12-03-07
Syr, the transporter, had gone to several trainees host homes to pick up their luggage, because the other five trainees were biking to OHG, and couldn't carry everything as they moved out of Somyaga. Then he came after me, and all my belongings. The SUV was loaded to the brim. By the time we arrived at ECLA the tech class was half over. The technical training was on the “bridge to post”, meaning from here (training) to there (our placement).
In the late morning, we were each scheduled to be interviewed by Thierry, the PC training program director. When it was my turn I brought my program evaluation on the classes and teachers, but it wasn't done and he just said OK. Then he started giving me my evaluation, which took me by surprise. He said I did excellent in everything, but in language I am not at the mid-intermediate level yet (one step below). He went on to say that the staff had made a recommendation and the Country Director agreed that I could be sworn in with everyone else on Friday.
I started crying! I had prepared myself that I would swear in after I reached level, but “Oh my!” I signed my evaluation and left. As soon as I saw Linda, I cried again. Then I saw the other trainees from my village and yes, I cried again. They all hugged me and said they knew I would get to be in the ceremony Friday, to which I replied “I didn't know that.” They said I was the only one who didn't know it then. They added everyone knows it isn't from lack of effort! I went to my room and had a big cry. Dr. Claude called me on the phone and asked to see me. When I sat down with her she said Thierry spoke to her, and I recapped the meeting for her. She wisely asked me “Were they tears of joy or sadness?”
In the afternoon session Dr. Claude met with all of the health sector and gave us her expectations for the first three months in village along with the forms for quarterly reports, etc.
I was on the phone with Angie at dusk by the front gate, when my host family sisters all showed up from their boarding school in OHG to my training center, ECLA. We walked across the street to the tailor for a fitting of my swear-in dress. The teen sisters loved the two piece turquoise and white dress with a pintade pattern. It needs some altering but I am happy with it, especially the neckline of hand stitched pintades.
12-04-07
The first block was language with JZ and after introductory sentences were exchanged, we did Passe' Compose' (past tense verbs). Then we studied reflexive. In French they add a word before the verb to show it is an action the person took themselves.
The next session was led by the Administrative Officer, Sheila, who explained how we would be paid, get a checking account, moving-in money, etc. She also talked about the logistics of the move next Friday to villages.
In the afternoon Dr. Jean Luc gave a session on medical information every volunteer must know for their own personal health. We retook a test and self corrected it as a group.
That was followed by a class Marily, the Country Director herself led on the PCV handbook with all the do's and don't (s). The cold sodas she distributed helped that all go down easier. There are really three big rules you get sent home for breaking: 1) riding a motorbike without clearance 2) not wearing a helmet when riding your bicycle and 3) leaving the country without permission. Another obvious thing is to stay neutral on politics.
Marily spoke to Melissa and me after class about her consent that we would get to swear in Friday with everyone else. We will be given a test after another week of French and that will determine when we each go to our village. Her parting advise was to practice speaking in French as much as possible.
12-05-07
We had a vaccination campaign in the village of Kitou, a bit north of the turnoff for Somyaga. When Syr drove the six of us there, Jean Francais was already there with another RN plus his assistant. Women with infants were lined up in the village center under a tree getting shots. A short time later we all walked aways to the primary school, where two classes with their teachers and the principal came out. I identified with the tall professional female teacher, who was dressed in BF dress and heels for her job, located in the country with red earth everywhere.
One trainee wrote the date and type of vaccination on the yellow card. I put myself next to the children, helping them with sleeves, etc. When the child cries or winces about the shots, the adults scold them, everyone parents the children here. We took a couple pictures of the group of us. (See photos.) Then we walked to the village marche', where I found a dust mask made of fabric, which I really wanted.
I walked across the street from ECLA to the tailor's and picked up my dress, fit very nicely by the lady tailor. I found turquoise flip flops to match. After an afternoon of language class, we all were very excited that our tee shirts had arrived, artwork done by the two art majors in our group of stagierres.
The next day at French class, JZ and I reviewed the two exercises using “Qu' est ce que” and “Est-ce que”. They are two forms of starting a sentence that is a question in French. He let me off for the afternoon to study privately and also get packed for two days in Ouaga for the swearing in ceremony, which is Friday. The second day is set aside for shopping for large items we need to ship to our village sites, when our big luggage goes there in a week or so.
12-07-07 Swearing In Day to become Peace Corps Volunteers
As we pulled away from OHG, our training center for the past two months and headed for the big event in Ouaga, we 34 trainees were all very excited, reflected by the noise level. I was tapped on the shoulder next to where my MP3 player was in my ear, to a comment “We asked the bus driver to turn down the radio and now we hear you singing!” to which everyone started laughing around me.
After the two hour ride we hailed a taxi and went to the Nazemse hotel, nice but simple. We paired up for rooms and went to lunch. Becky and I went to the post office, which doubles for a bank. I got to watch as Becky wrote a check for the moving-in allowance PC set up for us. The PO is on a big main route in the capitol, and in front are lots of little boutiques. There I found wood carved-an African mask for Luke and a petite family of elephants for Kellen, both my grandsons have birthdays this month.
I also found carmelita stone earrings to match the ring Bob gave me seven years ago. They will go great with my African dress tonight. Becky found BF colors in a beaded necklace and bracelet she liked. We lounged a bit in the afternoon, and I put my bangs in bobby pins for a new look, as we began readying for the ceremony. By four in the afternoon we were all ready and began showing off our African attire to each other. Excitement was in the air!
Peace Corps had arranged for cars to drive us to the American Ambassador's home, where her back yard was set up for the ceremony under several large leafy trees and next to the pool. An African group was drumming and playing stringed instruments next to the small stage. We took many pictures at the rather grand entrance to the compound, as the well kept grounds were a great backdrop for our colorful attire. The eight male volunteers were equally brilliant in their tailored African clothing. But the women, all 26 of us were outstanding! See photos.
When the last of the invited dignitaries arrived, we trainees filled the first rows of chairs in front of the stage on either side. There were words of praise and encouragement from Thierry, the head of the training program and Marily, the PC Country Director. Then eight members of our class gave small speeches in French and seven tribal languages they had recently learned. Laughter erupted from the BF audience at times, as they are very happy with our effort to speak their tongues! This was followed by words from Jeanine Jackson, the American Ambassador and also from the Minister of Health of Burkina Faso.
Then our group was presented, we stood and repeated the oath, swearing in to the Peace Corps of the United States of America! It was exhilarating and the culmination of much work. You could feel the tension dissipate as we cheered and clapped. The refreshments were elegant: three grand cakes, each with a flag, US, BF and PC; and a bar in the back corner of the yard, which stayed busy all evening, and best of all the hors-d'oeuvres were being passed on huge trays by servers milling through the crowd.
Presently there was a tap on my shoulder, I was summoned to personally meet the Minister of Health. My reputation of senior volunteer, preceded me. I have found that age is very respected in this country. It was an exciting moment. Syr congratulated me, as did many of the language training staff, JZ, Theo, Bintou, and Patrice. I found Dr. Claude and Sylvie, RN, both at the top of our health program. A big group picture was taken, followed by one of the two groups and their respective managers, Small Enterprise Development and Health (Santee). See photos.
A short distance from our hotel was the bowling alley, where we had the party afterwards. It was a 5 lane alley, with electric pin setters, that worked about 75% of the time, and a dance floor and refreshment area, where a keg and snacks were. We all were giddy, we were so happy. Natalie was dancing with Rob and asked if I knew “the Swing” and I said “Sure!” Next thing I knew I was dancing with Rob and the youngsters thought that was cool. I grew up in the 50s and that's what we did then!
Soon two guy PCVs, Jed and Rene', were chatting with me and asked if I wanted to get into a group to bowl. I thought I better throw a practice ball to see if I could do this given when the last time I bowled was and my arthritic knees. Jed had a PCV give me her second ball to throw, and I picked up her spare to everyone's amazement (none more than mine). I played a line with them and ended up in the middle of the pack. I nearly made 100. At midnight seven of us walked home happily.
Saturday was filled with shopping for our homes in village. I bought my propane stove top, my cutting board, my thick foam mattress and a canteen box to store food in, out of reach of critters and insects. I found a chair to sit down at the store part of the time, as my body was feeling the effects of the previous night's jubilation. That night I went to a Lebanese restaurant for excellent schwarma and hummus wraps. The seating was outdoors, and at some tables people appeared to be smoking from hash pipes. My education is not all occurring in the classroom.
When I met a bunch of new PCVs going out dancing, I declined their invitation, saying one night was a lot for this gramma and I was hitting the hay. The next day we boarded the bus at noon and returned to OHG for a full week of training with our Counterparts from each of our villages.
Beginning Monday we had full days of classes, two blocks of prep work for the Counterpart Workshop Wed and Thurs, and two blocks of French with JZ. We reviewed my last French homework, and covered the present tense of the er and ir verbs, plus the verb “faire”, to do/make. My favorite new expression is “French is difficile (pronounced difficeeel)!”
Monday evening I waited at the front gate for my host sisters. I walked over to the seamstress boutique across the street and visited there awhile. All of a sudden they came, Fatimata, Ramata, Stephanie, Mary Angela and Minata. We went to my room and visited and they looked at photos of themselves on my laptop. Becky came by to greet them. I gave Fatimata the information paper on the Moringa Tree to give to Amade, their father. It was delightful to see them all. As I walked them out to the front gate, we made a plan to meet again Tues after classes, and they would show me their school.
12-11-07 BF Independence Day
In the first block of the morning schedule, JZ and I went over some adverbs and time phrases. Because I had inquired about prepositions, we focused on a', which has lots of uses in French language. The next block was Vini, Solomon and Siaka talking to us about the history of Burkina Faso and why today is celebrated by so many people. It was interesting and informative.
Then we broke into small groups and worked out our assigned parts to present the Peace Corps and its three goals to our counterparts at the upcoming workshop. In my group Laura and Matthew took the lead and divided the discussion into short presentations by each of us when our turn comes the next day. I spent over an hour at the internet. When I returned, there was Fatimata and Mary Angela waiting for me as promised. I got my flashlight and followed them south out of OHG on the main road to a lycee (secondary school). The girls showed me their classrooms and also Ramata's. The janitor kindly turned on the power and the lights came on so I could see dozens of three seat desks and blackboards full of chalk writings. I took a few pictures. See Facebook.
In a small area of the school grounds, women were in a kitchen preparing the evening meal for the boys who board at the school. Groups of boys tried their English out on me. They wanted me to stay and eat with them, but since I was the guest of my host sisters and they weren't included in the invitation, I declined. We did walk over to a separate area, where the dining was about to commence, and in typical fashion boys were swarming the serving counter. The noise level matched their eagerness for food.
We got on our bikes in the dark by then, and my host sisters insisted on riding clear back to ECLA with me, who had a flashlight and they who had no light. I swear Africans have 20-20 night vision. They literally see in the dark!
Wednesday & Thursday- Counterpart Workshop
We spent two days working and eating together. Each health volunteer had a person from their assigned village present. They came from all over Burkina Faso and were lodged in a nearby hotel. Vini did an excellent job leading this conference with diplomacy and a sense of humor. He was very handsome in his suits both days. It came time to do our little presentation, and after I gave the intro for our group, everyone clapped. I suspect my struggle with the language prompted that.
Next we did a familiar warm up exercise. We interviewed each other and presented our counterpart to the whole group. I almost forgot to say Gansonre, Moussa was a certified nurse, but slipped it in at the end. Gansonre appears to be a serious perhaps shy 28 year old, who says he likes talking with people and he likes honesty. His expectation is good collaboration. Our program manager, Dr. Claude was here for the entire two day workshop, and she is very well liked and received by everyone. She truly bridges the gap.
All of the counterparts are part of their village's health system in some role. Some of the guys there were so funny and real leaders, esp a short witty guy, who had everyone laughing and another handsome guy, who was drafted to lead a clapping, clicking routine; a salute pointing his thumbs rapidly in different directions and clapping in between. Then the audience tried it. It was a riot.
