African Adventure 4

11-13-07

When I had language this morning, JZ (my professor) gave me the flip charts he made to hang on my wall. Maybe I will get it by osmosis.

Dr. Claude and two PCVs presented a class on AIDS and the culture of it. She brought a 50 yr old woman, Awa whom she met at a conference, to share her story of living with Aids. When she became so fatigued that everyday activities were very hard to do, she went for medical help. When the doctor told her the results of her HIV blood test, she kept it to herself for a long time. In Africa there is a stigma when one has it, and once the word gets out, victims are shunned. Finally though she shared with her adult children, who were very supportive. They said to her “You will always be our mom and we love you.” Her life is her children and four grandchildren. She pulled out photos and showed me those precious little ones after the talk that morning.

Awa has decided that she can support other women with Aids by speaking to groups of them upon request. She demonstrated a certain shyness, so this is undoubtedly a huge sacrifice on her part. Her Rx for one month is 2500 francs. There was good discussion between the class and guest speaker. It is so easy to respect her for the courage she shows in her volunteer talks.

That late afternoon we went around our village to the local wells and conducted a questionnaire on AIDS, which lasted until dark. There were giggles from the younger participants in our survey and sometimes people answered our inquiries and some didn't. We will collate the information for the health board which will then have it for further education of the population.

When we got to the training center the next day in OHG we health trainees processed our study at each of our villages on Malaria, the knowledge, attitudes and practices within each village. There is much work that can be done in this area.

We had a cross cultural presentation on Gender and Development, with a group of young adults whom Siaka had invited to answer our questions. It was very informative regarding the cultural do's and don't(s). Many of the limits on behavior have their roots in religious and cultural practices. It also differs in the village itself vs in the densely populated towns/cities.

The SED class demonstrated building a mud stove, which is a clay barrier surrounding the fire pit, and saves on firewood, because the wind can't as easily affect the intensity of the fire. This idea will be useful in village for ourselves or to demonstrate to our neighbors. The best mixture for the clay is donkey dung and dirt mixed with water and straw. It is a hands on project. There is a picture of trainees participating in this activity. We didn't all jump right into it, but eventually some of us did.

That next day all the other Health stagiaires came to our village and Natalie's parents brought hot lunch for us. The SED students demonstrated three more projects for us to do while living here; the lost well, dehydrators and making a desert fridge. The dry well keeps standing water and drainage from collecting. The dehydrators are simple methods of preserving foods that are not year around available. And the desert fridge is a system of two clay canaries with sand between, causing the inner one to be cooler. It keeps things two or three days at most.

11-17-07

This Saturday Natalie was a little under the weather and accompanied my drive to town, and we had two blocks of language. My teacher was busy with administrative tasks, and a couple of PCVs came along. Marcos and Audrie helped me with my flashcards. They also added words I would need in village in French. Then Theo came along and helped out too. We had a little time to ride our bikes in town to shop before going back to village.

The next day, Sunday, Becky showed up around 10am to hang out. We worked on our reports a couple hours. Becky loves visiting with my host family. She found out that Abi, the eldest daughter works in OHG for the AIDS program. Amadi, my host father is pretty versed on the SIDA/AIDS national campaign, as his brother is in the Health Ministry. Orokia, my host mother brought us lunch, and we continued our lazy pattern of laying on the mat (Becky) and writing in journal (me).

The teen girls in the family were washing clothes, which led to a discussion on Orokia pulling water up from the well approximately 20-30 ft down an open well, surrounded by a log frame at the entrance. In the wood one could see the grooves from pulling water up in buckets for many years. Becky was surprised at how deep it was, and Orokia wouldn't let either of us near the edge. See pictures.

We visited gramma Awa on her front porch and met her sister, and papa's sister, Azita. They were both visiting her and everyone hopes her son, John comes next Sunday to check on Awa. Her right knee is swollen by evening almost everyday. We have been wrapping it with an ace bandage daily.

As the day neared an end, the teen girls biked back to OHG to their respective schools for the next week. Madi started the millet stalk piles on fire. What a spectacular event that was for me to see. One, two, three, up to six of them going at once, making a big circle of flames. Amadi said it was for potash, which is used in cooking beans. The fires are a magnet for the children, who love to run and giggle in the evening's twilight.

11-19-07 Monday

Patrice is my language teacher in village this week, while the others have Bintou. Patrice used the exterior wall of the health clinic to hang up the flip charts and we did exercises together. I'm beginning to think there's something about learning a new language at this point in my life. It's that parts-timers effect, the memory just ain't what it used to be.

