Our founding members Elizabeth Bingel and Klaus Kühn report on the living conditions in Guinea. You can read more about the public travel lecture below.
Our trip though Guinea has left our members with many impressions of the country. We’re also happy to share those impressions with you. On May 3, 2019, two of our founding members, Elisabeth Bingel and Klaus Kühn reported about the trip. Underneath the motto “Water for Massarankissidou,” the doors were left open for anyone of the public who was interested. The gallery in Berlin-Zehlendorf was filled to the very last seat.
Interesting insights: Everyday life in a developing country
Four weeks in Guinea and more than 2,000 travelled kilometers – Elizabeth and Klaus had plenty to report. They portrayed first-hand photos of what they experienced in the West-African nation. The lecture was not portrayed vacation-style, since the Mester-Camara Family hosted everyone along the whole trip. Elizabeth and Klaus lived privately with family members of the Camaras, and had countless opportunities to experience the everyday life first-hand. Thus they were able to give a much deeper experience to the public than a normal tourist would be able to.
Facts, Anecdotes, and discussion about Guinea
Beginning with a stay in the Capital of Guinea, a mid-stop in Macenta, and arrival in the village of Massarankissidou, the presenters explained the diverse life that’s very foreign for mid-Europeans. They reported on the legacies of the colonial ages, the lively markets, and the everyday life mainly takes place on the streets. For Elizabeth and Klaus, group participation was very important. Listeners could directly ask questions to them, which in some cases sparked interesting discussions in the course of the presentation.
A statement regarding the problems in the country
Beside doing a presentation on the colorful and diverse structure of Guinea, Elizabeth and Klaus obviously pointed out the catastrophic problems in the country. The Republic of Guinea represents one of the poorest countries in the world, and many things that one takes for granted in Germany, as well as most parts of the world, are not available there. The main point that was addressed was the stressed economic situation. Elizabeth and Klaus used Conakry and Macenta as examples, showing how hard it was for the locals to live sufficiently. Alongside that, the two also reported on the waste management, and showed alarming photos. Along with the language, the catastrophic road conditions only got worse as you travelled inward into remote areas.
Project presentation: Water in Massarankissidou
A big highlight of the presentation was the village of Massarankissidou. Ultimately, the visiting of the remote village was the main point of the whole trip to Guinea. Elizabeth and Klaus showed photos and videos of the arrival, along with life in the village, and explained the real inside perspective of the village in great detail. Many audience members were intrigued by the water situation, as well as how the people’s education and healthcare situation were reported. In addition, the speakers reported the work that they successfully completed in the village along with the other members of their small travel group. They talked about the preparations for our project “Water for Massarankissidou” in great detail.
A successful presentation with a slightly modified ending
The conclusion of the presentation was meant to be a donation appeal. For this purpose though, Elizabeth and Klaus had to explain a current problem in connection with the recognition of our aid organization. They explained that we couldn’t currently insert donated money into the project because the government was still blocking accreditation for our organization. Even so, most of the visitors couldn’t stop themselves from wanting to support Juciel. We gratefully thank you for the collected donations and the trust shown towards our organization. The donations, which came out to be 230 €, will immediately be inserted directly into the building of the well, as soon as Juciel is recognized by the Guinean government.
Trip though Guinea: More presentations coming
At the end of the presentation, there were many requests for such events again in the coming time, even though some people were not completely intrigued by having the chance to have a first-person account about life in a developing country like Guinea. We are very excited about the interest concerning West-Africa, and will therefore be hosting more presentations in Berlin and Bremen in the near future. At the next event, we will make you more aware about our website and newsletter.