Some time during the morning session of the last day they sandwiched in my final test with Theo. My level stayed the same, so I was slated for an additional week of French. As we finished our workshop Gansonre asked Vini something about communication and my limited French and Vini responded that I would come later, after more language. (I was embarrassed.)
The training program director, Thierry, gave me three options: stay in Ouaga with a host family for a week, stay at a hotel, or go to stay at a mission at Koudougou, which will be my regional capitol eventually and I chose the latter. All the choices of course came with a tutor. Thierry said I could pick my teacher, but I deferred to his judgment on that. Later that afternoon JZ talked to me and said he would be my teacher and it would be an honor to do it. I almost cried as he is the director of the PC language program in BF. When I spotted Becky I did start crying from the pent up stress. I was also trying that day to get my blog and pictures into the flash drive, but struggled with it. Rob came by my room that evening and helped me. I went back and started packing up for our 6:30am departure for Ouaga in a bus Thierry had ordered for us and our Counterparts, as most of the pairs were then going to site together. When we arrived at Ouaga, to my surprise, Gansonre helped me with all my luggage, carrying it to the PC SUV and wiping the dust off my bags. He genuinely was helpful and we agreed I'd see him in a week or two.
Many people were at the transit house en route to somewhere else. It was near the holidays after all. Some PCVs were waiting for relatives coming to visit from the states, some were going home for Xmas, and some were done with service and going home for good. I went to the PC bureau for free use of the internet. Then a bunch of us got a taxi and went to the American Embassy Club for lunch. They have a reputation of the best chocolate shakes in Ouaga, and that proved true. The chimichanga was also very good.
At the bureau were two boxes for me, one from Lorraine and one from Angie. I opened them at the transit house, and what a treat! All the things I had asked for and then some. Clothes, vacuumed packed food, a bath towel, school supplies and hair things for the kids here, the quilt Sal made for me to give to a new baby and then I found the letter from Lexi and one from the instructor of Senior Sneakers. What a roller coaster ride my emotions have been on this month! The PCVs who were present loved seeing me open my boxes from home. Especially the homemade baby quilt from Sal.
On Saturday I took a taxi to town to go to the bank, get my glasses adjusted and mail some letters. I hung out at a French patisserie for coffee and croissants while working on my journal. It was so relaxing that I stayed until 2pm when they were closing for the weekend.
A cab stopped by the street to pick me up. Later it was clear that my first mistake was not setting the price initially. There was a woman in the front and two other passengers besides me in the back. He dropped them off somewhere, and picked up two other men from Cote' d'Ivorie. I spoke with them awhile, then the driver was headed for my section of town, Zone du Bois. I asked the price, knowing with a bike it is more, and he said one mil, two hundred francs. I said “No, that is too much!” We haggled over the rate. When we got close to my drop off point, the chauffeur refused the three hundred francs I offered him. I put it on the trunk, and he wouldn't touch it. Instead he grabbed for my backpack. The two men in the back seat got out and told me I should just pay him, that it wasn't going well. I had by then figured that out too. They mediated somewhat, and I gave him another 500 francs and he sped off! We were both angry. Luckily it was on a busy street corner in plain view of lots of other people.
12-16-07
JZ called me to say “Be down at the bus station before 1pm for the bus to take us to Koudougou.” I repacked all my things, taking just enough to get by a week in the regional capitol near where I would be placed. I enlisted the aid of a worker at the transit house to help me get my bags and bike up to the Charles de Gaul Blvd. I told the driver where I was to go, set the price, and gladly gave him his money upon delivery. The only problem turned out to be that there are several Gares with buses going to Koudougou. I was at one, and JZ ended up at another. By the time we figured that out, my stuff was loaded, the bus was loading, and the driver dropped down middle seats all down the aisle between the two stationary seats and I sat there two seats from the front. However by the time all the stand up passengers boarded along the way out of town, there was no view of the front window, much less what was beyond it. We were two thirds the way there when the puppy in the box on a woman's lap near the window woke from his nap, and let out a yip. I had to laugh as she shushed him. A cute pet for someone.
I text messaged Melissa, PCV stationed at Koudougou, who met me and helped me tie my stuff onto my bike with flat rubber straps, and away we went on the ride to “Petite Seminaire Notre Dame d' Afrique”, run by French nuns. The place is probably 50 years old and quiet, serene and serves three purposes: a seminary school for boys ages 10-20; a retreat center for groups of people; and a mineral springs water nutrients business. It was set on a big piece of property near the river and with plenty of lovely old trees harboring birds, singing and flitting from one branch to another. JZ arrived in another hour and soon went to visit his mother, who resides in this town. I ate in the common dining room and tried my French on whoever came in for the meal while I was there that week.
First thing Monday morning JZ and I set my learning schedule, with a formal lesson in the morning and afternoon and an informal one too. We would go to town and interact with merchants, etc. so I could practice speaking and then I would have personal study time as well. So Monday late morning we went to town, found the new Marche' in the center of town. I priced a lot of things I will need for my home. It was fun. At lunchtime we rode to a conference center set back off the main road by the lake. I ordered arachide (peanut) sauce over rice, it was excellent.
In the afternoon, JZ brought a tape with an interview of a trainee with pretty good French. Speaking it and writing it is not the same as hearing French. So it was good to practice listening and replaying it when I didn't get it. That evening when JZ went to his mother's for dinner, I ventured into town for a restaurant. I didn't find one readily, so I asked a young couple along side the road for directions. Achille in his mid twenties showed me the way to one on the main road down by the bridge. He stayed long enough for me to order and be understood. So I ordered him a coke, and he flashed his gorgeous smile as we tried to communicate. I went home happy to have made a new friend.
On Tuesday JZ and I made questions in French that I could ask at Melissa's work site, “Santee Pour Tous L'association”. (Health for All) We rode to her site mid morning, and JZ left me to interview the managers on my own. The two young women responded to my inquiries and gave me a tour as well. There were about six other younger women in the main room, working at sewing machines and cutting fabric at a big table. They showed me lovely linens embroidered with African scenes. I bought some things for my kids. Melissa returned to work shortly, and when JZ also returned, the three of us went back to the conference center for another delicious lunch of salad, and Riz Gras (rice with tomato sauce). In the afternoon we worked on the tape some and then I studied alone, doing sentences.
12-19-07 la Fete de Tabaski (50 days after Ramadan)
This morning there was an air of festivity about the town, as this is a significant Muslim day. On the way to town I noticed evidence of mutton near several compounds being prepared for the feast this day. JZ had me prepare a paragraph for the village chef at Sala when I arrive and am introduced to him.
JZ had arranged that Melissa and he and I would go to his mother's home for lunch this day. It was far west of town past the cathedral and hospital. Melissa and I rode our bikes, while JZ rode his moto. His mother had prepared Riz Gras, chicken and pima (pepper) sauce and watermelon. We met several of his younger brothers, close in age to 30. There were other relatives there restoring an older home on the back of the lot. The workers drew their water from the well in the center of the courtyard for the masonary of homemade bricks. His mother sells bricks out front by the street to support herself and family. Although her children are grown and gone, there are grandchildren and others living there. JZ said his own family will enjoy returning to his mother's home for Xmas.
During the afternoon session, JZ said that working with me this week showed him where I struggle with the language. He asked me what I thought worked best for my learning style, and also which teaching traits helped me. He genuinely wanted to know so that as director of the language program, he can incorporate what works for seniors. He told me he instructed his staff to use patience liberally, and we noted that repetition and word association work for me. When he commented on my effort, and said “I can see you have a way of getting your communication understood, even when all the words don't come automatically”, I knew he understood. Practicing speaking French in my village will bring it along too. Peace Corps is expecting many more seniors to join he said.
After the afternoon class, I met my new friend Achille and his friend at the restaurant and we visited. It turns out the meat sandwich I ate that evening was bad. I was on the BRAT diet the next day.
We had class Thursday morning but in the afternoon, JZ had to go to town, locate the Gare from which we would leave Fri, and purchase our bus tickets. We settled our account at the mission, which has a policy of reducing the price for volunteers to stay here.
Every evening the seminarians were practicing for Christmas services, and the fullness of the hundreds of young male voices was indescribably beautiful. Several muscicians on a keyboard and on African drums accompanied the vocal symphony. I swear their voices rose right up to heaven! I was so drawn to this music, that one night I stepped into the back of the church and watched the choral director pull in the younger voices, and the deeper voices and then the entire group of singers, who were moving to the music with body and soul. What a sight!
On Friday we left the mission by five in the morning with our headlights on heading for downtown Koudougou. The streets were being cleaned by dozens of women using wisk brooms. I was impressed with how clean it looked as they moved along down the streets, puffs of dust following them.
We were loaded onto the bus and on the road by seven, and two hours later we pulled into the Gare in downtown Ouaga. After getting my gear back to the transit house and some breakfast, I went to the PC bureau where Theo gave me another test. My level remained the same, low intermediate. Thierry told me that I could choose to stay in Ouaga another week or go to my placement site with a tutor (JZ's suggestion) which would make meeting people easier for both me and them. I chose that option. Thierry also said that I would be transported the day after Xmas, as most staff were already off for the holiday.
I spent the next four days at the transit house watching movies, shopping, using the internet, and visiting with others who were coming and going for the holidays. Beth and I watched a CD Christmas movie on her laptop, a new experience for me. Beth came into Ouaga to meet her sister at the airport the next day, then they would go to her site up NW in Burkina Faso. Jeremy was meeting his sister and his parents who flew in from the states with too much luggage, which he had them pare down and leave a good share at the transit house. Jeremy lives way up north and had plans to take them hiking.
He was kind enough to go to a little store with me before dinner and practice my French there, after which he gave me tips on repeating phrases used. People here often say the correct phrase after you attempt it, so repeating it right away helps him, he said. I picked up a small fish to make for dinner along with some fresh beets. I had inventoried the kitchen and found enough ingredients to make piloff to go with it. Reminded me of other cooking challenges over the years with my big family.
On Monday Becky and Robert, also new volunteers arrived and we chatted a lot. I made an apple pie that afternoon, which the few of us at the transit house gobbled down warm. Monday I repacked my things in preparation for my move to site. I also added some things to my pile. I bought a lipico and small side table which the men strung with colored twine in a beautiful bright pattern. I got two blue plastic chairs, and some food staples. I also made a dry run to St. Francis d' Assise church six blocks away, up on Charles de Galle Blvd.
12-25-07 Christmas Day
I was early out the door, as most holidays have churches brimming over with the faithful and the occasional. I walked the six blocks and entered a church which was set in a semicircle, with musicians in the left front corner, near the crib scene and before the main altar. There were singers in uniform from a nearby school outside who filed in and filled the front section of the church, where several microphones were set up for use by soloists as well as the choral director. The mass was in French, and the songs were also sung in French. The voices of the congregation were very wonderful to add to the rich Xmas hymns. It was a lovely service and a real connection to home for me.
Afterwards I enjoyed the quiet walk to Sheila's home near the PC bureau for brunch with some staff in town and all the volunteers who happened to be at the Transit House for the day, about 6 of us. Some past volunteers, who were now married to Burkinabe' and living close attended with their families. It had a welcome “home away from home” feeling to the morning. Baby Cash and Shawn called me on Christmas, and Jodi took a few snapshots of their end of the conversation, pretty cute. I got to talk to Angie, Cliff and all 3 kids for quite awhile that evening. In fact Bintou was trying to call me at the time, and finally called on the transit house regular phone line, to discuss our trip together to Sala tomorrow. I was so happy to know she would go with me to site for a week as I settle in to my village.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Monday, January 7, 2008
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.
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.
Friday, December 14, 2007
African Adventure 3
10-29-07
We six trainees met in our village with the CSPS (the center for health (Santee) and social promotion) and showed the members of the board, the tools we learned regarding village and health facts and issues. They drew their own community map and pointing out the 5/6 wells, the mosque and the CSPS buildings. This was led by Keisha. Then Natalie was in charge of having the men and Lizeta separately and by gender, list their daily activities. I presented the calendar and they pointed to dry and wet seasons, sickness period, time of the year when they have money from harvest and other times when there is no money and finally the feasts they celebrate. Lindsey led the needs matrix, with each group identifying five top health concerns of the village and then comparing each. Becky welcomed the group and Lacey did the wrap up.