Later in the morning the six of us went inside the clinic and talked with the Infirmier (head male nurse) and the language teachers helped us discuss vaccinations and what was needed to train a woman's group on the subject. We gathered some statistics from the RN and clinic records, we also copied from a chart hanging on the wall there, the set of vaccinations available for infants 0-11 months, and a series of shots for pregnant women to prevent TB, which also protects the infants. Natalie is a fabulous artist and quickly outlined a pregnant Burkinabe', along with infants at one, four, six, and nine months of age. This made the information both written and drawn for the under educated or the Moore' speaking pop.

At lunch, Becky's family took a turn at providing Riz Gras and that wonderful bissap drink. While Yassia, Becky's host father runs the local restaurant in Somyaga, today her host mother did the cooking.
After another block of language class with Patrice, it was time to meet with some of the leaders of the community and discuss how to debrief the information we had gathered in our Malaria and AIDS talks with the various families. The leaders from the Community Business Organization decide how best to share the information with their community. We (trainees) had a quick meeting ourselves ahead of this for logistics and task-sharing, as two of our six were ill, and it fell to the rest to pick up the slack. Everyone pitched in and actually some new ideas evolved about strategy to work with the leaders. Becky did the intro, and Lacey led a discussion on the community response to the malaria questions. Natalie and I also mentioned that the families had some facts correct, but need help with the ones that are incorrect, i. e. one can get malaria from bad water or by eating too much vegetable oil.

About that time Dr. Claude and Thierry (program director) arrived at village. Dr. Claude sat in on our discussion with the CBO members and was well received when she spoke Moore' to them. She is a very personable woman. The leaders came to a consensus that they would write down the main points we learned in Moore' (the language of most of the villagers) to share with the community. It was near dark when we concluded that gathering.

11-20-07-Tuesday

By 9am we had the visual aids for vaccinations in hand and were all set to meet with the village women. There is something akin to Hawaiian time here, they call it Burkinabe' time. The village women were all at a baptism it seems, and around 10am they gathered under the hangar in the center of the village on the mats we had put down for them. (See the pictures.) Almost everyone of them was carrying a baby on the back or at the breast. Just the audience we had in mind. They continued to arrive a few at a time until there were 40+ women gathered. Then Jean Francois, the RN and Azita, the accucheuse (midwife) came with boxes of treats for all correct answers. Our own health trainee (an RN) Lindsey talked about each disease, the side effects, and the immunization that prevents it. Natalie displayed and explained the immunization schedule with the beau drawings she sketched. Finally Nakeisha and I role played the secondary symptoms of the injections. Nakeisha cried like a baby with me as her concerned mother. Lacey did the wrap up. The language instructors shared all of it in Moore' for the women. Then came the questions from the RN and midwife, who tossed the prizes in the air toward the woman who correctly answered. The women giggled as the prizes came their way. What a successful event!

After the main French lesson that afternoon, Patrice and I played cards. We had to add each card to the previous one, say the French numbers for the total until we reached 99. That was fun!

We had a long late afternoon break (nap), because in the evening when the family members would all be home, we trainees and our language teachers and two village leaders went back to each home/compound that we had surveyed, and shared accurate information with each family about Malaria. As I was pedaling home in the dark with my little bike light, Amadi came on his motobike looking for me.

11-21-07

Yippee, it was Wednesday and we were set to go to the training center for three days and overnight too. We as a group of 34 Stagiaires were excited about preparing food for Thanksgiving and being “a family” away from home. We transported the pumpkin Awa gave me, and all the things for pie which I had gotten in the capitol and most the ingredients for vegetable lasagna, which my roommates/adopted granddaughters wanted. I had borrowed two big pots from Orokia for the pies or lasagna. Amadi helped put the oblong pumpkin in a bag with the other foods. My bike got loaded.....we were ready.

Of course we still had classes that day, language with Theo for me. Dr. Jean Luc presented a class on infectious diseases in Burkina Faso. He is very entertaining. Next the Peace Corps Volunteers who were assisting with our training gave a talk on the many, many medicinal benefits of the Moringa Tree. Last that afternoon we had our exit test on Safety and Security in BF.

