OVERVIEW OF PRE-DEPARTURE REQUIRMENTS
Please make sure your child has completed all of the following things before the end of November. If you are confused about when these things need to be completed by please refer to the Timeline of Pre-Departure Requirements at the end of this section. Some of these items are contingent upon each other, so please double check that you have completed each one.
- Current passport
- Travel Visa for Guinea with letter of invitation
- Proof of Yellow Fever Vaccination
- Anti-Malaria Prescriptions and Medical Kit for Personal Use
- Travel insurance from World Nomad
- Emergency Contact and Medical Form
- Pre-departure Workshops and Homework
- Timeline of Pre-departure Deadlines
CURRENT PASSPORT
Students will need to get their passports by visiting Travel.Sate.Gov A Service of the Bureau of Consular Affairs at http://travel.state.gov/passprt/passport_1738.html . All minors must apply for their passports in person and must be in the company of BOTH of their guardians. The process of obtaining your passport can take as long as two months so all students should plan on visiting the closest facility to obtain it before the end of August. Melina Palumbo will need two photocopies of this to keep in case of emergency.
GUINEAN VISA
The Guinean embassy requires several articles before submission. Please make sure you have included all of the following before sending:
- Your passport with two additional passport size photos.
- Two completed application forms (the application Form can be found on the www.traveldocs.comwebsite and the TDS order form which must be completed online.
- A letter of invitation (Melina will send this to each family by email.)
- Your Yellow Fever vaccination certificate.
- Payment: You may pay online or enclose a personal/business check. The cost of the two-month visa is $105.00 and the consular fees are $55.00. The visa is valid for two month after issue dates so don’t get this too early.
- Plan on submitting application in early November, it can take 4-6 weeks to get visa.
- Send all documents to the following address: TRAVEL DOCUMENT SYSTEMS, INC. 27 West 24th Street, Suite 9D New York, NY 10010
VACCINES & MEDICATIONS
While the Yellow Fever Vaccine is the only requirement, we encourage you follow all of the current recommendations and requirements given by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) with regard to vaccines and medications on there website at wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/guinea. You should get ALL vaccines 4-6 weeks before the trip departure date and you will need your Yellow Fever vaccination by November 1st in order to get your visa. In addition you will need to see your primary care doctor and fill out the Emergency Contact and Medical Form alerting us to any medical conditions we should be aware of. Bellow is a list of recommended medical vaccines and precautions.
FOR ALL TRAVELERS:
| Routine Vaccinations | Make sure you are up-to-date on routine vaccines before every trip. These vaccines include measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus vaccine, varicella (chickenpox) vaccine, |
| Hepatitis A | CDC recommends this vaccine because you can get hepatitis A through contaminated food or water in Guinea, regardless of where you are eating or staying. |
| Malaria | You will need to take prescription medicine before, during, and after your trip to prevent malaria. Your doctor can help you decide which medicine is right for you, and also talk to you about other steps you can take to prevent malaria. |
| Typhoid | You can get typhoid through contaminated food or water in Guinea. CDC recommends this vaccine for most travelers, especially if you are staying with friends or relatives, visiting smaller cities or rural areas, or if you are an adventurous eater. |
| Yellow Fever | Health recommendation: Yellow fever is a risk in Guinea, so CDC recommends this vaccine for all travelers who are 9 months of age or older. Country entry requirement: The government of Guinea also requires proof of yellow fever vaccination. |
OPTIONAL VACCINATIONS:
| Hepatitis B | You can get hepatitis B through sexual contact, contaminated needles, and blood products, so CDC recommends this vaccine if you might have sex with a new partner, get a tattoo or piercing, or have any medical injections. |
| Meningitis | Guinea is part of the “meningitis belt” of sub-Saharan Africa. CDC recommends this vaccine if you plan to visit Guinea during December – June, when the disease is most common. |
| Rabies | Rabies can be found in dogs, bats, and other mammals in Guinea, so CDC recommends this vaccine for the following groups: |
- Travelers involved in outdoor and other activities (such as camping, hiking, biking, adventure travel, and caving) that put them at risk for animal bites.
- People who will be working with or around animals (such as veterinarians, wildlife professionals, and researchers).
- People who are taking long trips or moving to Guinea
Children, because they tend to play with animals, might not report bites, and are more likely to have animal bites on their head.
SUMMERY OF CDC HEALTH & SAFTY RECOMMENDATIONS:
- Get vaccinated
- Take antimalarial medications
- Eat and drink food that is specially prepared
- Prevent bug bites with bug repellent
- Keep away from animals
- Avoid sharing bodily fluids
- Avoid non-sterile medical or cosmetic equipment
MEDICAL FIRST AID KITS FOR PERSONAL USE
Each student traveler must bring a supply of over the counter medical items as well as any prescription drugs and personal toiletries they can’t do without. The Guinean medical facilities and pharmacies are limited and drugs are often of a lesser quality. If you are traveling with prescription drugs make sure to leave labels on bottles as well as having a doctors note for airport customs agents should they ask.