Things happen in Burkina time, which calls for patience. One time the premier was in a nearby village, which all villagers wanted to attend and did. It took a couple of meetings to get through the exercise. Later on my host father was telling some visitors at home about the experience, so I know it was understood and fun for them.
That Monday night was a huge dance put on by the women from each quartier of the village at the chief's compound in Somyaga. Around 9:30pm some women arrived at our home. Orokia, Aguero, Mary Angela and the others walked with me from home in the moonlight over to the chief's place, where hundreds of villagers were gathered, waiting, and chanting. We were escorted into his private compound to chairs. After we greeted the chief, who provided cold Coca Colas to each of us, we sat there a bit, then were escorted with our chairs out to a clearing where the dance would eventually be. We had front row seats literally. It began around 11pm.
Each group of women had a chanter on the microphone and the crowd would repeat the line chanted. Like a moving stream the women from each quartier' went in and out of a circle dancing, stomping and chanting. The chief was in a chair in front us, several of his aides on mats near him. The chief gave his brother a card indicating his approval of each groups' efforts near the end of their performance. His brother presented the card to the leader of the chant, who was on the microphone. The brother, maybe in his 50s, joined the circle of dancers sometimes in fun, and then clicked his legs forward and backwards while he was squatting, until everyone there applauded and laughed. What a character! This went on until around 2am. The teen girls in my family and I walked home before that in the moonlight. Because there are relatively no clouds in the sky, the moon provides incredible light at night.
What was interesting was that every so often the generator for the florescent light and microphone quit, so there was an occasional pause in the festivities for technical difficulties. The energetic dancing stirred the dust up, so that intermittently someone came with a bucket of water to sprinkle the dirt down a bit. I noticed a few people covering their nose with an air mask, while I used a shirt sleeve, due to my dry throat and cold.
10-30-07
We were excited to meet in the village to attend a Baptism, but when we arrived we found that an elder woman of the village died in the night. Muslim tradition is to bury the dead the next day. So out of respect we walked over to where the men were walking in a line and group to the cemetery to bury her. Women don't usually attend death rituals, because they give life.
Hundreds of men were there. As we drew near we heard the chanting by older voices and responses by younger ones. We could see that young men were moving the dirt, and filling the grave site until it was covered, then mounded up. Some men walked out to a nearby Kee tree, tore branches off and set them on top of the grave. It was quite moving. As the grave diggers washed themselves, others made way for them. As if on cue, everyone turned and walked away. Burema, a CSPS member, came by and we gave condolences that his aunt had died.
10-31-07 Halloween!
When I arrived at training, Dr. Claude was set up for interviews with table and chairs under a tree outside the bureau office. In typical Burkinabe' fashion, she inquired about my health and well being during our greeting. She was impressed with the statements that I had submitted to PC and that I had heard JFK those many years ago. As head of the health trainees, Dr. Claude wanted to know how I was doing with language training. I told her I was nervous about French and Moore', but that body language was working. She said not to worry, that if I made an effort, people would understand. Next she inquired what size site I preferred, a small village or a metro area, with more resources.
I asked for no more than 5-7 km. of biking to a town. I also requested less heat. After our chuckle, I asked her to be the judge of where to use me best. She asked about La Leche League, and said there are three areas of concern about breastfeeding in this culture. The mothers do not recognize the benefits of colostrum (the first milk and discard it); they do not take much time to nurse ( they are always working); and finally they wean abruptly.
Dr. Claude said when Ron Tschetter (PC director) was in BF in June he asked her if she would consider a senior and she replied “Of course!” She listened to my tale of writing him. She said “You will make it.”
I went to the Internet Cafe' at noon and a fellow trainee, Rob, showed me how to transfer my blog and pictures onto the flash drive Heather got me, and I was so happy to finally get that started and on line now.
In the afternoon Sylvie, a PNP, gave a health session on STDs and one on cooking and eating in BF. She had many tips for us when we are on our own with our diet. We had a section on National Health issues and how Community Based Organizations work with the needs of the community. In our village of Somyaga there is a CBO called “Association les Marainchers”, gardening for profit after the regular growing season.
We always stay Wed and Thurs in town, and since this was Halloween, “the twenty somethings” all got in costumes they had thought up with very little resources and went off to party somewhere. I took a couple pictures of them in their butcher paper and masking tape costumes. I texted my kids to see how they were doing on this big day for their own kids.
Becky bought me a “Laughing Cow” fromage (like cream cheese) that we all spread on our French bread baguettes every morning. After another full day of classes and as it turned dark, I was driven back to village, where Orokia had made macaroni and fish (sardines) for dinner. I was so hungry.
On Friday morning all health trainees (20 people and their language tutors) came to our village. Some of the PC volunteers talked to us about their experience working with CBOs, ie Becca makes soap with her women's group. The group colored it yellow, it sells well and they now have a bank account, where other projects they may want to do get seed money.
That day in the late afternoon we met with our CBO, with 17 in attendance. Two of the 17 men were also Coges members. My host father Amadi was among them, which pleased me. We did two activities with them, the seasonal calendar and the needs matrix. After much discussion the men decided that poverty was the biggest issue in their community. Malaria came in second. The village culture in BF seem more cooperative and builds consensus compared to the US culture. It was also an interesting exercise in terms of timing. Several events in village had to be reckoned with. The whole idea is to build into the community groups the foundation to take care of their own health needs.
When I biked back to my home, Orokia informed me there would be dancing tonight here in our courtyard and that I should be ready. Gradually the women came, until by 10 pm there were about 30 of them, some with babies aboard their backs. I took my kerosene lantern out there where the young women danced and the benches circling the dance area were full of the rest, who chanted together, providing the beat and music to dance by. Orokia was chanting and holding another's toddler. Gramma Awa and I watched from two wooden chairs. Before midnight, I retired, but the festivities went on several more hours.
11-03-07
Saturday we packed up our bikes for early morning transport to OHG for more bike raining. This time we learned how to wash them and how to get the red dirt out of the chain, then oil it. Today I mailed my absentee voter ballot. It had been the first mail I received here. It has to be there by 20 days after the election to count. I also have an option to email it to the office of elections in Clark County. Today was also my second French proficiency test with Matheurn. I am not there yet.
Since it was still afternoon when I got home, I went out to the fields to take pictures of harvest, stacks of millet and bissape. Orokia walked me to another field that had fresh bissape plants. We saw a white jet trail in the sky, first one in the month I've been here. Reminds me of when I was a kid in Felida and we would hear a plane overhead and run outside to see it. Those weren't jets, so we got outside in time.
Close to dark two new vehicles pulled up. Amadi came to say his younger brother, John, is here. He had a friend along who was a doctor of public health, Dr. Deborah. In good English, he asked me why I wanted to come to Africa and how I could live in village without water and electricity. I replied that I was not surprised as I expected the poverty, but the people are beautiful in nature and generous.
As we sat visiting Fatimata, 19, roasted peanuts for us and as she fetched them from the hot coals, I marveled that she did not burn herself. In the courtyard, I gave bon-bons to the children, always a hit.
John was pleased to visit his mother, Awa and asked if I knew her age. He said she is 79-80 they think. He said his father passed almost 30 years ago. John's son Anawar, 29, who speaks a little English, also came to stay the night with his gramma. John works for public health, and he offered to bring me something tomorrow when he returns for his son. After a little discussion he decided to bring me cold water and a cold beer. Well I wouldn't turn that down.
Later in the afternoon, Amadi put his mother on the cell phone with a relative and she was chatting like a school girl and laughing. She reminds me of my mom, who was always so full of life and adventure.
Sunday was the first unscheduled day I've had. I was in my room journaling and hanging a BF map on the wall plus pictures of my family and outdoor scenes I took last summer while camping. I tidied up a bit as my class is coming here to cook a meal on Tuesday.
In the afternoon Orokia came and signaled to me to follow her to the fields. We walked across several already harvested fields, greeting neighbors in their fields as we passed by. We came to where Madi was hacking Kee from the dry ground. He chopped several times at the bottom of the stocks and gathered the 6-8 stems to each plant and stacked them every so often in the field. Orokia had me sit on a metal basin, turned over and watch. Beside me, Aziz was at play with his 2” black beetle.
I watched as Orokia went to the next field to gather a stack of the plants that Madi had made. She took two long stems of the Kee plant to tie them into a bundle. After getting them tied, she lifted them onto her head and walked across the fields to a clearing and stacked them against other plants, then return. I decided to try that. So I tied a stem around a bundle and Orokia helped me secure it properly. She lifted two more bundles on her head and I had one on mine, since she discouraged me from trying two. I set off following her. That bundle was heavy, but I just know my posture was improved. I had to hold it with two hands for security. The neighbor women in their fields chatted and laughed as we passed by. After successfully delivering my “load”, I took Aziz and walked home. Soon Orokia and Madi came home, but Orokia went into another field to do more work.
Later that day, Amadi's brother John, returned as he promised with two 8 oz bags of water, and a cold beer and a bottle of orange Fanta for me. He brought his mother an inhaler, and asked if I could assist her with it. I saw him slip a 2 mil franc into the hand of Orokia and one of the older teens. The successful members of the family share their wealth.
11-05-07 Monday
It was the first time since my test that I had language class, and Theo led the way to the shade under a tree for it. He focused on vocabulary about directions, buying things and getting around in OHG. After seeing the other 5 trainees stay with another tutor, I thought for sure I had failed my test, and behind my sunglasses a few tears trickled down. Theo apologized later, thinking he had upset me, but in truth all the language teachers want us to succeed, so they push us a little. Later I discovered that in fact I had come up a level to middle of the low level in French. After class, the car came to village for all of us and took us to town to shop for our cooking class on Tues at my compound. We went to the central marche' in OHG and bought red long potatoes for fries, and tomatoes, garlic and onions for our veggie burgers. Then our group of six proceeded to Chaine Avion (main grocery store) and got canned green beans, a box of rolled oats, and lentils for the burgers too. We purchased flour and a tub of margarine for our banana bread we would put in the dutch oven.
The next day Sylvie, who had given the cooking class earlier, came to my compound around 3pm. We had Orokia cook the lentils on her open fire to be ready for use asap, while some of us peeled the potatoes and cut them into rounds to fry on the top of the propane gas range in oil. (See pictures.) By the time Sylvie arrived we had the batter for the cake ready to put in the dutch oven, which takes a good hour. Once we hooked up those things we prepared the string beans, and got all the condiments for the burgers ready. We used French bread rolls for the buns. We used mayo for the ketchup. Improvise is the name of the game here when it comes to cooking. Hunger helps a lot too, makes you think creatively. Everyone ate as much as they wanted and then it was time to clean up, as Sylvie had four of these village groups of trainees to help try out the appliances in practice for when we get to our own villages and cook this way. My host family gladly tried the leftovers.
11-07-07 Wednesday
This morning after our Safety and Security meeting, we health trainees had a field trip to the local hospital, where there is a wing called CREN (Centre de Recuperation et d'Education Nutritionelle) for malnourished children. There are two major types of malnutrition in Burkina Faso: Kosh (lack of protein) and Marasmi (lack of food). Here they take the moderate and severe cases. Early detection helps with prevention. The great thing about CREN is that both babies and mothers stay here for up to two months. The head nurse spoke to us in French and our class asked lots of questions. The woman who teaches the mothers how to make enriched porridge, explained the children's diet to us. We saw the charting where the facility keeps track of weight, height and other vitals of the patients, including immunizations and medications. We got a tour of the whole hospital after that.