My roommates biked to Chaine Avion (market in town) to get the eggs and veggies we needed to make our two dishes for Thanksgiving. Meanwhile I spoke to the chef of the kitchen for the training center, who said I could come in and use his kitchen that night after he had served dinner. We aren't the only guests there, so there is tight scheduling of the facilities. I decided to make the pie dough ahead to line the pumpkin pies with, and also to cut up the pumpkin, steam it, scoop it out of its shell and mash it until it was blended. There was still evidence of pulp, yet was the color of pumpkin back home. While it was still warm, I added the two cans of milk and the spices along with two handfuls of brown sugar cubes, which melted in the warm mix. (The sugar here is either white or brown cubes only, which don't mash!) Later when that mixture was cool, I added the half dozen beaten eggs.

Around 8pm when it came time to use the kitchen and roll out the pie dough, the chef got out a rectangular serving tray for me to roll it on, with a quart beer bottle as a rolling pin. When I tried to put the crust into the pans I brought, the chef found one old pie tin in the back corner of his cupboard, and then produced a fry pan without a handle for the second pie. Close to 9pm I bqked the pies in the gas (propane) oven, and after an hour I switched the pies on the racks in the oven. The thinner one was done in good time, but the thicker one took another half hour. It was 11pm by the time we finished.

11-22-07 Since this is an American holiday, we had morning class. The main one was “Tom and Jerry” introducing us to monitoring and evaluating our work with the community following KAP study and projects. We need to measure before and after to see if we are making a difference or if we need to change anything about how we do our work based on the villager's Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices.

Some of the trainees lobbied management and we had the afternoon off, which was a good thing since groups of 4-5 people were each preparing some dish for dinner at 6:30pm. Our little group followed Kristen over to her host family home, close to the training center, where we put our lasagna together and baked it in a gas oven on her patio. We boiled the green and white half inch noodles I found in a kettle on a propane burner setting in a canary of sorts. The girls got the veggies ready, and the two cheeses; laughing cow (a cream cheese) and mozzarella I found in Ouaga. We put all that into the pan I had brought from home, and had enough to fill a second pan.

In the midst of this I got a call from Tammi wishing me Happy Thanksgiving, and letting me know it frosted at home last night. I spent some time talking to my two grandsons, Locke and Kellen. It was fun to visit with them.

We baked the pies 45 minutes on the patio, which is bordered in sunflowers. (See pictures.) We stacked both casseroles into Christina's woven bike basket and headed back to our Thanksgiving feast. The chef had taken the two turkeys out of the oven already, and later I saw him baste them via the fire in the oven every time the turkey drippings touched the gas flame beneath. Interesting!

While the guys were carving the turkeys, folks started gathering and toasting to the occasion, esp. that we had made it this far along in training. Ashley suggested we each say what we are thankful for. After a moment, I stood up and announced that it was my prerogative as senior here to take the floor (applause). I offered that “I am thankful that at a young age I heard John Kennedy invite us to join the Peace Corps, and that I am still able to do that now!” Many remarkable things were said as each person took their turn. Linda said she was thankful I agreed to be her gramma during Peace Corps. The language teachers said they are glad to be with us and they like the energy of our class.

Finally it was time to eat and we had an amazing menu of turkey, stuffing, garlic mashed potatoes and gravy, salads (green & fruit), string beans, cooked apples, lasagna, and so many desserts, but most though the Pumpkin Pie was unreal!

Later I was set to help wash dishes with 6 other people in the one person kitchen, when I got a call from Angie. That excited me and I talked with each of her children, Lexi, Lindsay, and Luke. The day ended well as I talked with three of my five kids and five of my seven grandchildren (the others aren't talking much at least on the phone). Shawn and Jodi will have their Thanksgiving gathering on Friday when her entire family is in Seattle to meet Cash Patrick Landis. Angie is having Locke and Kellen over Friday for a play day.

On Friday I got up early to go to the little place that makes three egg omelette's with onions served on French bread. The young trainees had gone out dancing last night, so I was surprised when Christina and Stephanie also showed up for an omelette. Soon it was time for French class and JZ wanted me to go to Bintou's class as it would be good for me to hear the pronunciation and be pushed a little. Most of my village PCTs were in it. They were working on Passe' Compose' with avoir (to have) and the infinitive. Bintou had written a story about a baptism celebration, isolated the verbs, and then we studied the irregular past participles, which we just have to commit to memory. Bintou taught us how to say the story in the negative, where you put en...pas around the verb. In her second language class, Bintou brought an interesting story about two PCVs, using the past tense.

In the afternoon we had a preparation session with Theo and Patrice about AIDS/SIDA STOP. When we went to village shortly after that we met with a group of men who had ideas about who could act out a skit for Saturday, December 1, the International Aids Awareness day. Most of these men were our respective host fathers or elder brothers of the particular family. Lacey's brother, Amaroun, and Natalie's brother, Abraham, both wanted to do it. We agreed to meet again after more particulars were known.

