Transport to Ouaga on a Sunday is tentative. In the hour we waited by the road, a full taxi sailed by followed later by two others that stopped and I boarded one for the journey to town. Although Chris and Connie left USA March 1, they weren't due until the next evening. It is thousands of miles from home. Fespaco, the film festival is on this week in Ouaga and the town is packed. So the PC helped me find a place to stay when my family arrived. I went out to the Village Artisanal to get a few things to send home. The same taxi driver returned that evening at 7:30 for a run to the airport to greet my family.
It was hard to wait outside for them, but security doesn't allow non-travelers inside the airport. However we were already texting each other as they went through the customs line and finally at 10:30pm came out for a big hug. The cabbie helped load all the luggage and we rode back to Peace Corps Bureau, and walked down the road to the Blue Marlin for steak, fries and haricot verte (sauteed string beans) and of course a brew. We visited and just enjoyed time together so much.
We got up early the next morning to get to the bus station for our trip north to Mali and Dogon Country. First I introduced them to the PC staff and they were pleased to meet each other. The 9am bus we were planning on riding, was filled rapidly with people who had waited longer than we had. We hung out buying street food and a cup of coffee in a little corner shop in the terminal. We caught the noon bus to OHG which was a 3 hr ride. Once there, we got help packing our stuff 10 blocks to the bush taxi going to Mali. They were loading to go and it wasn't long before we were on the road to the border and three ID check points. Each time the taxi had to be pushed to start and the riders clapped when it started. At Koro our guide for the next two days, Omar met us near dusk. We then boarded another car for the ride to Tely. Omar phoned ahead so our chicken, rice and sauce dinner was ready when we arrived. Omar is this amazing guide who speaks five languages, knows the local history, smiles a lot and says “Gooot it” to everything you can think of. He also aided my mountain ascent and descent very much. That night we slept on a rooftop under the stars next to the mountain we would walk up the next day.
In the morning our welcome shower came out of an overhead wooden barrel. Omar brought up breakfast. We three and 6-8 others were still on the roof. We looked down as the villagers went about their tasks, getting water from the well, milling grain, opening their shops. Midmorning we started our climb to the escarpment. The Tellium people were here from the seventh to the thirteenth century and built the houses up on the cliff. They shared their space with the Dogon people who came then, until the 20th century when the Dogons took over the place. We saw grainery, meeting places, small huts, all carved out of the mountainside. There were paintings on the walls and reliefs of animals and hunters on the sides of dwellings. We also looked at the ropes that hoisted things up the mountain. The place was spectacular, as was the view from up there. (See photos.)
After lunch and repose we rode an donkey cart to the next village where we got to see women dying indigo pagnes in beautiful designs. We looked on as young boys were painting cloths in traditional designs with natural paints in colors of red, black, and yellow. Chris found a goat hide shoulder pack and Connie found a carved whistle to take home. We could see father teaching son the crafts as we wandered through that village. Back home that night the winds kicked up and we had to stay inside for protection from the sands from the Sahel.
The wind had left evidence in the courtyard, sand and dust in drifts and overturning things here and there. After our continental breakfast, mangoes and coffee, dough balls with honey, Omar walked us up to meet his family in Ende—aged parents and several grandchildren. Back at Koro, he proudly showed us pictures of his son, Assi, who was off with his mother. Omar connected us with transport back to BF. We interlaced our knees to fit in an already full taxi, and headed back, stopping only for a flat tire and three inspection checks at the border. At OHG we discovered the Staf bus only runs at 13h everyday, so we walked over to the Sodibus gare for our return to Ouaga. There we found an ATM and taxi back to Zone de Bois. We packed up everything for the ride to village the next afternoon, and all the neighbors in my compound came out to greet us. We had lots of help getting our gear up the hill. Friends brought over food and we visited over village repast and drink.
Second week of March
The village chef and two family chefs came in the morning to greet my family. The regulars came by for coffee too. It was a busy time, and we walked to the CSPS to tour the health center, meet the staff and Major. The 3 nuns and 2 French visitors from Sabou CREN came for a visit and joined our tour also. Sr. Mary and the Major were into health care conversation quickly, sharing info and experiences. We lunched together talking American politics regarding the new president, etc. When they left, I gave Sr. Mary a dozen Moringa seedlings from my veranda to plant at her health clinic in Sabou.
