African Adventure 14

01 September 08

Travel days are always challenging! I worked on my blog and essay this morning sans coffee. I looked for omelette sandwich on way to PC Bureau, but settled for a meat brouchette and cucumber sandwich. I waited half an hour for one of the three volunteer internet computers, then transferred my writings to blogspot.com and edited them too.

When I returned to the Transit House it was time to go, and Rob helped me tie my bags onto my bike. I had phoned Omar for a taxi ride, but his car is in the shop, so I went to the main street and haled one. When I arrived at the taxi gare for Thyou, the major was there waiting for the ride home too. I learned that the taxi brousse was in shop for repairs so we all waited another 3-4 hours for it to come back. I read my book, walked down the street to find coffee, and waited around. The dump next to the gare had several fires burning in it and the drifting smoke was another good reason to go elsewhere.

Because this was the period of Ramadan, and the driver is Muslim, we stopped for afternoon prayer enroute, with everyone deboarding and most joining in the prayer time. We also had a delay at Nabadogo for a flat tire repair along side the road. It still took us 3 hours to reach Thyou, which is 100K away from Ouaga. Because it was dark out most people were met by someone to help them get home. Georges was there to tie my bags onto my bike assisting me to get home. Madi was at home when I got there, waiting to go to bed, as he has been staying on my lipicot since his father came for a visit and is using his room. I ate a sandwich for supper and retired by 11pm after a long day!

02 September 08

Many people were gathered outside when I got up, and some came in for coffee. Mostly my neighbors and Minata, who was fasting during Ramadan, which means no food or drink during daylight. We looked at the Moringa trees, including some new ones that are sprouting up. Looks good!

Enroute to CSPS a moto approached me and to my surprise it was Kimtore' brothers coming to tell me they may go to Nabadogo today to visit their sister Martine and family. CSPS was not very busy, one woman on a IV drip. When the major arrived on moto we chatted a bit and then I noticed Salamata going to the well next to clinic with her daughters. I greeted her as she returned home on the path east behind the CSPS. The major mentioned that Salamata's husband suffers from dermititis, severe enough he can't work. She runs the restaurant which is their livelihood. I had been wanting to visit her at home, so I biked the same direction, but had no luck finding them. However I did have luck getting fairly lost. I went far enough that the path dropped down to the main road, but I had to traverse puddles and swampy areas to get there. I stopped by Mimouna's benga place for lunch.

In the afternoon I went to the marche' for vegetables and fruits I needed. I met Gerard who showed me where the tailor with the industrial machine was, so I got my leather fanny pack stitched. At dinnertime Sonata brought over rice and aubergine sauce to which I added roasted pork I had brought from marche' and ate my dinner.

The next day I spoke to the major about my plan to ask the chef for permission to have causerie in my quartier about paludisme (malaria) the main health problem identified. I also want to ask to do two VIH sensibilisations in Sala. I will ask Karim to assist me in my efforts.

While at CSPS I visited a young mother whose baby was on IV drip for palu and she had brought the baby bouillie (broth) for nourishment. She offered some to me and it was good. I asked her to show me how to make it. She lives under the rezo tower in Thyou and her father is Boukare', a prominent person there. I went home for a balloon and other toy for her infant, and she and grandmother thanked me profusely.

When Georges came back in the evening after their trip to KDG, he said that Maxime and he were successful in talking with the director of the school where Edithe will go, and they got George's former tutor to agreed to house her for the school year. The total cost of school for the year is 100,000F so the scholarship will certainly help.

Since it was so late in the evening we deferred my lesson until morning before I go to CSPS to weigh babies. I want to learn to say the weights in Moore' to the mother of each baby. There were two new babies in the recovery room and a new one in the maternite' with its mother too. I found out that the assistant nurse said there were too few women came today for baby weighing so it is postponed until next week.

In the afternoon Karim came and we walked down the hill to the chef's compound. There are always lots of people there and today was no exception. He readily gave permission for the Palu causerie for next Friday and two VIH-AIDS talks. Next I asked him about his preference for my translator and he said either Karim or Saidou. I told him that I definitely need a translator from my French into Moore' for the villagers, sans communications problems. So I hope this all works out! As we were leaving the chef asked me again for the goose neck flashlight he wants. It was in jest and I answered when my son gets here!