By the time I returned to my home, Fatimata and Stephanie had arrived home for the weekend. Soon Ramata came on a scooter with a young man. She respectfully woke up her father to meet this fellow.
I observed the dating protocol first hand in BF.

As bedtime neared women started showing up in the courtyard apparently for a meeting on uniforms. But I asked Orokia if they were there to dance....she said “No, but I'll ask.” They responded they would dance after the meeting. At 11pm I watched the dance and babies bouncing on their mom's back. At midnight Orokia brought a huge pan of hot sweetened coffee and passed it out to all.

11-24-07

When the car came to get me, to my surprise Orokia and a friend came to town too with a bag of harvest crop they were selling at the marche'. The first class that day was re: cross culture. Patrice told the history of Burkina Faso and a tale about the Mossi tribe (Moore' language) and how it came about. The entire lecture was in French. Every so often another trainee would interpret it for me. Late morning was the third French proficiency test, and I had Matthurien again. He posed questions about when I travel to my site, and how that would go. He followed up with questions about my host family. After the test I got teary about the pressure of learning French.

On Sunday I texted a msg to Wayne, as it's his birthday. I miss him a lot.

Orokia and Azita went to town for the day. They must have been successful as they came home in new outfits. They brought a new dress for Zalisa and some thing for the others. It was fun to see everyone excited.

11-26-07

All the Health trainees came to our village today. I had French lesson with Bintou outside by the maternity clinic. It was Lacey's family's turn to bring lunch for the group. It was Riz Gras, top notch rice and very good sauce. They had gotten a new stack of bowls and silverware for the occasion.

After the two hour break, we convened the afternoon session with Vini and Solomon, who did a prep technical session with us for our sensibilization exercise we will all be doing at the nearby primary school in each village. The instructors showed us a drawing of a bridge over a deep gorge that displayed problems before crossing the bridge and the dangers in the water below and what is needed to get over the bridge to Good Health.. Bridge=Info to Behavior Change. They did several animations, one using our nalgene bottles (to represent babies) an effort to communicate about family planning; and another with hot peppers on hands to describe microbes and hygiene (the unseen); a song for children to sing regarding vaccinations; and finally a drawing of a house to symbolize eating a balance diet. Proteins are the foundation, carbs give energy and strength, the structure, and vitamins represent the roof, protection.

We worked on our presentations for the school children. We outlined the process, Becky would do the introduction. Natalie would present the poster she drew for vaccinations, followed by a song about them to the tune of “Frere Jacque”. Keisha and I had a short presentation on the hygiene of washing hands after toileting, before eating and when coughing or sneezing. We each had questions for the students with bon-bons for correct answers. We would end with a second song.

We went to the local primary school at 9:30am to meet the principal of the 500 students. Each class had 50 students or so. We requested that we be allowed to present to the two older grades, CM1 and CM2 in sequence. The teacher of the older students was very interactive with us and the class, asking them questions throughout, using it as a teaching moment. The next class struggled as did we. We left the songs up on the blackboard, as the students showed an interest and were singing them to us, especially my family when they came home from school that day. Even Madi the teenage boy sang the ditty several times with the other kids.

There was a sharing session between all the health trainees about the our sensibilization with the women's group in our village about vaccinations and also the presentation with the school children. The fact that we each did this stuff in our own village meant that we could learn from each other's experience in village. In fact it is a good way to pick up tips on what works and what doesn't

At my tutoring class with JZ the head of the languages, I told him that Amadi, my host father asks if I have any homework and then practices French with me at home. He was happy to hear that. Actually on several evenings Madi would get out his Anglais notebook and proudly show me all his work on learning English at school. We would review his sentences, conjugation and little stories done in Eng.

11-29-07

All the PC Volunteers participate in the AIDS education in their local assignment, not just the health sector. Because of that there is a project in the PC training when groups put on a radio program. Our group was given the task of talking about AIDS and the older generation. We as a group decided that our piece would be an interview with a senior citizen. Since all the younger trainees had host fathers in their 20s or 30s, I offered that my host father was 60, and well versed on AIDS/SIDA as he has two family members directly involved with the country's fight against it. On this morning Amadi was to meet us and prep for the radio talk on SIDA STOP! When he arrived in his grand boubou and bonnet, he immediately drew respect and awe from the group. We all went to JZ's office and began going over the questions. Dr. Claude dropped by and chatted a bit with Amadi. Dr. Claude was being interviewed by another of the groups for their piece on AIDS. Each one in our group had a question for Amadi in French. At noon Nakeisha and I took Amadi to lunch at ECLA. Some of the language teachers were nearby and also spoke with Amadi.

