nouvelles de notre association - aafi-afics - UNOG

It was the year sixteen hundred and two,
When they came a little too eagerly.
The tradition of the annual procession on the
anniversary of the Escalade began in 1902,
organized by the Compagnie de 1602 to celebrate
the 300th anniversary of the Escalade. The
costumes were made in haste and much
imagination was used in designing them. Some
1200 people took part in the procession. Some of
the costumes then made are still used; later ones
were based on the aquarelles of Edward Elzingre
(1880 - 1966) whose detailed pictures of the
events of the Escalade are still popular. But the
artist had based himself, at least in part on the
costumes used in the 1902 procession! No
matter, if some details are anachronistic, it is the
spirit that matters.
On every anniversary now, the shops all sell
chocolate soup pots, marmites, filled with
marzipan vegetables. Traditionally, in each
family, the youngest child cries, “Thus perish the
enemies of the Republic!” and smashes the
chocolate marmite in front of him.
A MISSION FULL OF SURPRISES
Sophie Prud’Hom
CAREER MEMORIES
It all happened in 1960. The Republic of Guinea is
newly independent and the UNDP is going to
open an office at Conakry. The Government will
provide two small offices, one of which has a
balcony, two cars, one with CD plates, and a
driver.
Initially the office comprises a Head of Mission, Mr
Rosenborg who is Swedish and does not speak
French, an interpreter, an administrator, Mr
Courtois from Geneva, a temporary English
secretary, and experts who arrive as and when
the Government accepts them. The secretary has
come to Conakry only to set up the mission, and
has to be replaced.
As I was thoroughly bored at the Palais des
Nations in Geneva, I applied for a one-year
mission. Despite the discouragement I met from
everyone, I stuck to my decision but was far from
realising what was in store for me.
First, the departure. I arrived in Paris to take a
UAT plane which was already late. I settled down
and waited for dinner which was soon served. We
were then informed that "for technical reasons" we
had to return to Paris. Two regular travellers on
this flight told me that one of the engines was on
fire. We finished our dinner in a very unpleasant
room in the middle of the night. A delay of six
hours. I finally arrived in Conakry next day. There
was no one to meet me. The office had not been
advised of the arrival of the plane. Eventually, the
car came to fetch a somewhat panicky person.
I am to live in the flat of the secretary who is
staying a few more days to put me in the picture.
My room has no air conditioning, and is
suffocatingly hot. I quickly make the acquaintance
of the cockroaches that clear off as soon as the
light goes on. In the morning, I find them in my
shoes, in the wardrobe, etc. One has to get used
to it quickly, this is Africa. However, as soon as I
have the flat to myself, there are much fewer,
especially in the bedroom, the only room with air
conditioning.
It's very stressing to try to learn it all in three days,
and everything was very new: the bank accounts,
including those of the experts who received part of
their per diem in dollars which could be converted
into local currency; the decoding machine; in short
it was all different but very interesting, except for
the end-of-month visits to the Bank of Guinea
where the heat was suffocating (no air
conditioning).
The first disappointment was the salary. My PT8
indicated a daily allocation of $14. As soon as I
arrived in Conakry, I was shown a telegramme
that mentioned a monthly allocation of $100,
which didn't even cover the rent, prices being very
high in Conakry. Mr Courtois did everything he
could, contacting both New York and Geneva.
Faced with the indifference of New York, I decided
to look for another job, which wasn't difficult. The
British and American Embassies both offered me
an interesting post, especially as I was Frenchspeaking.
Working for an embassy is wonderful.
Suitable housing is provided as well as a car with
CD number plates, a houseboy and a guard to
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