On Friday I went to CSPS where 3 babies and 5 adults were all on IV drip medication. The nurse was trying to get an IV into another baby with little luck. Their veins are so tiny. The major assisted, but still no luck. There was another new baby at the maternite' this morning with mother and grandmother. I went home for balloons for the babies on drips. The families are so grateful. I watched one mother's baby while she went out to the well for water.

In the afternoon I went to the marche', found Minata there and we went together for legumes and fruit. She took it home for me. She showed me three skirts she got at marche' for Zanabou for starting school. They were very cute. When I met Georges at the church hangar we chatted with friends and the catechists' family. One friend Koala Jean joined us as we went for pork sandwich and then took us to where his wife, Juliette is serving.their family's dolo. Their son's BAC graduation party is the event I attended earlier this season. Laurentine was getting supplies for the workday at their field tomorrow. She searched for pima (hot pepper) to serve with the meal, plus dolo. On the way back we all went to George's parents and Veronique served haricot-riz, which was excellent.

On Saturday I went to the Thyou barrage to join George and his family in the group effort to cultivate their fields today. I photoed some children who came by all excited to be in a picture. Soon George came with his charrette carrying water, pulled by their donkey. There were 10-15 people there to help, and it took all morning for the group of us to get one big field weeded. Presently Laurentine brought bengado for everyone else and beans and rice for me. What a treat! When we ate, I noticed the Burkinabe' sit on their dabas, so I tried to photo that balancing act.

Later on George walked me around their property. One part has a rise with trees and old rocks in places. He rotates the crops and hopes to clear another field to plant next year. We returned to cultivate a while longer before disbanding. The work is hard but fulfilling, esp in a group. I returned home before dark. I expressed to my neighbors that I wanted to go to the mosque to attend prayer service at 7:15 this evening. When I had queried the major he said it was open to all. Sonata offered to go with me. She brought the prayer rug we used. I did not kneel, and observed several others who could not either. The prayers are led by one chanter and everyone responds. It seems quite reverent. The service lasted 30 minutes. We walked home together in the dark.

07 September 08

This Sunday morning Zanabou and I went to church at the Catholic hangar. She had on a new outfit, and her hair was done up beautifully. There were lots of people on foot and bikes enroute to church today. A collection for an ill person was taken up following the regular collection. After service we greeted everyone and rode back to Thyou to the boulangerie (bakery) first, then to find a soda for Zanabou.

We returned home and Garrett came for a visit. He told me about his trip to OHG, Dibou and Tougan. We also talked about our VIH presentations planned. He has more time now than after school starts up again. He has three classes to teach this coming year.

I offered to cook spaghetti dinner for the neighbor kids tonight and they are all happy about that. About 7pm the kids all came over and I served them. The big kids sat at the table and all the little ones lined up on the lipicot. They especially liked the French bread. I sent over food for their parents, Minata and Ousmane too.

Connie called me in the evening, and I was so happy to hear how successful her surgery went. We chatted about their visit here in the early Springtime. It was fun to hear from her. I packed for Ouaga and went to bed.

08 September 08

At the Shell station we loaded up on the taxi brousse and one mother with four little children got on. One child clearly had car sickness, and kept vomiting into his mother's pagne. It lasted the whole trip! When I got to Ouaga I promptly got a cab to PCB and went to med office to get weighed and Silvie and I talked about my diet and how to increase calories. I also worked on internet 4 hours. I ran other errands. Back at Transit House the PCV were ordering in food and I got a chef's salad which was very good. We watched a pretty good movie on video, TNT detective series with Kara ?. I boxed up a pkg for Lance and Tammi and boys, which Linda will take to USA on Sept 15 for me.