I took Chris and Connie to the marche' in Thyou, where vendors sell all sorts of things under little hangars and produce laid out on mats on the ground in the marketplace.. My friend Achille came in the late afternoon to visit from KDG. He brought the t-shirts he had lettered for the Major's son, who coaches a soccer team in a nearby village. A couple more of the Major's sons came to pick up the team shirts and soccer ball. Two had been over in the morning for their soccer shoes my family brought from America. Soccer is the sport of passion in Africa!
Sunday morning we three pedaled to St. Irene's Catholic Church in the temporary hangar at Thyou.. At the end of the service the catechist welcomed my visitors and I said a few lines in French, after which the congregation clapped warmly too. Lots of visiting and handshaking afterwards. Laurentine showed us big freshly caught fish she would prepare to sell at the marche' later. Achille, Chris and I went to a soccer game in the afternoon to watch the close competition match in Thyou 1-0. I was pleased with the yellow team shirts on the Bagre youth. At intermission dozens of kids swarmed around to view the American visitors. PCV teacher Garrett sat with us too. We got to greet all the players afterwards before going to celebrate at the marche. Laurentine had sold all her fish, except the last three I bought, which we added to our dinner later.
One day Chris measured space for shelving, and he and Abdoulaye went to Thyou to buy wood for the project. They came back like Africans with lumber piled high on Abdoulaye's bike. (I don't think the shopkeeper thought an American could manage the transport.) There were many kids on the porch watching and amazed as Chris and Abdoul put this plan into action.. While they were doing all that Connie French-braided my hair and gave me a Bowen (massage) treatment on my back and legs. Several villagers wanted a treatment, including Hamadou, my compound chef.
In the afternoon I made spaghetti sauce for a bunch of us, the families next to me and Garrett came to dinner as well. We sat on the veranda, the kids on a new bench Chris put together from the scraps. It was a fun evening. My family gave gifts of lights, wraps, and jewelry to the village chef and both the, compound chefs, my neighbor lady, etc. I wanted to show them Sala's big barrage, so we went there and Chris took a swim there. We toured the gardens and watched kids pump water there.
Wednesday I planned a hygiene talk with the students at Sala on teeth brushing. We had three groups of students covering two classes in each, so the whole school received the information. Volunteers from each class brushed their teeth properly with Nim or toothbrushes, and the kids tried out the toothpaste and sodium powder. There was laughter when that got on their faces. The kids sang the last chant from the hand washing talk, and had fun with that. We left some school supplies that my friends at home sent for school students.
Later in the day a storm came up and blew the tent off my porch into the yard of a neighbor behind my house. The rain went on all evening. Yvette and Laurentine arrived on a moto with dinner, rice, fish and wonderful spicy tomato and onion sauce. Afterwards we heard someone else coming, the major's sons brought over a dish of to' and goat meat. What generous people and they all want to share with the visitors from America.
Our village center has a boutique, a Celltell shop, a couple places to eat (usually benga or rice and sauce with meat), a buvette (pub) a mechanic and that's it. There is an office for the forestry person and one for the road permit person. There is a partially finished mosque and the school and health clinic. Compared to Thyou it is a small village.
A church group in Eugene donated a Dell laptop for Georges' brother Maxime who in seminary here in Burkina Faso. I had left it in Ouaga because Rob and James helped convert it to French language and computer programs. Chris had brought it from America. Connie and Chris left lots of gifts and things here, so when they packed their bags to head back to Ouaga, they had room for arts and crafts made by Burkinabe' to take to the USA. Along the route to the capitol we were delayed a half hour because President Blaise Compare's motorcade was due to pass by on the way to Bobo.
We spent the night at Karite' Bleu, a wonderful Bed and Breakfast near the Peace Corps Bureau. We also stopped in the office to meet Dr. Claude and chat with the director, We made two trips to the Village Artisanal before they flew back. What a great visit from home!