I went to the Internet in the afternoon and put captions on some of my pictures, which should help folks tell what's going on esp when the pictures go up before the blog does. The next day we boarded the bus for Ouaga, a 3 hr ride. A young man sat next to me and we practiced his limited English and my limited French on each other. Turns out he is a lab technician for the hospital we toured two days ago. We used the dictionary throughout. When I asked what his job entailed, he said he checks for bacteria, infection, parasites, glycemia, leukemia, cancers, etc.
Once we got to the capitol, we hailed the green taxis and went to the PC bureau for a quick tour and then the transit house, where we stay anytime we are in the capitol for overnight. It is a big hostel virtually. While there we had another Safety and Security class about guys who get onto the bush taxi, drop their change and take your money while you are gathering up their coins. They also said people will reach in an open window and grab your purse, etc. That afternoon we had a catered lunch at the bureau, where I had ordered a fish on a bed of peas with French bread, and fruit juice to drink. Dessert was a papaya. Excellent!
When the staff gathered to make the announcements, they had Becky unroll a map of Burkina Faso with all the Health placements in green and all the SED (Small Enterprise Development) placements in red. The PC country director said the placements were a group decision, with all those participating, trying for the best match of local needs with our skills. Then Becky was asked to pull a slip out of the bag and read the description and the director of each program verified which trainee got the site. We all became pretty good at guessing whose selection it was before it happened. This went on for 34 selections.
My slip said “Congratulations. You are going to the village of Sala! It is south of the capitol, 100 km and located 13 km east from Sabou on the main road. The site is perfect for someone preferring a small site of about 2250 inhabitants. The community of Sala is full of resources. There is a barrage and an agent d' agriculture. Transport is available everyday from Sabou to Sala. What you might not know is that your ICP has his own car and is more than willing to chauffeur you around!” The group guessed my name right away, since I get driven from village to town a couple times a week, a senior benefit. (See the site map picture.)
A panel of PCVs talked to us about their experience in BF and we asked lots of questions. I asked what they did when visitors come and they said “Meet them at the airport for sure, then spend a few days in the capitol and a few days in village and maybe see a few sights.” They said tours can be arranged, ie the Elephant Park Central near Ghana, and the Banfora Waterfalls in SW. The International Art Festival is popular every two years, as is the Film Festival on alternate years.
We celebrated our news by going out to dinner at Verdoyant, an Italian restaurant, and shared our food at our table. Right when I finished eating, Heather rang me on the phone. It was wonderful talking to her. She is traveling to Michigan tonight to meet her rental manager. So I could share my news with a family member and that is a good feeling. We all got to stay at the Nazemse Hotel in Ouaga and from there we could conveniently shop downtown.
The next day I went to 3 fabric stores until I found pagne material I wanted. It is a blue and white pattern of pintards, native birds. It will make a nice “swearing in” dress. I also went to Marina Market, a modern western store, where I bought groceries for Thanksgiving dinner. The girls who have adopted me as their gramma while we are here, want me to teach them how to make veggie lasagna and I want to make pumpkin pie. Awa the gramma at my compound gave me a long orange looking gourd she called pumpkin, so that's what I plan on making the pulp with. I won't bore you with the fiasco I had with my credit card, and cashing traveler's check, just to find out they would take American money, since I was short on francs right then. Back on the bus to OHG, a two and half hour ride.
Saturday morning was taken up with a language class and one on malaria. Then we returned to our villages and a free schedule in the afternoon.
11-11-07 Sunday
After I got up and going this morning I watched the family activities. The women were grinding shea butter on the big circular cement table in the courtyard. This surface had big oval grinding stones set in it's surface. Those foot long rectangular areas were smooth and raised up on either end, which made grinding natural; stone against stone. The women had already mashed the grain in the wooden bowl with their big pistils. They pound in cync with each other, one up, one down, sometimes three in concert. The mix was very dark in color. Evidence of harvest is all around the compound, peanuts drying on the rooftops, straw drying on wooden lattice frames, sheds secured for storage. Gramma Awa was plucking bissape blossoms to dry.
I went out to the peanut field where Aguero and Ramata were digging up peanuts by pounding the dirt to loosen the roots (which hold the peanuts) and harvesting the whole plant. The dried stem and leaves are foliage for goats later on. The teen girls let me take their photo, then they took one of me hacking at the bush. Ramata took the picture backwards and got her arm—so I gave a quick Fugi lesson and we all laughed. Humor cuts across cultures!
Almost midday I got company, Becky and Lacey walked the back path here to visit me. I took them around to meet all the family members. They so loved the 80 yr old gramma Awa, who reminds me of my mom. She's so excited to have someone come by and visit.
In gramma's courtyard we watched the two Minata's ( her granddaughters from two of her children) boil the kee they had mashed earlier. The mixture was in a big kettle over a very hot fire, and the oil came bubbling up to the surface, like a cauldron. The dark brown pulp underneath the yellow oil kept coming through. Both girls invited us to watch them skim off the oil and when that cools, I understand that it is the shea butter so famous for skin application. I use it on my feet and the cracks are gone overnight. That's an important remedy when everyone here wears flip flops. My Chacos are all that I wear. See the pictures of this mixture in the pot.
My two friends and I sat on my front porch visiting a long time then Orokia brought us lunch. White potatoes and sauce, yummy! We read and journaled and relaxed with no schedule. That was great. When they were ready to leave, we all vowed to continue this as a Sunday ritual.
In the late afternoon Orokia said Aziz,5, was sick and I remembered that she said he woke up with a headache that morning. Amadi gave her money to have their youngest child seen at the village clinic by the accouchuese (midwife) as he had a high fever and was sweating by then. Orokia was cleaning up after being in the field most of the day harvesting. Amadi's motobike needed a new spark plug, so I offered to transport Aziz on the back of my bicycle, which has a rack there. Orokia put him on the back holding onto me and she tucked his feet up under my seat. Off we went! I was a little nervous but knew we shouldn't stop until we got to the clinic. We were there in 5-10 minutes, following us was Orokia on an old bike and she headed over to the midwife's place to get her to come to the clinic.
The two women talked for a while and then the Accouchuese started writing out a list of pills for Aziz to take and all the directions about dose and times, etc. She went over the directions carefully with Orokia: Beogo, Zombre, Lungo (morning, noon, night) in Moore'. I inquired about any tests needed and she said from his high fever and cough, she knew Aziz has “Malaria”. Soon we were sitting on the front porch of the clinic and Aziz was given 2 small pills, probably Tylenol to bring down the fever and make him more comfortable. He gulped them down with water, and almost immediately threw them up. There is not the luxury of liquid medicine here for this age. After we rode back home, Aziz laid on the bench by his dad and went to sleep. Much later Orokia came walking home, as she stopped by the boutique to get some things for tomorrow's lunch, then had a flat tire on the way. What an amazing woman she is!
11-12-07
While I didn't have the day off, I had wanted a little change in routine on my birthday. So I had asked my host mother if she could be the first host mother to make lunch for the village PC trainees and two language teachers, who would pay her two mil francs. That meant we all would come to my home for lunch. I tidied up my room and sat down to open the big envelope Connie had sent me saying “Do not open until Nov 12”. What a surprise! All kinds of people at my send off party wrote notes that day in anticipation of my birthday. I got teary at all the msgs. Thank you so much!
I biked to village for class, and was greeted with birthday wishes, even from my French teacher Theo, who calls me “tante” (aunt) Mary Kay. After the morning of French and KAP study prep work, we went to my house for a lunch of beans and rice with tomato sauce. The way that Orokia prepares it is so tasty. Everyone ate til they were very full. Then the group gave me a card and sang to me. We got to stay at my house for class in the afternoon. Patrice taught me French under the big tree in the field where the millet had been. We worked on the passe' compose' of “to be” and “to have”.
We returned late afternoon to the center of village to organize for a door to door KAP study questionnaire on Malaria. Around 6pm when most villagers are home from their day's activities, we split into two groups, each with a language teacher to help us and with two members of the community to ask questions prepared in French. Our language teacher translated the French into Moore' for the villagers. The study captures what the villager's Knowledge, Attitude and Practices are with regard to malaria (or whatever health issue you want to study). Every compound we went to crowds of people gathered to listen and observe. The men usually responded, but at times would ask the women to respond. There was both accurate and inaccurate responses, all of which we recorded, without comment. This is one of the tools we will use to determine the needs in village when we get to site.
By the time we finished it was dark out and I could no longer read from my paper, so younger eyes took over.
Lacey said we were supposed to wait at the boutique (village store) for the other group to finish, and that Theo was bringing something from town, so we waited....... A crowd started gathering and chatting, then Theo showed up on his motobike with a gym bag, then my host parents showed up on their motobike, and finally the other group of trainees and their helpers arrived.......Then everyone sang Happy Birthday to me in English, then in French! Boy was I surprised. Soon Theo opened his bag and “Voila!” there was an ice cold beer! Cold beer and pop in the village of Somyaga, in Africa where the temp outside was 90 degrees all week. The trainees pulled a good one on me. What a way to celebrate! My host parents followed me home on their motobike with their headlight showing me the way. All in all it was a pretty unique way to spend this birthday.
We six trainees met in our village with the CSPS (the center for health (Santee) and social promotion) and showed the members of the board, the tools we learned regarding village and health facts and issues. They drew their own community map and pointing out the 5/6 wells, the mosque and the CSPS buildings. This was led by Keisha. Then Natalie was in charge of having the men and Lizeta separately and by gender, list their daily activities. I presented the calendar and they pointed to dry and wet seasons, sickness period, time of the year when they have money from harvest and other times when there is no money and finally the feasts they celebrate. Lindsey led the needs matrix, with each group identifying five top health concerns of the village and then comparing each. Becky welcomed the group and Lacey did the wrap up.
Things happen in Burkina time, which calls for patience. One time the premier was in a nearby village, which all villagers wanted to attend and did. It took a couple of meetings to get through the exercise. Later on my host father was telling some visitors at home about the experience, so I know it was understood and fun for them.
That Monday night was a huge dance put on by the women from each quartier of the village at the chief's compound in Somyaga. Around 9:30pm some women arrived at our home. Orokia, Aguero, Mary Angela and the others walked with me from home in the moonlight over to the chief's place, where hundreds of villagers were gathered, waiting, and chanting. We were escorted into his private compound to chairs. After we greeted the chief, who provided cold Coca Colas to each of us, we sat there a bit, then were escorted with our chairs out to a clearing where the dance would eventually be. We had front row seats literally. It began around 11pm.
Each group of women had a chanter on the microphone and the crowd would repeat the line chanted. Like a moving stream the women from each quartier' went in and out of a circle dancing, stomping and chanting. The chief was in a chair in front us, several of his aides on mats near him. The chief gave his brother a card indicating his approval of each groups' efforts near the end of their performance. His brother presented the card to the leader of the chant, who was on the microphone. The brother, maybe in his 50s, joined the circle of dancers sometimes in fun, and then clicked his legs forward and backwards while he was squatting, until everyone there applauded and laughed. What a character! This went on until around 2am. The teen girls in my family and I walked home before that in the moonlight. Because there are relatively no clouds in the sky, the moon provides incredible light at night.
What was interesting was that every so often the generator for the florescent light and microphone quit, so there was an occasional pause in the festivities for technical difficulties. The energetic dancing stirred the dust up, so that intermittently someone came with a bucket of water to sprinkle the dirt down a bit. I noticed a few people covering their nose with an air mask, while I used a shirt sleeve, due to my dry throat and cold.
10-30-07
We were excited to meet in the village to attend a Baptism, but when we arrived we found that an elder woman of the village died in the night. Muslim tradition is to bury the dead the next day. So out of respect we walked over to where the men were walking in a line and group to the cemetery to bury her. Women don't usually attend death rituals, because they give life.
Hundreds of men were there. As we drew near we heard the chanting by older voices and responses by younger ones. We could see that young men were moving the dirt, and filling the grave site until it was covered, then mounded up. Some men walked out to a nearby Kee tree, tore branches off and set them on top of the grave. It was quite moving. As the grave diggers washed themselves, others made way for them. As if on cue, everyone turned and walked away. Burema, a CSPS member, came by and we gave condolences that his aunt had died.
10-31-07 Halloween!
