A Tournee in the Fouta Djallon

Hello again! I can’t tell you how amazing it is to have 24/7 access to internet here in Conakry. It’s the little things that bring me the greatest pleasure now.

As you may know, I live in Bissikrima in Haute (Upper) Guinea. Haute Guinea is where the Malinke tribe has settled in our country. Bissikrima is technically in Haute but on the border of the Fouta Djallon (Middle Guinea). The Fouta is where the Peul tribe has settled, and they are the most populus tribe in Guinea with over 40% of Guineans being Peuls, so they can be found everywhere in the country. Bisskrima, Dabola, Dialakoro, and other villages near us consist of about 60% Malinke and 40% Peuls, so where we are is an interesting mix without any ethnic tensions at least from what I’ve seen. The Peuls are streotyped as being hardworking and conservative (Muslim), and I’ve found those stereotypes to be on the true side. Looking at my class rosters, I would say Bissikrima is a good 90% Peul, but that’s only because the Peuls value education. Peul men tend to have multiple wives, at least more often than non-Peuls. They also tend to marry their daughters off at younger ages and to older men.

So last week, as our training in Mamou ended Friday, Lisa and I decided to head up to her site in the Fouta for a few days. We spent the first night in the regional capital, Labe. I was shocked by how quiet and peaceful it was in the morning as Peuls are quieter, more conservative people. (Actually, one of the other PCVs who lives with the Susus in the Basse Cote had to switch taxis on his way into Mamou and that the new taxi was full of Peuls, and he was going, “Who died? Why is everyone not screaming like in the last taxi?”) Saturday morning we headed to Lisa’s site, which is 50K from Labe on one of the worst roads I’ve been on yet. We didn’t go over 20K/hour at any point during the trip.

We spent four days in Mombeya, which is a teeny, tiny village. First of all, I was freezing almost the entire time because the Fouta is a mountainous region, and I’m just not used to the cooler weather at higher altitudes. Lisa and I spent most of our time hanging out in her host family’s living room with their five month old baby and the mom, who is 22 and married to a man who is at least 54. I adored the mom who was the most spunky and feisty Guinean woman I have yet met. She openly talks to Lisa about how much she despises her husband, the mayor of the town (and with good reason — he’ll go on trips and leave her with no money to feed their children or herself, so she’s forced to go around to people in the community asking for money). Lisa taught her the word “asshole” in English, so she’ll whisper it under her breath when her husband’s making her mad, and when he asks her what she’s saying, she says, “Oh nothing. Just singing.” We spoke openly with her about excision, her boyfriends, his girlfriends, etc. I found out why nearly everyone in this country has both a spouse and a boy/girlfriend. Marriages are arranged by the family, so you marry your spouse, who you are not usually in love with, but then keep a longterm boy/girlfriend with whom you are in love. I had a lovely time with Mme Bah. She was also the typical insanely kind Guiean woman. When Lisa told her I was coming, she went out and found a chicken that she prepared especially for us (one of the most delicious meals I’ve had…ever). Every morning she asked us what sauce we wanted that day and would prepare it for us. An incredible woman to say the least.

We also spent time with the village Doctor with whom Lisa works. I’ll be honest, he was kind of a jerk. His wife is the most gorgeous woman I have seen yet in this country that is teeming with beautiful women. I told him so, and he said, “Oh stop.” I said, “Do you tell her how beautiful she is?” He said no way, she’d get a big head and think she didn’t have to do work around the house anymore. When we were eating dinner with him one night, he called his wife lazy in the middle of the meal. Lisa and I were steaming at this point. Earlier that day he’d been talking about taking another wife, talking about the benefits of female excision (to keep women’s sexual urges under control — if they weren’t excised, they’d just be out having sex with everyone!), and other infuriating subjects. Calling his wife, who’d spent all day preparing his food, washing his clothes, and taking care of their baby, lazy was the last straw. We went home frustrated and sad. This is a highly educated man in the community, and he still stands behind the ideas we find so upsetting in this culture. If the educated men refuse to change, is their any hope for Guinea as a whole?

In any case, it was a lovely few days, and Lisa and I enjoyed each other’s company as well that of Mme Bah’s. One thing I appreciated about the Peuls I met is the value they place on education. There was a school in every little village and settlement we saw, and you just don’t see that in Haute (or Basse Cote for that matter). Many of the men told me their wives were in Labe, and when I asked why, they said because they were still in high school. So yeah they’re marrying them at ages we would consider far, far too young, but they’re also allowing them to stay in school.

So that was my brief tournee in the Fouta. I’ll be headed back in a couple weeks when my mom and Paige are here for what is supposed to be an amazing hiking experience. I’m already looking forward to cooler weather, traditional people, and quiet mornings.

More to come tomorrow…