In the meantime my dental appointment got cancelled. On Tuesday I went to PCB to work on internet some more, and that was productive. I called Omar the taxi driver who came to take me to taxi gare at 1pm so I could go back home, it being a quick trip. The return trip was packed also and interesting in the assortment of passengers. Another woman with 4 children got on, and as I had beanie babies with me I gave them to the younger ones, the teen having outgrown such a toy. A woman by the window was suffering from the ever present dust. At the junction to my village, some people got off and others got on. Three men boarded, one in handcuffs. Once at Thyou, I observed them leave on bicycles, with the prisoner riding behind one guard. Perhaps going back to village. Jean from my church was also on transport home.

I planned to go to the fields the next day, but it rained so hard all morning that didn't happen. Instead the neighbor kids and their friend Issa came over to play Uno which we all like. When I got to the clinic this morning there were lots of patients, 3 babies about one year old were on drip IV for malaria, two men were also ill with malaria and on IVs. Coincidentally that day at my lesson time, Karim and I were practicing our Malaria presentation for my quartier. We read the flip chart the health district supplied for the talk on malaria. I read the French and Karim read the Moore' conveniently located on the backside of the flip the audience sees. Tomorrow we'll practice again with a villager Saidou, who will translate my French comments into Moore' and assist with questions and answers as needed. The high point for the disease is this time of year.

On Thursday by 8am the maternite' waiting room is full of mothers and babies waiting for baby weighing. Gansonre comes over to say he will be at the main clinic seeing patients there, while Gilbert, the assistant RN will handle this part. He has me weigh the babies, and he records all the information that is pertinent in both the main register book and on the individual health books the mothers bring in. I report the weight to the mothers in kilograms in Moore'. Some babies cry at the sight of a white woman, but most are OK with my presence. Babies who need immunizations wait for the nurse to return and give injections or drops (polio).

Today they are distributing moustiquaires to the mothers with babies as they finish the process, so that draws lots of attendance. There are over 60 women this morning, some who have not been in for months, come for the mosquito net supplied by the health district. We work straight through to the end which is 2pm. Later on we had another practice session for our malaria presentation tomorrow with Karim, Saidou and myself.

In the evening I had to go to the cell tell place and was talking to Seni, a young man from Koudougou. He thanked me for my volunteer work here and said our country is poor and dirty and the people aren't very educated. Many die of malaria. He practiced his English some as we struggled talking to each other in French and English.

12 September 08

The day for the follow up causerie on malaria is here and we are doing it for my two quartiers. Rain threatened beforehand and also afterwards. The two family chefs and the village chef came. Many people attended also, approx 55. Karim and Saidou arrived and around 9:30 enough people were there to begin. Saidou translated my French and assisted Karim with his reading the Moore'. People were slow to respond to questions, but the village chef spoke up and then others chimed in. They complained there are no moustiquaires for most people and they are too poor to buy them. We encouraged the people to use a pagne (cloth) to sleep under.

13 September 08 Saturday

I am excited to go to the field of Minata today. Madi and I biked through mud puddles the long distance to their field. Minata was there building fire for roasting maize and boiling karite' butter. Madi walked me to the fields where the children were harvesting benga (beans). Abdoulaye proudly showed off two of his fields, where he grew benga and haricot and two of mille. See photos.

We walked further and visited Hamado and Yvette and she had bengado with melted karite' for us to eat, also Hamado gave us dolo. A group of workers were having their lunch there and we joined them. When we returned to Minata's place, the children were grilling maize, and we topped off our lunch with some warm off the fire. The day was fun.

14 September 08

The priest from Sabou came to say Mass, and Maxime, Georges brother assisted him. He was very friendly and teased the people there asking if the season of livernage was over, and the people said No very clearly. Maxime answered the priests question about the theme the bishop of BF has. After service we biked back to Henri and Veronique's home, and watched as Maxime and Edythe got ready to take her to KDG where she will attend school this year.

When we got to the marche' we saw Gilbert the assistant nurse, who said we actually weighed 96 babies on Thursday. I was able to talk to the tailor about my material, Jour de Femme 2008, and she will make me a skirt and top. I will get trim in Ouaga next time I go there.

I had a long conversation with Angie this evening. Her family had driven to baby Cash's first birthday party in Seattle. He is a to-head and walking now. They had a fun time there. Shawn has built them a deck coming out of the kitchen, and they also have outside shower and sauna. Lots of young families enjoyed the barbecue outdoors. They will post pictures.

