VOICES FROM THE FIELD: Joschka Philipps in Guinea

Joschka Philipps is an intern with Search for Common Ground Guinea.

The Blind Leading the Way in Guinea

Amédé and his band play a concert representing the APAGF in their community

Amédé Pierre Koromou sings with his shades on.  His band plays a beautiful tune.  Spectacular West African rhythms and melodies, surrounded by the beautiful colors of a Guinean village.  These colours are lost on the musicians, however, as they are all blind.  So, too, are many of the people in the crowd, dancing happily on the uneven ground with movements as easy and secure as if there were no obstacles.  “This is a community for and by blind people,” says Amédé.  The singer and president of APAGF, the association behind this community, Amédé speaks proudly and clearly.  Launched in 1998, APAGF (Association pour la promotion des aveugles de la Guinée Forestière) helps blind people in the southeastern forest region of Guinea to understand for themselves that they might have “lost their eyesight, but not their lives.”  Living within a small community, they cook their own food, sell their self-made artisan work, learn and teach braille, and work to reintegrate blind people in other villages.  “We have created our own autonomy. Now we can take charge of the problem elsewhere!” claims Amédé.  With his band he has toured more than a hundred villages since 2005.  “Every time we arrive in a village, we ask for the handicapped people to come and join us, dance and eat with us, share stories.  We say ‘Your brothers are here, let’s do this together!’  And we reach them.  We can do things that people who see cannot do.”   APAGF’s outreach is not only meant for the blind and handicapped.  Amédé and his band spread messages of tolerance, nonviolent conflict resolution, good governance and democracy.  “We don’t sing for the sake of singing!” he says.  “The people are thirsty!  They want to hear more than just music, they want to hear messages!”

Ernesto Gemou, part of the young leaders that Search for Common Ground trained in N'zérékoré, translates the non-violence training (from Frech to Guerzé) to the 'blind' community after the concert, and initiates interesting discussions on good governance, communication and leadership.

This is where Search for Common Ground (SFCG) becomes part of the picture.  When asking Amédé what inspires him to write his lyrics, the singer points to his room.  “Every morning I listen to the radio.  It gives me a lot of ideas for my songs.”  He especially likes Wantanara, the soap opera by SFCG’s Talking Drum Studio.  “I love it,” says Amédé, “The people love it.  Many don’t understand French, so they are happy about stories that are told in their native language.  And the radio, just like music, is a great means of changing people’s behavior.  They apply what they hear!  In my village, I really can feel that things are changing.  There are more and more organizations based on what the people hear on the radio. Women groups, democracy initiatives…Before, everybody had to go to the chief of the village for resolving domestic conflicts.   Now, the people solve their problems on their own.”   Similarly with SFCG’s radio programs, the singer changes his language to match the venue.  French in urban centers, and local languages in the villages.  The message remains the same wherever they play.  “We want to raise awareness.  Our task is to help other blind people out of their misery.  We could help ourselves, now we want to help others.  And we want to contribute to the socio-economic development of this country.”

The APAGF band currently faces a serious transportation problem.  After a former supporter moved away with his jeep, they have lacked a vehicle to bring them to the villages.  It can only be hoped that they will find a solution and be back on tour soon, not only for their own sake but for the effect that their message has audiences wherever they go.  “In the beginning, people were afraid of blind people because they thought blindness was contagious.  But the more and more we toured the villages, we have become an attraction, they all come to see us, the young, the old, women, men… They all want to see ‘these blind people playing this incredible music.’  And they stay until three o’clock in the morning!  Indefatigable!”