THIRD WEEK OF MARCH
I stayed in town a couple days to work on my quarterly report on the computer, which was due. Congo, the security/safety officer for PC showed me on his computer some booty pictures of the criminals who stole my fannypack. We are hoping the police catch the ringleader soon.
I was able also to schedule an appointment for Sali, my neighbor girl for an eye exam. She has one badly crossed eye. Dr. Cole from Vancouver offered to pay for exam and make her glasses for the problem. Her father, Issaka, is diabetic and I gave him Splendid (diabetic sugar) for his coffee. One lunchtime Becky and I were at ISO athletic club for a swim and lunch, which was a nice break. I also got my blog up onto the internet before leaving town.
By midweek I was back in village and to my delight one day the staff was gathered under a tree by the clinic talking with Gansonre. He called out “Landis” and I greeted him. He invited us to come for a visit soon. Thursday morning I met Albertina at the maternity office and we weighed 25 babies all morning. There were a few people on drip medication at the clinic, some were children. So I went home to find some toys and toothbrushes to give them. Dicko, teacher from Sala, came one afternoon for a soccer ball for his class. It is the biggest and nearly the only sport played in Burkina Faso.
I finished “Beloved” this week. What a powerful book that is. Toni Morrison is a gifted writer.
FOURTH WEEK OF MARCH
Sunday was Pelerinage at the Thyou barrage. Five priests officiated at Mass and the congregation made the pilgrimage from our church 2K away and arrived through the trees just like last year. What an impressive sight! Zanabou and I had packed a small bench to sit on for the event. It was a hot day and one woman passed out from the heat. She was put in a car and transported back to Sabou for treatment. We went to the marche' where everyone was celebrating the day with food and drink. I was able to give some photos I had taken to some of my friends.
I visited the patients in the CSPS clinic Monday morning and those waiting for Pre Natal Visits in the maternite', where one woman was in labor. It was still hot. I returned home and got ready to run errands in Thyou. I made several stops and realized I had forgotten to bring my water bottle. I asked for water along the way and was gone a couple hours when I pedaled back home. I wanted to get out of the sun and drink more water. I text the duty officer that I felt dehydrated and Dr. Luc called me right away and said to mix ORS in my med kit and drink it. I had tried to text Angie, but had trouble concentrating. Later she told me it was all in gibberish. I drank one bottle of ORS and sat down on my lipicot and then apparently passed out.
When I woke up at midnight I was in the hospital in Ouaga with Dr. Luc there. He said my neighbor kid found me and called the Major over, who told Dr. Luc I had a high temperature and needed to come to Ouaga as soon as possible. Peace Corps sent a car for me. Country Director sent Jonathan, PCV along with the two drivers to get me. A large number of my neighbors and my language teacher were here concerned about my health. Turns out that I had bronchitis (thus the 105 temp) plus heat stroke, so I spent the next three days in the hospital and the following week in the infirmary at the PCB. I promised the medical staff I would carry water everywhere I go and drink minimum of 4 liters a day, stay inside between 11am and 3pm when the sun is the hottest, and ride on moto for work in satellite villages. I thank God I survived! A special thanks went to Abdoulaye, who found me, the major, who insisted the Peace Corps come after me that evening, and Dr. Luc, who stayed the first night assuring I had emergency care if needed.
RECYCLING
In Burkina Faso all “things” have a number of lives. One can find strips of cloth used for wrapping wounds, or around a bike tire stem to prevent leaking when the innertube is pumped with air. Pagnes (loinclothe) are worn like skirts on women. They are also used as covers at night, or wraps during the long walk to market. Later that pagne may be tailored into a shirt or used to strain liquids used in cooking. Pagnes are curtains, slings for transporting babies, or spread on the path to a religious ceremony much like a red carpet.
Long strips of rubber from big innertubes are a must for attaching anything for transport on bikes and vehicles. Branches off trees may be used for toothbrushes or donkey switches. Arranged in a line on the road, branches are a signal of a stalled vehicle, often a huge camion (truck). Burkinabe' know their trees and leaves well and use them medicinally and in sauces over their main starch, toe or rice.