I read my newest book “They Poured Fire on us from the Sky” about three boys from Sudan and how they survived the war and hunger there and made their long journey to America. It was a miracle they survived and many didn't.

15 September 08

Many patients with malaria were at the clinic this morning. I brought back a balloon for a 3-4 year old boy. A friend of Minata was also on drip and was hungry. I went to little restaurant by road to buy her lunch of rice and soup for 100 francs. I stopped by benga place and Garrett was there, so we ate benga together. In the afternoon I studied the Moringa information a long time as the rains went on for hours outside.

The focus of the next week was doing the VIH-AIDS sensibilisation at the Ipala quartier. I had asked the nurses if they would review our presentation, because the major has been gone to Ouaga. Gansonre did look it over and only made a couple suggestions, which I included. Then Garrett and I practiced with both Karim and Saidou, until we felt comfortable with it.

Three little kids were sick in clinic with malaria, so I gave them those bouncy balloons and the parents liked that. When I was at the market this week a young man spoke pretty good English with me. He told me his friend is on the radio at Sabou at 97.4 on the dial. In Burkina Faso radio is a big thing, everyone listens to it, much like everyone in the USA watches television. Radio is a good medium to get health issues discussed with the public, so PC encourages volunteers to consider doing spots on local stations whenever possible.

Oussmane, Minata and family wants a group photo of themselves. We made plans to take them in the morning when the light outside is very good. So early one morning we spent time doing that. I will make some enlarged ones because lots of homes have pictures of people hanging on their walls. They will enjoy it more in the coming years too.

On 18 October 08 we trekked over to Ipala qt for our sensibilisation on VIH-AIDS with about 30 people. It went OK and there weren't many questions, but we covered it pretty well. The villagers are always attentive when the condom demonstrations takes place.

That day of baby weighing at the clinic, there were 40 plus women, and Gansonre, the major and I worked until 1330 in the afternoon to finish them all. Gansonre used the floor scales to speed things up. So the mother gets on with the baby then by herself and the difference is an approximation of the child's weight. The major wrote the totals in the clinic book. While at the maternite' we harvested some Moringa leaves for my meeting at PC bureau with other volunteers this weekend when I will make Kopto for them. It is a good dip with tortilla chips. We also cropped the tree at two meters in the interior garden for easier access by the women, who do most of the cooking at home.

Later that evening I came to the major's home for dinner and his girls and wife fed me bouillie (broth), gillette (pancake), and ginger drink. When he returned from prayer at the mosque, he gave me grilled chicken to eat. We had a pleasant conversation and he is interested in my plan to talk with the students about dental care.

I spent the next four days in Ouaga. Dan Rooney director of the SED program and our adviser had the core group from the Moringa conference over to his house for dinner. His wife,Tanya fixed fajitas with chocolate cake for dessert. We felt pampered. The Moringa meeting the next day was good and the Kopto snack went over well.

While in Ouaga, I also had my new crown put in by the Brazilian dentist with strong hands. That was important for removing the old one. I also got some shopping done and checked in with the nurse about my diet. She said the protein intake is sufficient, but I need to increase the calories. I will also snack whenever I can during the day. The taxi brousse was broken so we had to take another transport home to Sabou then bike to Thyou, getting there after dark. Garrett came to meet me and help me and my stuff get home. What a relief!

24 September 08

The wind was up a bit and it sprinkled out. Madi is getting packed to move to Bobo, 300K away to the south for school this coming year. He goes to Sabou Thursday to catch the bus there. I gave him school supplies and a pkg of spaghetti sauce, which he loves. Also hooked him up with my great nephew for a pen pal in the states.

At midday my neighbor family was sitting under the hangar husking corn (maize). I joined in and of course took photos. It is the season for harvest coming on, and there are many things to do to dry and preserve staples of the diet for the coming dry season. See the piles of beans, white and yellow corn and gumbo drying in the courtyard.