At 3pm we walked over to the radio station, a few blocks away, and soon it was our turn in the soundproof booth. We followed the plan and the whole thing was over in 5-6 minutes. We were all amateurs at it, but for the general public who may be listening to the program, it probably sounded real. The station recorded it and can play it again. Our best French student said that some of the rehearsed responses varied from our morning practice, but it could be we were all a bit nervous.

11-30-07

I was picked up to go to OHG. Today we have 3 exit tests: Health, X-Culture, and our fourth language test. But in the morning we were doing our presentations in French on a selected topic. I had chosen the traditional clothing in BF: “Habillement au Burkina Faso”. I had written it in English first, then translated it into French to present. “The women in village wear a pagne with shirt or they wear dresses. The women in town wear this also and in addition they wear pants. The men in village and town wear shirts and pants. The older men wear boubous and caps.

I had lined up four local models. Mariam wore a small boubou and matching top with a foulard (headwrap). Bintou showed us a skirt, a chemise and a headwrap, all in matching BF bright green and blue fabric. Her beauty made the outfit stunning. Syr wore a traditional long sleeved sport shirt with nice pants in BF 'a la mode. Last Yvette showed us a long skirt and top with a pagne. She also showed us a regal ceremonial gown with gold buttons.

Then I told the audience you may have seen my host father here yesterday, while he was at the training center. He was wearing a grand satin boubou with a cap, which the elder men wear in village and town. My presentation was well received, and I felt that was the the best I've done in any class.

At noon I went to the internet cafe, then back to study for my French test. Bintou helped me study.
My test was with Vini and felt pretty relaxed and informal. He asked about my family, the BF clothing presentation I did that afternoon. He requested I ask him two questions, so I asked him if he liked his job, and I asked him where the Catholic Church is in Ouahigouya.

When the car took us back at the end of the day, we met with our CBO and RN for rehearsal of the SIDA skit. It went well but seemed long (often the case with rehearsals). I was glad to get home and eat and wind down. But at 9pm a large group of women, friends of Orokia came to our courtyard. They carried the benches out there in the middle and soon chanting and dancing started. First the light footed little girls, Awa, Zalisa and others started to dance. The moon did not rise in the sky this night. Orokia, Minata, and I joined later, stomping and swaying to the rhythm. It continues to fascinate me how the women dance with babies on their backs. And how they can see in the pitch black night. The dancing went on and on. Exhausted, I excused myself at 11 to go to bed.

12-01-07 *SIDA STOP DAY*

This would be a big day, the teens would be home from OHG school for the SIDA activities and the village farewell celebration. We trainees and our LCF's and some of the host fathers had already decided to meet at Yassia's restaurant at noon to listen to the radio program we had made that week. When we reached there, the host mothers were busy over the fires, making preparations for the dinner they would feed us later that day. The village program was set to begin at 3pm with everyone in attendance. First we had to go to the home of the village chief (Naba Kende) home and formally invite him to the event. As we walked over there, Theo had me practice the words in French to invite him. We entered his receiving room, each of us greeting him in traditional Moore' greeting, and then sat down on mats. I invited the chief to our ceremony and he accepted. I asked permission to take a picture, which was granted. (See facebook) We agreed to send for him when the gathering was ready.

Before long, some local folks gathered and then my family teens arrived from town. I was so happy to see them: Fatimata, Ramata, Aguaro, Stephani and Mary Angela. Soon families started flowing in and a circumference of benches was set up where we and our families would sit for the event. My family arrived, as did all the other trainees' families, then the village chief came and sat in the large chair used for him. The center of the square was for the ceremony and the SIDA/AIDS skit.

When it began, Siaka, the coordinator for our home stays, explained in French and Yassia explained in Moore' to the chief and crowd (numbering in the hundreds) the gratitude we had for them welcoming us into their village to stay two months during training. The chief thanked us for coming, and said it was a good experience for his village, and while they would love us to stay, they knew BF needed us in other villages and they would kindly let us go, and wished us Godspeed.

We trainees had each prepared a few words. Lacey spoke and shared the affection we all felt for the families of Somyaga; we had become a part of their families and lived together so closely. I spoke next and said in French how much I adored my family, and the cooking (patted my tummy) and the dancing (stomped my feet) and their kindness to share their home and family with me. I ended with Moore' “Wenda Kom de Naarre” (God bring you many years of blessings). Then each of the others spoke, ending with Becky saying her words totally in Moore'. The crowd loved it!

