Destination Guinea - Part 1

Part 1: Bienvenue à la Guinée, Quist Everil!

Excitement skittered in my stomach as I left Chicago’s O’Hare on my latest journey for USAID. An eight-hour layover in Paris added fatigue to enthusiasm. Finally, I boarded the plane for the last leg of my journey. Republic of Guinea, West Africa, here I come! My task: to conduct informational training meetings (ITMs) for leaders of seven remote villages in the world’s second poorest nation. My goal: to persuade villagers to work together toward a better life through cooperative agriculture. 

Another layover—this time in Mauritania, just south of Morocco. Leg-stretching wasn’t an option for we had to remain in our seats for the hour-long wait on the tarmac. Even the restrooms were off-limits! I gazed out the window. Everything was ... brown! Typical Sahara decor—nary a tree nor a blade of grass in sight. Even the distant houses were mud-brick brown. The late October dry-season (harmattan) winds fluttered flags that dotted the area.  Time for some shut-eye.

 

The flight attendant’s nudge interrupted my surprisingly deep sleep. We were landing at Conakry-G’bessia International Airport in Conakry, Guinea’s capital city. The deplaning passengers were tired, impatient, and—without exception—adult. Either this isn’t tourist season or Guinea’s not a tourist spot, I surmised.

             

Brown once again assailed me, this time in the form of two young drably-uniformed female customs agents. Does any other color exist here? I wondered.

             

I instantly regretted that thought. “Yellow card! Yellow card!” the agents shouted. Yellow card? What yellow card? An English-speaking passenger saw my confusion. “Show them your yellow card, or they won’t let you enter. You know ... your yellow fever vaccination record.”

             

Gulp! My computer-generated record was legitimate ... but it wasn’t yellow. I started to sweat.

             

A middle-aged woman approached. An Alaskan missionary, my mind-reading rescuer shouted in French while pointing to my papers until a red-faced agent motioned me ahead. Turning to thank her, I realized I was on my own; she’d disappeared into the crowd. Nerves added a new layer to my fatigue and excitement as I headed to the baggage area. Someone’s sure to meet me ... I hope!

             

Quist-Everil!   Hooray for black and white—my name boldly printed on a placard held at arm’s length by my USAID contact. Relieved and excited anew, I followed the smiling man through the dimly lit lobby.

             

Welcome to Guinea, Everil Quist. I couldn’t wait to begin!

 

 

by Everil Quist, International Agri-business Consultant

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 Everil Quist on location

Everil Quist - President & CEO of QuistSpeaks, LLC

"Enjoy this story about the noble peoples of third world countries.  I've truly enjoyed working with them and have many heartwarming and entertaining stories to tell. 

I enjoy sharing my adventures with my audiences, where I feel I am truly 'Creating Positive Change'."


“Everil Quist delivers with knowledge, humor and compassion.  His trials and tribulations during his stints in Former Soviet Union countries impart the difficulties and perseverance these dynamic people have to overcome—difficulties we seldom experience here in America.”

-Virginia Dessart, N2 Area Governor, District 35, Toastmasters International