25 September 08

Four of us biked to Gansin quartier this morning for VIH (AIDS) sensibilisation. They had found two under ripe ears of corn in the field as we headed out. There was dew on the grasses and crops. Fall is here! We also pedaled through two big puddles enroute. Some Gansin women who had been waiting for us were now walking to CSPS for baby weighing. We arrived and waited for more people to gather, and by 9am we began our talk with the villagers, 12 men, 26 women, 30-40 children. They seemed pleased we had come to speak with them. When Garrett and Saidou demonstrated proper condom use, a few giggles could be heard. Definite interest. See photos.

Issaka motoed Ousmane to Sabou in the evening to catch a bus back to Cote d'Ivoire.

I text the major that I'm not coming over to clinic this week because I don't want to give my cold to the patients there. Or to babies at baby weighing, which is my favorite activity.

26 September 08

Friday marche' is always a big one, with lots of people selling and buying. Lizetta is going to market with new potable towel I gave her for baby Julie. See photo. At marche' I was able to visit many friends and give them the photos I had gotten printed for them. I also got Karite' butter in Ouaga for a couple of the women, who were thrilled. I brought my blue lace to the tailor who is going to trim my Jour des Femme 2008 (Women's Day) dress she is making.

27 September 08

My friend, Achille is coming from Koudougou for a visit today. Garrett comes by to discuss numbers of people attending our VIH sensibilisation. We were doing that when Christina called with same question. There is a form on the computer for this. We also discuss what foods are in market and when. This is important information for talks on diet enrichment. We were eating lunch when Achille motoed up from KDG. He and I walk over to CSPS and the place is packed with patients on IVs etc. They have put moustiquaires on every bed there. There is a new baby in the maternite' too. See photo.

As we walk to the barrage we hear many warbling birds in a vibrant shade of red. They fly away before I can focus my camera on them. On the path home there is a man carving a big bowl out of a red wood. The women crush grains and nuts in these for sauce and millet for dolo, etc. We get home in the late afternoon and I prepare dinner and we play Uno to round out the day.

The next day Achille and I went to the 9am service at church and got to visit with Georges, who had led the choir We stopped by the bakery and the boutique to get lunch supplies. I prepared a sack of things for him to take home. Achille left for home at midday. Sonata was outside braiding Zanabou's hair with yarn. See photo. When the wind came up we moved to my porch. Abdoulaye put on a foulard for a joke.

30 September 08 Ramadan

I opened my door to the usual bunch who come in the morning for coffee or tea. Issa told me that the prayer at the mosque is early, so we all got ready and gathered in front of my place. Minata carried the prayer rug, and Zanabou carried a little bench for me. Everyone put on their new clothes for the feast day. They were looking pristine. All the women, including me, had on new pagnes and foulards (head wraps). The children had on new clothes too and some families had matched outfits. We all walked the path to CSPS and met the major at the clinic pump. See photo. We all sat under a big tree there until the people were starting to gather in the soccer field.

It is impressive to witness Ramadan prayer service. All the men sit in the front in long lines. The boys sit behind them. The women sit aways in the back also in long lines. The rest of the children sit with them. The service opened with a respected elder singing verses of the Koran in chant. The congregation knelt, sat and stood, at times with their hands open to the east. They always face east when praying, even at home.

Next, ten or so men formed a circle up front and they recited verses from the Koran. Some held up a cloth to shield them from the sun. Then one man spoke to the crowd followed by an elder. Meanwhile the collection occurred. The service closed with another prayer. See photos.

We walked back home visiting people all the way. At home preparations for the feast of Ramadan were happening. Little girls were pounding the arachide (peanuts) until they were ready for Minata to mash them against an ancient rock with another object resembling a rolling pin. Sonata did most of the cooking. The menu was some of their best foods: pate d' arachide with beef and aubergine, over rice, spaghetti pasta with meat, and finally riz gras, rice with sauce made from fish and aubergine. As I watched this whole thing Minata passed out bissap to drink. The importance of holy days for all the religions practiced in Burkina Faso is demonstrated by social gathering to visit and eat together. I must have eaten four meals that day after noon. And the people are so willing to share what little they have.