When I arrived at training, Dr. Claude was set up for interviews with table and chairs under a tree outside the bureau office. In typical Burkinabe' fashion, she inquired about my health and well being during our greeting. She was impressed with the statements that I had submitted to PC and that I had heard JFK those many years ago. As head of the health trainees, Dr. Claude wanted to know how I was doing with language training. I told her I was nervous about French and Moore', but that body language was working. She said not to worry, that if I made an effort, people would understand. Next she inquired what size site I preferred, a small village or a metro area, with more resources.
I asked for no more than 5-7 km. of biking to a town. I also requested less heat. After our chuckle, I asked her to be the judge of where to use me best. She asked about La Leche League, and said there are three areas of concern about breastfeeding in this culture. The mothers do not recognize the benefits of colostrum (the first milk and discard it); they do not take much time to nurse ( they are always working); and finally they wean abruptly.
Dr. Claude said when Ron Tschetter (PC director) was in BF in June he asked her if she would consider a senior and she replied “Of course!” She listened to my tale of writing him. She said “You will make it.”
I went to the Internet Cafe' at noon and a fellow trainee, Rob, showed me how to transfer my blog and pictures onto the flash drive Heather got me, and I was so happy to finally get that started and on line now.
In the afternoon Sylvie, a PNP, gave a health session on STDs and one on cooking and eating in BF. She had many tips for us when we are on our own with our diet. We had a section on National Health issues and how Community Based Organizations work with the needs of the community. In our village of Somyaga there is a CBO called “Association les Marainchers”, gardening for profit after the regular growing season.
We always stay Wed and Thurs in town, and since this was Halloween, “the twenty somethings” all got in costumes they had thought up with very little resources and went off to party somewhere. I took a couple pictures of them in their butcher paper and masking tape costumes. I texted my kids to see how they were doing on this big day for their own kids.
Becky bought me a “Laughing Cow” fromage (like cream cheese) that we all spread on our French bread baguettes every morning. After another full day of classes and as it turned dark, I was driven back to village, where Orokia had made macaroni and fish (sardines) for dinner. I was so hungry.
On Friday morning all health trainees (20 people and their language tutors) came to our village. Some of the PC volunteers talked to us about their experience working with CBOs, ie Becca makes soap with her women's group. The group colored it yellow, it sells well and they now have a bank account, where other projects they may want to do get seed money.
That day in the late afternoon we met with our CBO, with 17 in attendance. Two of the 17 men were also Coges members. My host father Amadi was among them, which pleased me. We did two activities with them, the seasonal calendar and the needs matrix. After much discussion the men decided that poverty was the biggest issue in their community. Malaria came in second. The village culture in BF seem more cooperative and builds consensus compared to the US culture. It was also an interesting exercise in terms of timing. Several events in village had to be reckoned with. The whole idea is to build into the community groups the foundation to take care of their own health needs.
When I biked back to my home, Orokia informed me there would be dancing tonight here in our courtyard and that I should be ready. Gradually the women came, until by 10 pm there were about 30 of them, some with babies aboard their backs. I took my kerosene lantern out there where the young women danced and the benches circling the dance area were full of the rest, who chanted together, providing the beat and music to dance by. Orokia was chanting and holding another's toddler. Gramma Awa and I watched from two wooden chairs. Before midnight, I retired, but the festivities went on several more hours.
11-03-07
Saturday we packed up our bikes for early morning transport to OHG for more bike raining. This time we learned how to wash them and how to get the red dirt out of the chain, then oil it. Today I mailed my absentee voter ballot. It had been the first mail I received here. It has to be there by 20 days after the election to count. I also have an option to email it to the office of elections in Clark County. Today was also my second French proficiency test with Matheurn. I am not there yet.
Since it was still afternoon when I got home, I went out to the fields to take pictures of harvest, stacks of millet and bissape. Orokia walked me to another field that had fresh bissape plants. We saw a white jet trail in the sky, first one in the month I've been here. Reminds me of when I was a kid in Felida and we would hear a plane overhead and run outside to see it. Those weren't jets, so we got outside in time.
Close to dark two new vehicles pulled up. Amadi came to say his younger brother, John, is here. He had a friend along who was a doctor of public health, Dr. Deborah. In good English, he asked me why I wanted to come to Africa and how I could live in village without water and electricity. I replied that I was not surprised as I expected the poverty, but the people are beautiful in nature and generous.
As we sat visiting Fatimata, 19, roasted peanuts for us and as she fetched them from the hot coals, I marveled that she did not burn herself. In the courtyard, I gave bon-bons to the children, always a hit.
John was pleased to visit his mother, Awa and asked if I knew her age. He said she is 79-80 they think. He said his father passed almost 30 years ago. John's son Anawar, 29, who speaks a little English, also came to stay the night with his gramma. John works for public health, and he offered to bring me something tomorrow when he returns for his son. After a little discussion he decided to bring me cold water and a cold beer. Well I wouldn't turn that down.
Later in the afternoon, Amadi put his mother on the cell phone with a relative and she was chatting like a school girl and laughing. She reminds me of my mom, who was always so full of life and adventure.
Sunday was the first unscheduled day I've had. I was in my room journaling and hanging a BF map on the wall plus pictures of my family and outdoor scenes I took last summer while camping. I tidied up a bit as my class is coming here to cook a meal on Tuesday.
In the afternoon Orokia came and signaled to me to follow her to the fields. We walked across several already harvested fields, greeting neighbors in their fields as we passed by. We came to where Madi was hacking Kee from the dry ground. He chopped several times at the bottom of the stocks and gathered the 6-8 stems to each plant and stacked them every so often in the field. Orokia had me sit on a metal basin, turned over and watch. Beside me, Aziz was at play with his 2” black beetle.
I watched as Orokia went to the next field to gather a stack of the plants that Madi had made. She took two long stems of the Kee plant to tie them into a bundle. After getting them tied, she lifted them onto her head and walked across the fields to a clearing and stacked them against other plants, then return. I decided to try that. So I tied a stem around a bundle and Orokia helped me secure it properly. She lifted two more bundles on her head and I had one on mine, since she discouraged me from trying two. I set off following her. That bundle was heavy, but I just know my posture was improved. I had to hold it with two hands for security. The neighbor women in their fields chatted and laughed as we passed by. After successfully delivering my “load”, I took Aziz and walked home. Soon Orokia and Madi came home, but Orokia went into another field to do more work.
Later that day, Amadi's brother John, returned as he promised with two 8 oz bags of water, and a cold beer and a bottle of orange Fanta for me. He brought his mother an inhaler, and asked if I could assist her with it. I saw him slip a 2 mil franc into the hand of Orokia and one of the older teens. The successful members of the family share their wealth.
11-05-07 Monday
It was the first time since my test that I had language class, and Theo led the way to the shade under a tree for it. He focused on vocabulary about directions, buying things and getting around in OHG. After seeing the other 5 trainees stay with another tutor, I thought for sure I had failed my test, and behind my sunglasses a few tears trickled down. Theo apologized later, thinking he had upset me, but in truth all the language teachers want us to succeed, so they push us a little. Later I discovered that in fact I had come up a level to middle of the low level in French. After class, the car came to village for all of us and took us to town to shop for our cooking class on Tues at my compound. We went to the central marche' in OHG and bought red long potatoes for fries, and tomatoes, garlic and onions for our veggie burgers. Then our group of six proceeded to Chaine Avion (main grocery store) and got canned green beans, a box of rolled oats, and lentils for the burgers too. We purchased flour and a tub of margarine for our banana bread we would put in the dutch oven.
The next day Sylvie, who had given the cooking class earlier, came to my compound around 3pm. We had Orokia cook the lentils on her open fire to be ready for use asap, while some of us peeled the potatoes and cut them into rounds to fry on the top of the propane gas range in oil. (See pictures.) By the time Sylvie arrived we had the batter for the cake ready to put in the dutch oven, which takes a good hour. Once we hooked up those things we prepared the string beans, and got all the condiments for the burgers ready. We used French bread rolls for the buns. We used mayo for the ketchup. Improvise is the name of the game here when it comes to cooking. Hunger helps a lot too, makes you think creatively. Everyone ate as much as they wanted and then it was time to clean up, as Sylvie had four of these village groups of trainees to help try out the appliances in practice for when we get to our own villages and cook this way. My host family gladly tried the leftovers.
11-07-07 Wednesday
This morning after our Safety and Security meeting, we health trainees had a field trip to the local hospital, where there is a wing called CREN (Centre de Recuperation et d'Education Nutritionelle) for malnourished children. There are two major types of malnutrition in Burkina Faso: Kosh (lack of protein) and Marasmi (lack of food). Here they take the moderate and severe cases. Early detection helps with prevention. The great thing about CREN is that both babies and mothers stay here for up to two months. The head nurse spoke to us in French and our class asked lots of questions. The woman who teaches the mothers how to make enriched porridge, explained the children's diet to us. We saw the charting where the facility keeps track of weight, height and other vitals of the patients, including immunizations and medications. We got a tour of the whole hospital after that.
I went to the Internet in the afternoon and put captions on some of my pictures, which should help folks tell what's going on esp when the pictures go up before the blog does. The next day we boarded the bus for Ouaga, a 3 hr ride. A young man sat next to me and we practiced his limited English and my limited French on each other. Turns out he is a lab technician for the hospital we toured two days ago. We used the dictionary throughout. When I asked what his job entailed, he said he checks for bacteria, infection, parasites, glycemia, leukemia, cancers, etc.
Once we got to the capitol, we hailed the green taxis and went to the PC bureau for a quick tour and then the transit house, where we stay anytime we are in the capitol for overnight. It is a big hostel virtually. While there we had another Safety and Security class about guys who get onto the bush taxi, drop their change and take your money while you are gathering up their coins. They also said people will reach in an open window and grab your purse, etc. That afternoon we had a catered lunch at the bureau, where I had ordered a fish on a bed of peas with French bread, and fruit juice to drink. Dessert was a papaya. Excellent!
When the staff gathered to make the announcements, they had Becky unroll a map of Burkina Faso with all the Health placements in green and all the SED (Small Enterprise Development) placements in red. The PC country director said the placements were a group decision, with all those participating, trying for the best match of local needs with our skills. Then Becky was asked to pull a slip out of the bag and read the description and the director of each program verified which trainee got the site. We all became pretty good at guessing whose selection it was before it happened. This went on for 34 selections.
My slip said “Congratulations. You are going to the village of Sala! It is south of the capitol, 100 km and located 13 km east from Sabou on the main road. The site is perfect for someone preferring a small site of about 2250 inhabitants. The community of Sala is full of resources. There is a barrage and an agent d' agriculture. Transport is available everyday from Sabou to Sala. What you might not know is that your ICP has his own car and is more than willing to chauffeur you around!” The group guessed my name right away, since I get driven from village to town a couple times a week, a senior benefit. (See the site map picture.)
A panel of PCVs talked to us about their experience in BF and we asked lots of questions. I asked what they did when visitors come and they said “Meet them at the airport for sure, then spend a few days in the capitol and a few days in village and maybe see a few sights.” They said tours can be arranged, ie the Elephant Park Central near Ghana, and the Banfora Waterfalls in SW. The International Art Festival is popular every two years, as is the Film Festival on alternate years.
We celebrated our news by going out to dinner at Verdoyant, an Italian restaurant, and shared our food at our table. Right when I finished eating, Heather rang me on the phone. It was wonderful talking to her. She is traveling to Michigan tonight to meet her rental manager. So I could share my news with a family member and that is a good feeling. We all got to stay at the Nazemse Hotel in Ouaga and from there we could conveniently shop downtown.
The next day I went to 3 fabric stores until I found pagne material I wanted. It is a blue and white pattern of pintards, native birds. It will make a nice “swearing in” dress. I also went to Marina Market, a modern western store, where I bought groceries for Thanksgiving dinner. The girls who have adopted me as their gramma while we are here, want me to teach them how to make veggie lasagna and I want to make pumpkin pie. Awa the gramma at my compound gave me a long orange looking gourd she called pumpkin, so that's what I plan on making the pulp with. I won't bore you with the fiasco I had with my credit card, and cashing traveler's check, just to find out they would take American money, since I was short on francs right then. Back on the bus to OHG, a two and half hour ride.
