Government Shutdown

I have to be honest with you all. When I first heard about the impending government shut down, I clucked my tongue at the far right for hijacking the Republican Party and then mused that it was probably not a terrible thing. Maybe seeing how well the country can function with the majority of staff on furlough might just show the central government how bloated their operations are. Besides, I am dealing with political problems in my adopted home that affect me much more than any goings-on at home. Last Saturday, Guinea had their legislative elections after years of delays and dozens of lives lost. If I have to hear, “We’ll start the work after the elections are over…” one more time, I think I might pull my hair out. Everything has been put on hold, and now the results are delayed. They are previewed to be released on Saturday, mais on va voir…. So far, things have been calm. The Kindia market was a ghost town on Election Day and most of the boutiques have been closed ever since. The women who sell smaller items don’t have the financial luxury to close in protest or to protect their wares from the looting and destruction that accompanies a riot, so life has maintained a hesitant, but oddly normal, pace.

But back to the government shut down…I figured that even with the majority staff on unpaid, mandatory vacation, the defunt US government would still provide more services to their people than the “fully functioning” Guinean one does. But then it started affecting my work.

I am working with some other volunteers on an art show. Over the past two years I have made friends with some visual artists and what to help them access the markets (namely wealthy Guineans and expats) that are hard for them to reach on their own through an art show and business networking training. Our budget is small, so we threw it up on the Peace Corps Partnership Program website (It lets anyone donate to support projects—click here to contribute) working frantically to beat the end of fiscal year deadline and got it up just to see a note, that while you can continue to donate, there is no one to process payments. The volunteer heading up the project got a call that we are going to have to postpone unless people start working soon.

Another project that I am working on frantically (to get it to a good place before my contract ends in <4 months) is importing Hydraid Water Filters, a sustainable solution to the problem of safe drinking water, with my host father, a social entrepreneur in his own right. With commercial shipping, each filter, which lasts over 20 years, will cost someone in Guinea $35, attainable for employed Guineans and poorer families if they can associate and share a filter. Most of that is shipping cost, so while we are trying to find a way to start producing them in-country, we were going to prototype with imports. But then I heard about a program that gives greatly reduced / free shipping for humanitarian projects through un-used space in military ships. I was so excited that we would be able to prototype at a price point that will more accurately reflect our future costs. BUT the woman responsible for the project is on furlough.

Make some compromises and go back to work. It’s not just Americans that are counting on you, but people all around the world. Guineans are looking for your help getting clean water, create jobs, and support the arts, but even more than that our eyes are on you to show the world that Democracy works and will raise above petty in-fighting to serve the people who elected them.