MUST HAVE LIST:
- ALL PERSCRIPTION MEDICATIONS
- Advil, Tylenol or Motrin IB for reducing fevers
- Benadryl for allergic reactions
- Pepto Bizmal for upset stomach
- Imodium for diarrhea
- Laxative for constipation
- Oral Rehydration salt and Emergency C for heat and dehydration
- Ace Bandage for sprains
- Bandages (large, good strength)
- White hospital tape, for injury to hands and feet
- PEROXIDE!!!!!!!
- Anti-bacterial gel and /or wipes, bathrooms!!!
- Bug repellent
- Sunblock
- Toothpaste
- Soap
- Shampoo and conditioner
- Towel that folds into small size
- Hair accessories (nothing electronic)
- Snacks: nuts, bars, dried fruit, ext.
- MONEY BELT: for holding passport, photocopied maps of Guinea, emergency phone numbers, and medical records on your person AT ALL TIMES!
- Photocopies of passport in case it is lost or stolen in multiple locations in your belongings
- Lock with key for bags and door in Guinea
- Frame backpack or suitcase with wheels for easy travel.
TRAVELER’S INSURANCE
All students will need to purchase travelers insurance. This will include emergency evacuation from the country if need be. I am recommending you get World Nomad insurance BUT if there is something else you/your family would prefer please check in with me before purchasing. Here is the link to the World Nomad page: http://www.worldnomads.com/travel-insurance/ You can purchase this as early as you like and just let them know when you would like the start date to be. I recommend purchasing it no later than November 12th.
EMERGENCY CONTACT & MEDICAL FORM
Melina will send each family a medical form that will need to be filled out and signed by each student’s primary care doctor attesting to their physical health. Parents will only be contacted during the trip via a group email sent out every couple of days or in the case of an emergency. Please make sure to put the best way to reach you in the case of an emergency.
PRE-DEPARTURE WORKSHOPS
Melina will lead three pre-departure workshops for ALL students who plan on attending the trip. The workshops are MANDATORY and will be scheduled during an after-school time in late October and/ or early November. These workshops will cover a wide variety of topics including pre-departure orientation and completed checklists, cultural competency and history and culture of Guinea past and present. The workshops will be taught through simulations, games and inter-active team building activities and discussions. Parents are encouraged to attend and participate but do not need to. The workshops are mandatory because it is imperative that all students gather and review safely protocol and pre-departure requirements before departure. Bisko and Melina will be leaving for Guinea in December so it is important to do this before they leave. In addition, we the trip leaders feel that it is important that students have the tools of analysis and language to fully immerse themselves in the history, culture, art and language of Guinea. During each session Melina will assign one hour of homework to be completed over a two week period. The homework will include reading, writing and practicing basic greetings in Susu and Malinke, Fulani and French.
TIMELINE OF PRE-DEPARTURE DEADLINES
| MONTH | DEADLINES |
September
9/30 All Students must have passports, with photocopies submitted to Melina!
9/30 Go/ no go deadline! Purchase plane tickets.
October
10/13 Students must have all First Aid Medical kits and travel supplies purchased and packed for the pre-departure training.
10/22 First Pre-departure training.
9/29 Second Pre-departure training.
10/30 All students must have yellow fever vaccinations, letter from primary care doctors and medical form submitted to Melina.
November
11/1 All families must submit Visa application no later than today.
11/12 Last pre-departure training.
December
12/ 15 All families must submit photo copy of Visa and travel Insurance to Melina.
12/26 Melina and Bisko depart for Guinea
January
1/14/14 Students, teachers and chaperones depart for Guinea!
IN COUNTRY
MAPS OF GUINEA
Guinea can be a difficult country to navigate because road ways are not formal and are often unmarked. I recommend going on-line to google earth Guinea site and familiarizing yourself with the areas around Conakry. We will be staying in Anta. You may also refer to the maps of Guinea in regards to medical facilities in the appendix.
HOUSING
We will be staying in a five-bedroom house/compound in Anta, a neighborhood in Conakry. The house belongs to a long-term friend and fellow dancer that Bisko knows, so he is giving us an incredible deal to rent it for the three-weeks that we are there. The house is VERY nice for Guinean standards and has beds, mosquito nets, an indoor bathroom, running water and electricity. These amenities are privileges very few Guineans enjoy so PLEASE be grateful for them. Students will share three bedrooms, split up by gender, and staff will share the other two. The house/compound has a wall surrounding it and a large gate. There is also an outdoor patio for dancing and drumming and a living room and balcony for relaxing. We will have pictures to share with everyone soon!
CONNECTING WITH THE PEACE CORPS
Aelan has been corresponding with many of the Peace Corps volunteers in Guinea and we plan on meeting with some of them and hearing about the kind of projects they are working on in Guinea.
MEDICAL FACILITIES: TBD
Send WOFA to Guinea! 