Saturday morning was taken up with a language class and one on malaria. Then we returned to our villages and a free schedule in the afternoon.
11-11-07 Sunday
After I got up and going this morning I watched the family activities. The women were grinding shea butter on the big circular cement table in the courtyard. This surface had big oval grinding stones set in it's surface. Those foot long rectangular areas were smooth and raised up on either end, which made grinding natural; stone against stone. The women had already mashed the grain in the wooden bowl with their big pistils. They pound in cync with each other, one up, one down, sometimes three in concert. The mix was very dark in color. Evidence of harvest is all around the compound, peanuts drying on the rooftops, straw drying on wooden lattice frames, sheds secured for storage. Gramma Awa was plucking bissape blossoms to dry.
I went out to the peanut field where Aguero and Ramata were digging up peanuts by pounding the dirt to loosen the roots (which hold the peanuts) and harvesting the whole plant. The dried stem and leaves are foliage for goats later on. The teen girls let me take their photo, then they took one of me hacking at the bush. Ramata took the picture backwards and got her arm—so I gave a quick Fugi lesson and we all laughed. Humor cuts across cultures!
Almost midday I got company, Becky and Lacey walked the back path here to visit me. I took them around to meet all the family members. They so loved the 80 yr old gramma Awa, who reminds me of my mom. She's so excited to have someone come by and visit.
In gramma's courtyard we watched the two Minata's ( her granddaughters from two of her children) boil the kee they had mashed earlier. The mixture was in a big kettle over a very hot fire, and the oil came bubbling up to the surface, like a cauldron. The dark brown pulp underneath the yellow oil kept coming through. Both girls invited us to watch them skim off the oil and when that cools, I understand that it is the shea butter so famous for skin application. I use it on my feet and the cracks are gone overnight. That's an important remedy when everyone here wears flip flops. My Chacos are all that I wear. See the pictures of this mixture in the pot.
My two friends and I sat on my front porch visiting a long time then Orokia brought us lunch. White potatoes and sauce, yummy! We read and journaled and relaxed with no schedule. That was great. When they were ready to leave, we all vowed to continue this as a Sunday ritual.
In the late afternoon Orokia said Aziz,5, was sick and I remembered that she said he woke up with a headache that morning. Amadi gave her money to have their youngest child seen at the village clinic by the accouchuese (midwife) as he had a high fever and was sweating by then. Orokia was cleaning up after being in the field most of the day harvesting. Amadi's motobike needed a new spark plug, so I offered to transport Aziz on the back of my bicycle, which has a rack there. Orokia put him on the back holding onto me and she tucked his feet up under my seat. Off we went! I was a little nervous but knew we shouldn't stop until we got to the clinic. We were there in 5-10 minutes, following us was Orokia on an old bike and she headed over to the midwife's place to get her to come to the clinic.
The two women talked for a while and then the Accouchuese started writing out a list of pills for Aziz to take and all the directions about dose and times, etc. She went over the directions carefully with Orokia: Beogo, Zombre, Lungo (morning, noon, night) in Moore'. I inquired about any tests needed and she said from his high fever and cough, she knew Aziz has “Malaria”. Soon we were sitting on the front porch of the clinic and Aziz was given 2 small pills, probably Tylenol to bring down the fever and make him more comfortable. He gulped them down with water, and almost immediately threw them up. There is not the luxury of liquid medicine here for this age. After we rode back home, Aziz laid on the bench by his dad and went to sleep. Much later Orokia came walking home, as she stopped by the boutique to get some things for tomorrow's lunch, then had a flat tire on the way. What an amazing woman she is!
11-12-07
While I didn't have the day off, I had wanted a little change in routine on my birthday. So I had asked my host mother if she could be the first host mother to make lunch for the village PC trainees and two language teachers, who would pay her two mil francs. That meant we all would come to my home for lunch. I tidied up my room and sat down to open the big envelope Connie had sent me saying “Do not open until Nov 12”. What a surprise! All kinds of people at my send off party wrote notes that day in anticipation of my birthday. I got teary at all the msgs. Thank you so much!
I biked to village for class, and was greeted with birthday wishes, even from my French teacher Theo, who calls me “tante” (aunt) Mary Kay. After the morning of French and KAP study prep work, we went to my house for a lunch of beans and rice with tomato sauce. The way that Orokia prepares it is so tasty. Everyone ate til they were very full. Then the group gave me a card and sang to me. We got to stay at my house for class in the afternoon. Patrice taught me French under the big tree in the field where the millet had been. We worked on the passe' compose' of “to be” and “to have”.
We returned late afternoon to the center of village to organize for a door to door KAP study questionnaire on Malaria. Around 6pm when most villagers are home from their day's activities, we split into two groups, each with a language teacher to help us and with two members of the community to ask questions prepared in French. Our language teacher translated the French into Moore' for the villagers. The study captures what the villager's Knowledge, Attitude and Practices are with regard to malaria (or whatever health issue you want to study). Every compound we went to crowds of people gathered to listen and observe. The men usually responded, but at times would ask the women to respond. There was both accurate and inaccurate responses, all of which we recorded, without comment. This is one of the tools we will use to determine the needs in village when we get to site.
By the time we finished it was dark out and I could no longer read from my paper, so younger eyes took over.
Lacey said we were supposed to wait at the boutique (village store) for the other group to finish, and that Theo was bringing something from town, so we waited....... A crowd started gathering and chatting, then Theo showed up on his motobike with a gym bag, then my host parents showed up on their motobike, and finally the other group of trainees and their helpers arrived.......Then everyone sang Happy Birthday to me in English, then in French! Boy was I surprised. Soon Theo opened his bag and “Voila!” there was an ice cold beer! Cold beer and pop in the village of Somyaga, in Africa where the temp outside was 90 degrees all week. The trainees pulled a good one on me. What a way to celebrate! My host parents followed me home on their motobike with their headlight showing me the way. All in all it was a pretty unique way to spend this birthday.
Friday, November 23, 2007
African Adventure 2
10-17-07
This morning I was up at six, because a car was coming for me. We were going to town, OHG and have a little break from the intense schedule. The night had not cooled down much and the bucket bath was refreshing at this point. Before leaving our village, we trainees met with the community health board, a group of six members (one woman) plus the local male nurse, who is always the secretary on the board. We asked them questions we had prepared in French the day before. The RN led the responses, and the board members were very interested in who we are and what line of work we had done. Translating this into their language (Moore') was challenging for the RN it appeared. This health board is representative of the ones we will work with in any village we may be assigned to in BF, so this experience should serve us well in the future.
Right when we arrived in town we stopped at a gas station and got yogurt and drinks, anything cold is coveted by all of us at this time. The change of scenery did us all good, we even enjoyed our French class in town. We got on our bikes and went to get lunch, some of us went to the internet cafe, only to find that it shut down the night before, and was still not up and running. I had bought a cell phone by now and the office staff at the internet cafe helped me text msg my kids and set my phone ringer, an important thing really.
While on my lunch break, I biked to the big market in the center of town, a maize of little tables and huts, where the locals sell produce and handmade items. There are some unusual sales, you can get your motorbike washed on the spot, or your shoes shined, or you can pay to have your bicycle stored. There are always tables filled with flip flops and ones with cell phones, and local food sells well. I did purchase a roll of toilet paper for 400SFA, which is about a dollar. Not really a bargain, but my negotiating skills in French have a ways to go. I later learned that the PC pays 500SFA for a two roll pack of TP.
As I rode back to the training center all of a sudden my phone rang and it was Angie, what a treat to talk to her and find out about things at home. By now I was most certainly late for my class, but that's alright—it was conjugating French verbs in 100 degree weather! Later that afternoon we had a couple hours free time, and again my phone rang and it was Chris, so good to hear from him. He's getting a phone card, cheaper way to talk I hear. All I can do from here really is text msg. That reminded me I need to get post cards to send right away to all my grandchildren. I gave my kids a long list of things I need......I told Chris that I am an expert on bike tire repair, as I had three flats the first two days I had my brand new bike...I now know I can't ride over the grass beside the pathways, which have thorny brush in them. And that is a guaranteed puncture in my tire.
At 5pm with our bikes on top, the van took us back to village, about 7 kilometers, and from there we biked back to our family compounds (less than a mile) just as darkness fell. It is refreshing to cool down every night via a bucket bath under the stars in the sky as my douche is a brick structure, open to the sky above. I have since taken a picture of this structure to show you. My latrine is on one side, and the bath area (douche) on the other. At this time of night it is dinner, then bedtime. It is so dark out by 6:30pm and with the grueling schedule, it is natural to turn in early.
10-19-07
Peace Corps sends a car for me and my luggage by 7am, as we are stopping at OHG for classes and preparation for going to villages of current PC Volunteers all over the country. They call this the “demystification visit”. I assume that means it makes it real to us. Three of us from the Health sector are going to a village 100m. SW of the capitol, called Gao. Meanwhile after our language class, we had a couple hours of free time, and we rode to town and got on the internet at a local cybercafe. One hour is 350 SFA. After that we found the sandwich shop, Melissa one of the trainees is living with a family, whose mom has the shop and hand makes each sandwich as it is ordered. My favorite is hard boiled egg slices and avocado slices, with red onions and tomato slices on the long French roll. Yummy!
The afternoon session for all Peace Corps Trainees was hilarious—Siaka, Saliou, Printout, PCV and others did a skit on what it's like to take a bush taxi. People, animals, and baggage kept adding to an already full bus. Then a pregnant woman with a baby strapped to her back boarded. Then a guy with a goat got on. People had to move seats constantly. Pickpocketing happened. A Muslim got out his mat to pray at one stop. And the driving was erratic to say the least, first Siaka would floorboard it, then shift when the engine was revved up, and all the folks leaned way over as the load shifted. I'm telling you we were in gales of laughter. That was just a preview of things to come.......
We 34 PCT boarded a nice bus to Ouagadougou (the capitol) the next morning. After the three hour ride, we all split up to go to our respective sites in country. Our little group, three trainees and our language facilitator went to a small bus stop and waited over four hours for our bush taxi. Apparently we just missed the first one. Since my tent, mat, and potty chair were tied together, and the single strap wasn't quite doing the job, I bought a long rubber strap from a vendor. By then my pride had deserted me.
To pass our time we found a modern western grocery store in the center of town, We each bought ourselves a treat, mine was a chocolate croissant. Then Becky and I wanted to look in the big mosque nearby, and we had to cover our head with a scarf to look in. Some guy took us around to a doorway, and said we could look in, but not enter, and he allowed us to take pictures. For this experience he wanted us to each give the Imam 2000 SFA. Becky protested, and after a couple minutes we each gave him 500 SFA and left. Bintou told us the guy shouldn't have charged.
Still waiting for the bush taxi, I watched a shoemaker lace together sandals with a long threaded needle. It reminded me of Doug lacing saddles and other leather things. Two customers came by and got shoe shines while they waited, now there's a lost art. “Vous travaillez tres bien! Your work is very good” I told him.
]The bush taxi showed up around 3pm with the driver wanting more money for our luggage after we bought our tickets, but Bintou headed that off. We got on board this old long van with seats. Soon we made another stop several miles across town and lots of goods and people were loaded. We laughed as we watched the loaders stuff 4-5' high with cargo, then proceed to tie five bikes, standing erect over the cab. After that a stack of large metal bowls and a large watering can were tied on the top. We boarded the bush taxi.