Patrice called each family host father forward and each of us presented them with a certificate from the Peace Corps for their hospitality. After that each host mother came forward to give each of us a gift: a black, turquoise and white woven pagne. It was an emotional roller coaster! See pictures.

Soon the actors set up the center area to put on the skit. Keisha's father, Smila was dressed in costume of a Burkinabe' woman. He was hilarious with his wig, his orange fluorescent lipstick, and orange bra showing via dress unzipped in back. That piqued everyone's interest, esp every villager who knew him and the kids present were really giggling. Smila strutted, wiggled his hips, and kept raising up his boobs, eliciting more laughter each time. Oumarou, Lacey's brother played the part of the Burkinabe' fiance'. The theme of the skit was a couple who wanted to get married and request permission from their respective families. The woman wanted them to get tested for HIV, so the couple went to their fathers and then to the doctor, played by Natalie's brother Abraham. They were tested and got negative results, so then got married. Afterwards, Abraham showed a condom demonstration on a wooden model, to teach the proper method of leaving space at the tip for sperm, carefully unrolling the condom and tying it to dispose of it in the latrine. This is really village education in BF!

Pop and bissap were served to the crowd as the celebration ended. Then we trainees and our language teachers met our families at Yassia's restaurant for a dinner of barbecued chicken and spaghetti, prepared by our host mothers. I rode my bike as we went home that evening. Orokia had a pan on her head with Aziz and Awa following her. Amadi rode his moto. The day had left a warm feeling on us.

That night there was dancing in our courtyard and I realized it was the last one—and it was for me. Many women attended and each greeted me. When they chanted that evening they put my name in songs and we all laughed. Around 11 or so Orokia asked me if I had any more bon-bons for the guests. Luckily my best friend, Sally had sent several bags, which served as my thank you to the women and children there. At midnight Orokia brought out the hot coffee with sugar again. It was so fun having that last dance with all my new friends from Somyaga. Sometime that evening a pregnant woman at the dance went on a moto driven by her husband to the maternity clinic and delivered twin girls.

12-02-07 My last day at Somyaga

In the morning I started packing up my room. Orokia said she and I would bike across the village so I could say Goodbye to her mother. On the way we stopped at the maternite' and visited the new mom and twins. It was my joy to present the new babies and mother with a beautiful and colorful baby quilt Sally had sent in the mail to me last week. Inside the Maternite' on a small bed was Ruketa looking fatigued yet happy with her twin girls each wrapped in a pagne. There were 4-6 women friends in the room sitting against the wall, who all loved the quilt too. Orokia put the new babies on the quilt and with her permission, I took a few pictures of the mother and babies. When we continued on our way, Orokia's mother gave me a bag of harvested peanuts.

In the early afternoon I gathered the family around and gave them presents, games for the children, hair things for the girls, a deck of card to Madi, jewelry to the women, and a Moringa tree to Amadi. We planted it together in the corner of the front yard nearest to my room. See the pictures.

In the afternoon the plan was to meet our language teachers at the village hangar to travel on our bikes to each of our homes to bid the families farewell. We did this plus made a couple more stops, one at Anne's host family and then the two language teachers' host family compounds, and last to the tombs of the previous village chiefs, sacred grounds. By the time we were headed to my family, the last stop, it was dark out. Patrice slowed his moto for a dip in the road, as did several bikers behind him. I put on my brakes, and must have turned slightly, when Keisha ran into me from behind and down I went! I was going pretty slow, but I landed on my left side (my bad knee) and let the fellows pick me up. It hurt for awhile, but I rode home.

Orokia had fresh bissap drink and warm peanuts ready for us when we arrived at my house. We lit a kerosene lantern and gathered in front of my porch on benches. Amadi, like the other fathers had, said how much they will miss me, their trainee. He said they too learned a lot and the family all loves me, and will visit me if they can in Sala. Azita the premier wife, said that I will always have family in Burkina Faso, even after I return to the US. I will always be in their hearts. Through all these visits, Patrice translated the Moore' and shared that each family said how much we six trainees had inspired their village and they are thankful their chief agreed for us to come there. Even the infirmier, told us he learned a lot about working together from our time there. The rest of the group went on to Jean Francois' house, but I decided I couldn't go any further.

Monday morning I took a couple pictures as I bid farewell to my Somyaga family with tears in my eyes and joy in my heart.