Here's some answers to a lot of questions I've been getting, and this way I don't have to repeat myself.
Where are you going?
Guinea in West Africa not New Guinea in Oceania
How long are you going to be there?
It's 27 months total, so leaving Dec 2008 and returning in Feb 2011
What are you going to be doing in Guinea?
I won't know exactly what I'll be doing until I get in country, but the program I will be involved with is called SED or Small Enterprise Development.
Here's a excerpt from my assignment information packet: Your primary responsibility as a SED Adviser will be to work with your partner organization to conduct one-on-one and group technical consultations with local entrepreneurs. These consultations and training activities cover broad array of topics, including basic accounting, feasibility studies, business planning, marketing, ICT skills, proposal writing, budgeting, credit managment, and financial planning.
There's more but I think that answers the question sufficiently.
Why are you going?
This requires a longer answer then the pervious question and don't really feel like writing paragraphs, so all I'm going to say is there's a lot reasons why.
What are the living conditions going to be like?
From other blogs I've read and from what other people know about Guinea, its likely I will have a bush experience. Which means no indoor plumbing, no electricity, probably a mud hut, basically all the things people typically think of when imagining Peace Corps service in remote villages. That being said, not all Peace Corps assignments are like that, some people do get placed in cities and if lucky enough access to flushing toliets and other luxuries of modern life.
Theres more questions, but this will have to do for now.
P.S Shout out to Chaco for their 50% discount program for all active Peace Corps volunteers.
