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.