shall we say, liberal, than that which I'm accustomed to back home in the States; leaving me with ample time to pursue secondary projects and some "projects" that are just for fun.

Back in May, the school year came to a quiet close as the students gradually stopped showing up. It definitely lacked the end of the year BANG that field days and class parties added (something I'll try to rememdy next year). So with the second half of May I turned my focus to starting secondary projects. The first one I jumped on was a Training of Trainers, ToT, (Peace Corps loves their abbreviations) for a Youth Entrepreneurship Training Program, YETP (see what I mean). It's a volunteer developped program that focuses on the basics of entrepreneurship in a legal and formal (key terms) market. Being business-savvy in the States is something that we see from a very young age and certain aspects are just natural to us at this point but in a country where a large percentage of transactions are informal, business management takes quite the different path. A simple conversation about creativity and the role it plays for an entrepreneur took up an entire 2 hour class for me and my participants who were all educated adults, some with years of business experience. Overall the class took me just under a month and I trained 20 Guineans in the art of "the sell". The course went well so I will most likely give another soon but the real results for me will be whether or not in 6 months my participants have actually started a new business!

Whilst giving the YETP class was the only formal project I accomplished during my summer so far, I've been quite busy with other ideas. Since April, I've been working on what I hope will be my "lasting effect" project. It all started when I wrote a small theater piece to perform in front of middle schoolers about malaria. It's since then grown to a highly edited version of the same piece but for a children's book. I've already found a local illustrator for the book and the pictures are amazing. I'm really excited about this project and the next, and biggest, step is to find a publisher who's willing to work at a volunteer level or close to it. My malaria projects will be one of my main focuses for the second half of my service and I hope that this book will be the highlight.

Outside of real work I've been doing a lot of traveling and seeing other volunteers. Time in the regional capitals and an amazing 4th of July celebration where a friend and I built a brick grill were a great way to pass the sometimes slow moving summer. But really the best trip is just about to start as I'm sitting in Conakry before flying back home! It's a really weird feeling knowing that I'll be home so soon, nothing's changed right? So prepare for a celebration because I can't wait to see everyone!

Across the world...for now,

Dante