A mom and toddler and 20 others got in this 8 person van. As we tried to leave, through the window, the driver and a customer had a long heated discussion about something. I thought they were discussing safety, but no it was the cost of transport for goods. It went on ten minutes or so, while all 2 dozen passengers sweated in the van. Finally we left. I was sitting right behind the driver and noticed he kept looking out the window back toward the rear wheel. About half an hour later the entire wheel separated from the axle with a loud noise. This happened after we had gone 50mph on the road to the south. As luck would have it, we broke down in front of a welding shop by the side of the road in a small town with a dozen little shops. An hour later we crossed the road to the bar and had a cold beer, sitting out in front so we could see the van. As the welder worked on the axle all the passengers sat around watching. The driver and one other worker put the wheel back on. I noticed they only had two lug nuts, and I started worrying about that when our LCF announced that Peace Corps was sending a car for us. Whew! I was so relieved. By now it was 6pm. The PC car arrived and we traveled back to Ouaga. By now it was feeling like Murphy's Law, as we came upon a huge traffic jam—the traffic stopped because the President of the Country was passing by. Our driver extracted our vehicle from the snarl and we proceeded to go 30 km around the back way until we reached the PC transit house (a hostel house for PC). It was sheer luxury, after our day. We ordered dinner in and had a real bed to sleep in for the night.
Now we leave for Gao at 8am for our demystification visit. A PC car drove us 3 hr and 100km south of Ouaga and 50 km east on a dirt road to Stephanie's place. She was awaiting our arrival, and had baked banana bread and sliced up watermelon to welcome us. She had an incredibly homey living situation. Her hut had 4 rooms, a bedroom, kitchen, la douche (shower) and a living area. Villagers had poured a concrete patio after Dr. Claude made a site visit and told the village chief “Fix this my son for Stephanie.” Voila! Stephanie had a compost pile from which two tomato plants were thriving. She had planted five trees nearby too. There was a wall around her yard, and a screen covering the entrance, so animals could not enter.
The four of us asked her questions after question about her life in village. She says the Loges doesn't work that well, but the person in the new mayor position is very helpful to her. As we relaxed we met neighbors who came by and also the girl she pays to help out everyday. The 15 yr old girl has family in Ghana. She lives in Gao with relatives and likes it here. She transports Stephanie's water, washes her clothes, cleans dishes and straightens the house.
Soon we all walked around the village, meeting Stephanie's friends to whom she speaks perfect French and some tribal language. The people adore her and she them, esp certain ones. Her neighbor, Rosalie, helped her get connected to small groups of women and men who already had gatherings. She also went into the village school and taught in the first three months there. Her nearest PCV is Marcos, who is a favorite neighbor. They visit each other weekly approximately.
We bathed in the afternoon, then Stephanie made egg roll soup and a bean dish out of the PC cookbook. We had several language sessions with our LCF Bintou, who is a great teacher. Late in the evening, a neighbor woman brought over dinner: barbecued chicken, rice casserole, cous cous, and sauce. We loved it, sitting out in the yard at a table under the night sky enjoying each other's company. We tented that night, me on the patio, and Becky out in the yard, Bintou on a mat (traditional African sleeping spot), and Natalie in the bed and Stephanie on the chaise lounge.
The propane stove top and the oven in Stephanie's kitchen offer a variety of possibilities for cooking, ie Pancakes. While we had language class the next morning and learned past participles in French, Steph went to market to get bread and cheese for tuna melts at lunch. Here in Burkina Faso I have noticed that food is a main source for conversation. Locals go to marche' (market) every several days, because the heat doesn't allow food to stay edible very long.
Monday morning we toured the health sites in Stephanie's village: CSPS, the maternity ward, the pharmacy. During this time we met the village nurse, called “infirmier”, the midwife, who had just delivered a baby, and the ICP and some village teachers. There were 12 women waiting in clinic for a prenatal visit, which was delayed due to the delivery. This gave us a glimpse of the health aspect of village life, which we will be involved with when we each get our assignment in our village.
We walked back slowly down a path near a cluster of animists, who were engaged in a fetish ritual. They had two poles with a pane (cloth) wrapped around them and guys on either end baring the poles in a ritual dance. Back and forth they went with a crowd of worshipers following them. Stephanie said the fetish is thought to be a spirit that comes to “life” after long periods. We watched from a distance. Further along the path we visited the mayor and asked him historical questions about the village. He said the village was two tribes coming together hundreds of years ago, some were Moslem and some were animists. They live cooperatively.
As we tracted back to the house, we came across the local bar and some of the guys there play music, so after the sun went down we had arranged for them to play drums and flutes and dance. That lasted several hours in the moonlight. When the men had danced a traditional African dance, the women and children joined in, then they enticed us to try it, which we did and had such fun. Their dance steps and rhythms don't come so naturally to we Americans. By that time we were tired and hungry so we each gave the musicians 500 SFA for both the dancers and them and headed home. The neighbor brought dinner again and we were treated to beans and chicken, “To” and sauce. We tented again.
We got up early for our 8am bush taxi ride, but had to scurry when the driver showed up at our door at 7:30. We went back to Ouaga (the capitol) and thankfully the return trip was uneventful. I had to stay overnight in the transit house because Sylvie, the medical officer, had arranged for me to get my front tooth repaired. The clinic PC sent me to, cares for the embassy personnel too. They did a beautiful job for me. The BF dentist spoke perfect English, which he learned in school he said. They had the latest equipment, hardened my filling with a blue light. A second dentist was present and haled from Bolivia, and then a third dentist arrived and he was from Brazil. They all spoke good French and some English, definitely an international dental group. My taxi picked me up in an hour and returned me to the transit house, where I could walk to the PC bureau and spend two hours on the internet for free. I was able to send a group email, which made me happy.
On the way back to the transit center I stopped at a nice restaurant and ordered a salad to go. I sat a watched a tape of an old movie “Miracle in the Woods”, a multi-generational family dilemma.
The next morning the van came to pick up several others with me to return to Ouahigouya.
For the next several days we had classes to process our visit with the PCV. we each visited last weekend. We started to learn about conducting a “Etude de Milieu” (study in the village setting). We were transported to another village and learned tools to use in our study at the village level. They are: Seasonal Calendar, Village Map, Roles of women and men in village, and “Needs Assessment” done on a grid. Because this is hands on training, we had then set aside time to train the village leaders on these same tools, having them do the exercises and drawings themselves. It was a real eye opener, comparing what we came up with and what they did. For example they highlighted the mosque and the six village wells, and we hadn't. We emphasized how hard the women work, and the gender roles we observed. We learned from each other!
One of the field trips we took on our bikes was to the cabaret, where a groups of women brew beer from millet mostly. The alcohol content is not regulated by the state and at times it can be as high as 8% we were told. I took a couple photos of this just to show my brother, Wayne, who worked in this business until he retired. And yes, I like a beer now and again.
10-28-07 Sunday
Today Orokia is taking me to meet Salimata, her mother. Her home is across the village of Somyaga. We biked there. On the way we met her grandmother in a field nearby working. Everyone here greets everyone else where ever they find them. I had saved a votive candle to give Salimata. She is blind in one eye, and doesn't get out much in terms of visiting. I think Orokia introduced me to her sister in law there too.
When we returned home an hour later, a group of women and the two of us walked to the next neighboring compound and visited with them. Many, many people were there, groups of mothers and babies, groups of young men, and also men. The women were together in a hut nursing their babies and visiting. It was close and hot in there. Boys were playing cards together. Other young men were hanging out, listening to music. An elder man in the courtyard was plucking peanuts off the picked plants, and I sat down and tried that too. Orokia and I went into one hut and were served rice with goat meat (a little tough to chew, but tasted OK). Azita went over to the neighbors with us, but returned early.
Sunday is such a restful day during training, and I had a nap. I watched Amadi and Madi (15 yr old son) tie millet into bundles to put up to dry. That is an art, tying those things together, using the stems and braiding them around the top securely. This also served as a hanger. The results were beautiful to see. (view pictures)
This fourth week in training was both exciting and hard. We all had our language level test, which I advanced one level up. When you start at the bottom the only way is up, right? The health sector, the group I'm in, had their interviews with the Director of the Health Sector, Dr. Claude, who is so personable and encouraging. It was like a visit, not an intense interview. We chatted about what kind of site I would like, and what skills I would use in village, and about the needs here in Burkina Faso. She thinks that the women need support about taking more time nursing their babies, and about the benefits of colostrum, the first milk, and also about not weening their babies abruptly. We agreed that all the mothers nurse in BF and that is good. I look forward to offering extra support to these moms.
Dr. Claude is an exceptional woman and had just come from an international conference elsewhere in Africa on malnutrition. Her husband is the fourth highest political leader in BF I understand. She has been with the PC here since 1995. She told me about the director's visit recently, and his hope that more seniors join up. You know how I feel about that.
After two days at the training center in classes, Friday I was picked up with the other trainees from my village and we went to Sissomba, another village to visit there and have class. All the Lori's live here, Lauren, Laura, and Lori, all of whom speak perfect French. We practiced conducting a community meeting. We had a great lunch of beans and rice with sauce.
On Saturday we five rode our bikes to town and went swimming at Hotel de la Mitte and ate American style hamburgers. They tasted extra good to us. What a treat! Just to give you an idea: 1500SFA to swim, 3000SFA for the burger, and 800SFA for a Flagg beer (a qt). Then to the internet (one hour cost 350SFA) and our bike ride home (7 km). A great day and break! Lots of pictures.
This morning I was up at six, because a car was coming for me. We were going to town, OHG and have a little break from the intense schedule. The night had not cooled down much and the bucket bath was refreshing at this point. Before leaving our village, we trainees met with the community health board, a group of six members (one woman) plus the local male nurse, who is always the secretary on the board. We asked them questions we had prepared in French the day before. The RN led the responses, and the board members were very interested in who we are and what line of work we had done. Translating this into their language (Moore') was challenging for the RN it appeared. This health board is representative of the ones we will work with in any village we may be assigned to in BF, so this experience should serve us well in the future.
Right when we arrived in town we stopped at a gas station and got yogurt and drinks, anything cold is coveted by all of us at this time. The change of scenery did us all good, we even enjoyed our French class in town. We got on our bikes and went to get lunch, some of us went to the internet cafe, only to find that it shut down the night before, and was still not up and running. I had bought a cell phone by now and the office staff at the internet cafe helped me text msg my kids and set my phone ringer, an important thing really.
While on my lunch break, I biked to the big market in the center of town, a maize of little tables and huts, where the locals sell produce and handmade items. There are some unusual sales, you can get your motorbike washed on the spot, or your shoes shined, or you can pay to have your bicycle stored. There are always tables filled with flip flops and ones with cell phones, and local food sells well. I did purchase a roll of toilet paper for 400SFA, which is about a dollar. Not really a bargain, but my negotiating skills in French have a ways to go. I later learned that the PC pays 500SFA for a two roll pack of TP.
As I rode back to the training center all of a sudden my phone rang and it was Angie, what a treat to talk to her and find out about things at home. By now I was most certainly late for my class, but that's alright—it was conjugating French verbs in 100 degree weather! Later that afternoon we had a couple hours free time, and again my phone rang and it was Chris, so good to hear from him. He's getting a phone card, cheaper way to talk I hear. All I can do from here really is text msg. That reminded me I need to get post cards to send right away to all my grandchildren. I gave my kids a long list of things I need......I told Chris that I am an expert on bike tire repair, as I had three flats the first two days I had my brand new bike...I now know I can't ride over the grass beside the pathways, which have thorny brush in them. And that is a guaranteed puncture in my tire.
At 5pm with our bikes on top, the van took us back to village, about 7 kilometers, and from there we biked back to our family compounds (less than a mile) just as darkness fell. It is refreshing to cool down every night via a bucket bath under the stars in the sky as my douche is a brick structure, open to the sky above. I have since taken a picture of this structure to show you. My latrine is on one side, and the bath area (douche) on the other. At this time of night it is dinner, then bedtime. It is so dark out by 6:30pm and with the grueling schedule, it is natural to turn in early.
10-19-07
Peace Corps sends a car for me and my luggage by 7am, as we are stopping at OHG for classes and preparation for going to villages of current PC Volunteers all over the country. They call this the “demystification visit”. I assume that means it makes it real to us. Three of us from the Health sector are going to a village 100m. SW of the capitol, called Gao. Meanwhile after our language class, we had a couple hours of free time, and we rode to town and got on the internet at a local cybercafe. One hour is 350 SFA. After that we found the sandwich shop, Melissa one of the trainees is living with a family, whose mom has the shop and hand makes each sandwich as it is ordered. My favorite is hard boiled egg slices and avocado slices, with red onions and tomato slices on the long French roll. Yummy!
The afternoon session for all Peace Corps Trainees was hilarious—Siaka, Saliou, Printout, PCV and others did a skit on what it's like to take a bush taxi. People, animals, and baggage kept adding to an already full bus. Then a pregnant woman with a baby strapped to her back boarded. Then a guy with a goat got on. People had to move seats constantly. Pickpocketing happened. A Muslim got out his mat to pray at one stop. And the driving was erratic to say the least, first Siaka would floorboard it, then shift when the engine was revved up, and all the folks leaned way over as the load shifted. I'm telling you we were in gales of laughter. That was just a preview of things to come.......
We 34 PCT boarded a nice bus to Ouagadougou (the capitol) the next morning. After the three hour ride, we all split up to go to our respective sites in country. Our little group, three trainees and our language facilitator went to a small bus stop and waited over four hours for our bush taxi. Apparently we just missed the first one. Since my tent, mat, and potty chair were tied together, and the single strap wasn't quite doing the job, I bought a long rubber strap from a vendor. By then my pride had deserted me.
To pass our time we found a modern western grocery store in the center of town, We each bought ourselves a treat, mine was a chocolate croissant. Then Becky and I wanted to look in the big mosque nearby, and we had to cover our head with a scarf to look in. Some guy took us around to a doorway, and said we could look in, but not enter, and he allowed us to take pictures. For this experience he wanted us to each give the Imam 2000 SFA. Becky protested, and after a couple minutes we each gave him 500 SFA and left. Bintou told us the guy shouldn't have charged.
Still waiting for the bush taxi, I watched a shoemaker lace together sandals with a long threaded needle. It reminded me of Doug lacing saddles and other leather things. Two customers came by and got shoe shines while they waited, now there's a lost art. “Vous travaillez tres bien! Your work is very good” I told him.
]The bush taxi showed up around 3pm with the driver wanting more money for our luggage after we bought our tickets, but Bintou headed that off. We got on board this old long van with seats. Soon we made another stop several miles across town and lots of goods and people were loaded. We laughed as we watched the loaders stuff 4-5' high with cargo, then proceed to tie five bikes, standing erect over the cab. After that a stack of large metal bowls and a large watering can were tied on the top. We boarded the bush taxi.
A mom and toddler and 20 others got in this 8 person van. As we tried to leave, through the window, the driver and a customer had a long heated discussion about something. I thought they were discussing safety, but no it was the cost of transport for goods. It went on ten minutes or so, while all 2 dozen passengers sweated in the van. Finally we left. I was sitting right behind the driver and noticed he kept looking out the window back toward the rear wheel. About half an hour later the entire wheel separated from the axle with a loud noise. This happened after we had gone 50mph on the road to the south. As luck would have it, we broke down in front of a welding shop by the side of the road in a small town with a dozen little shops. An hour later we crossed the road to the bar and had a cold beer, sitting out in front so we could see the van. As the welder worked on the axle all the passengers sat around watching. The driver and one other worker put the wheel back on. I noticed they only had two lug nuts, and I started worrying about that when our LCF announced that Peace Corps was sending a car for us. Whew! I was so relieved. By now it was 6pm. The PC car arrived and we traveled back to Ouaga. By now it was feeling like Murphy's Law, as we came upon a huge traffic jam—the traffic stopped because the President of the Country was passing by. Our driver extracted our vehicle from the snarl and we proceeded to go 30 km around the back way until we reached the PC transit house (a hostel house for PC). It was sheer luxury, after our day. We ordered dinner in and had a real bed to sleep in for the night.
Now we leave for Gao at 8am for our demystification visit. A PC car drove us 3 hr and 100km south of Ouaga and 50 km east on a dirt road to Stephanie's place. She was awaiting our arrival, and had baked banana bread and sliced up watermelon to welcome us. She had an incredibly homey living situation. Her hut had 4 rooms, a bedroom, kitchen, la douche (shower) and a living area. Villagers had poured a concrete patio after Dr. Claude made a site visit and told the village chief “Fix this my son for Stephanie.” Voila! Stephanie had a compost pile from which two tomato plants were thriving. She had planted five trees nearby too. There was a wall around her yard, and a screen covering the entrance, so animals could not enter.
The four of us asked her questions after question about her life in village. She says the Loges doesn't work that well, but the person in the new mayor position is very helpful to her. As we relaxed we met neighbors who came by and also the girl she pays to help out everyday. The 15 yr old girl has family in Ghana. She lives in Gao with relatives and likes it here. She transports Stephanie's water, washes her clothes, cleans dishes and straightens the house.
Soon we all walked around the village, meeting Stephanie's friends to whom she speaks perfect French and some tribal language. The people adore her and she them, esp certain ones. Her neighbor, Rosalie, helped her get connected to small groups of women and men who already had gatherings. She also went into the village school and taught in the first three months there. Her nearest PCV is Marcos, who is a favorite neighbor. They visit each other weekly approximately.
We bathed in the afternoon, then Stephanie made egg roll soup and a bean dish out of the PC cookbook. We had several language sessions with our LCF Bintou, who is a great teacher. Late in the evening, a neighbor woman brought over dinner: barbecued chicken, rice casserole, cous cous, and sauce. We loved it, sitting out in the yard at a table under the night sky enjoying each other's company. We tented that night, me on the patio, and Becky out in the yard, Bintou on a mat (traditional African sleeping spot), and Natalie in the bed and Stephanie on the chaise lounge.
The propane stove top and the oven in Stephanie's kitchen offer a variety of possibilities for cooking, ie Pancakes. While we had language class the next morning and learned past participles in French, Steph went to market to get bread and cheese for tuna melts at lunch. Here in Burkina Faso I have noticed that food is a main source for conversation. Locals go to marche' (market) every several days, because the heat doesn't allow food to stay edible very long.
Monday morning we toured the health sites in Stephanie's village: CSPS, the maternity ward, the pharmacy. During this time we met the village nurse, called “infirmier”, the midwife, who had just delivered a baby, and the ICP and some village teachers. There were 12 women waiting in clinic for a prenatal visit, which was delayed due to the delivery. This gave us a glimpse of the health aspect of village life, which we will be involved with when we each get our assignment in our village.
We walked back slowly down a path near a cluster of animists, who were engaged in a fetish ritual. They had two poles with a pane (cloth) wrapped around them and guys on either end baring the poles in a ritual dance. Back and forth they went with a crowd of worshipers following them. Stephanie said the fetish is thought to be a spirit that comes to “life” after long periods. We watched from a distance. Further along the path we visited the mayor and asked him historical questions about the village. He said the village was two tribes coming together hundreds of years ago, some were Moslem and some were animists. They live cooperatively.
As we tracted back to the house, we came across the local bar and some of the guys there play music, so after the sun went down we had arranged for them to play drums and flutes and dance. That lasted several hours in the moonlight. When the men had danced a traditional African dance, the women and children joined in, then they enticed us to try it, which we did and had such fun. Their dance steps and rhythms don't come so naturally to we Americans. By that time we were tired and hungry so we each gave the musicians 500 SFA for both the dancers and them and headed home. The neighbor brought dinner again and we were treated to beans and chicken, “To” and sauce. We tented again.
We got up early for our 8am bush taxi ride, but had to scurry when the driver showed up at our door at 7:30. We went back to Ouaga (the capitol) and thankfully the return trip was uneventful. I had to stay overnight in the transit house because Sylvie, the medical officer, had arranged for me to get my front tooth repaired. The clinic PC sent me to, cares for the embassy personnel too. They did a beautiful job for me. The BF dentist spoke perfect English, which he learned in school he said. They had the latest equipment, hardened my filling with a blue light. A second dentist was present and haled from Bolivia, and then a third dentist arrived and he was from Brazil. They all spoke good French and some English, definitely an international dental group. My taxi picked me up in an hour and returned me to the transit house, where I could walk to the PC bureau and spend two hours on the internet for free. I was able to send a group email, which made me happy.
On the way back to the transit center I stopped at a nice restaurant and ordered a salad to go. I sat a watched a tape of an old movie “Miracle in the Woods”, a multi-generational family dilemma.
The next morning the van came to pick up several others with me to return to Ouahigouya.
For the next several days we had classes to process our visit with the PCV. we each visited last weekend. We started to learn about conducting a “Etude de Milieu” (study in the village setting). We were transported to another village and learned tools to use in our study at the village level. They are: Seasonal Calendar, Village Map, Roles of women and men in village, and “Needs Assessment” done on a grid. Because this is hands on training, we had then set aside time to train the village leaders on these same tools, having them do the exercises and drawings themselves. It was a real eye opener, comparing what we came up with and what they did. For example they highlighted the mosque and the six village wells, and we hadn't. We emphasized how hard the women work, and the gender roles we observed. We learned from each other!
One of the field trips we took on our bikes was to the cabaret, where a groups of women brew beer from millet mostly. The alcohol content is not regulated by the state and at times it can be as high as 8% we were told. I took a couple photos of this just to show my brother, Wayne, who worked in this business until he retired. And yes, I like a beer now and again.
10-28-07 Sunday
Today Orokia is taking me to meet Salimata, her mother. Her home is across the village of Somyaga. We biked there. On the way we met her grandmother in a field nearby working. Everyone here greets everyone else where ever they find them. I had saved a votive candle to give Salimata. She is blind in one eye, and doesn't get out much in terms of visiting. I think Orokia introduced me to her sister in law there too.
When we returned home an hour later, a group of women and the two of us walked to the next neighboring compound and visited with them. Many, many people were there, groups of mothers and babies, groups of young men, and also men. The women were together in a hut nursing their babies and visiting. It was close and hot in there. Boys were playing cards together. Other young men were hanging out, listening to music. An elder man in the courtyard was plucking peanuts off the picked plants, and I sat down and tried that too. Orokia and I went into one hut and were served rice with goat meat (a little tough to chew, but tasted OK). Azita went over to the neighbors with us, but returned early.
Sunday is such a restful day during training, and I had a nap. I watched Amadi and Madi (15 yr old son) tie millet into bundles to put up to dry. That is an art, tying those things together, using the stems and braiding them around the top securely. This also served as a hanger. The results were beautiful to see. (view pictures)
This fourth week in training was both exciting and hard. We all had our language level test, which I advanced one level up. When you start at the bottom the only way is up, right? The health sector, the group I'm in, had their interviews with the Director of the Health Sector, Dr. Claude, who is so personable and encouraging. It was like a visit, not an intense interview. We chatted about what kind of site I would like, and what skills I would use in village, and about the needs here in Burkina Faso. She thinks that the women need support about taking more time nursing their babies, and about the benefits of colostrum, the first milk, and also about not weening their babies abruptly. We agreed that all the mothers nurse in BF and that is good. I look forward to offering extra support to these moms.
Dr. Claude is an exceptional woman and had just come from an international conference elsewhere in Africa on malnutrition. Her husband is the fourth highest political leader in BF I understand. She has been with the PC here since 1995. She told me about the director's visit recently, and his hope that more seniors join up. You know how I feel about that.
After two days at the training center in classes, Friday I was picked up with the other trainees from my village and we went to Sissomba, another village to visit there and have class. All the Lori's live here, Lauren, Laura, and Lori, all of whom speak perfect French. We practiced conducting a community meeting. We had a great lunch of beans and rice with sauce.
On Saturday we five rode our bikes to town and went swimming at Hotel de la Mitte and ate American style hamburgers. They tasted extra good to us. What a treat! Just to give you an idea: 1500SFA to swim, 3000SFA for the burger, and 800SFA for a Flagg beer (a qt). Then to the internet (one hour cost 350SFA) and our bike ride home (7 km). A great day and break! Lots of pictures.
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