Medium sized rocks brace vehicles under repair or are used for sitting on in a group meeting. Small rocks fill in potholes or strengthen a worn path. Soil is the main ingredient, along with water and sand for brick making. Sometimes dry straw is added. Long poles are seen in construction of tall buildings as support while cement dries. Poles are used for building fences.
Water is recycled from food preparation, laundering, bathing to moisten compost piles. Any vegetable or animal matter is added to the compost pile. After grains are separated from their stocks, animals get the scraps. Fires are built from previous embers, which easily relight, or small twigs that are fanned into flames. Then small tree/bush branches increase the heat before larger, longer tree limbs, that are continually being adjusted and pushed deeper into the burning fire. (Infinitesimal heat) Flaming sticks are carried by villagers, young and old, to start their fire elsewhere. One sees straw used in same way. Embers fill old fashioned irons to press clothes in Burkina.
While barefoot is common so are flip-flops (some with well worn holes), some with holes repaired with staples or stitching materials. Hats are protection from the sun and rain. Foulards wrap women's hair, but also tightly curled up are a buffer for the myriad things Burkinabe' carry on their heads. Anything with a round shape, children use as wheels on toys they put together to drag, pull and push. They spend hours racing and folling bike tires around.
In this culture where poverty abounds, leftover food is always in demand by someone. Because people walk, there's alsways a need to get things transported in anyway possible. Bush taxi drivers deliver personal communication or money to individuals in villages along their route. As well as chickens, goats, all sorts of cargo. Bikes and motos are regular cargo. Sacks of grain and ground maise, millet, sorghum are ususal as well as cannisters for propane and larger batteries.
After offices discard typing paper, one may get their roadside fried snack wrapped in a page from some document. Newspapers that make it to village are read over by numerous people, then maybe used again to wrap something else in. Cardboard boxes are used many times over, patched together, and finally used a fire fuel at the end of its life. Necessity is the mother of invention when it comes to recycling in Burkina. Now...how to transport this philosophy home.....
First two weeks of April 2009
When I was driven back to village by PC driver Michelle, the whole compound came out to meet me, including the two family chefs, Salame and Hamadou. Minata and Aminata, my closest neighbors hugged me, as did many others. The 50 plus kids of our quartier were also there celebrating my return. Garrett came right over after his pkg and to say welcome back, as did Georges, my language teacher. Georges brought food, a meal Laurentine had prepared: fish, tomatoes, cabbage with bread and mangoes for dessert. That evening I slept on my porch on my cot and the neighbor girls all came over to sleep there with me on their mats. Sleeping under the stars and moon is healing too.
Zanabou and I pedaled to church, where the congregation was gathering on the bluff for palms to process to the church hangar for Palm Sunday service. As we neared our path home afterwards, a 4x4 was stopped near the Sala barrage. The people in the vehicle were from NGO working with Ghana and Burkina Faso on projects regarding bodies of water. Interesting!
That Monday I went to the CSPS clinic and spoke to everyone there, they were happy to see me. I thanked them all for their help two weeks earlier when I took ill. I greeted the new accoucheuse and went by the two eateries to greet my friends, Awa and Fati. That week the kids carried my water home and watered the Moringa trees for me on my porch. The girls pampered me by doing my dishes and sweeping out my house.
During my language lessons, I translated American student letters into French to give the Burkina students. It is good practice and rather tedious.
When I returned home from Ouaga I brought another roll of fencing, so when Karim came to visit, I talked with him about securing the fence so that we can replant the Moringa trees next to the maternite'. He agreed to get new taller posts for the fence, which will be twice as high now.
That Thursday when I was at the clinic weighing babies, the Country Director, Doug came to pay a visit. He was happy to see I was doing better. He called my place “homey” and esp liked the shelves Chris had built me. After stopping at Garrett's, his circuit took him next to KDG to visit 4 PCVs there.
One evening I had a simple tea party with my neighbor girls. This occasion was enhanced with the Girl Scout cookies, Connie left me. I shared with the kids that we have tea parties at my house in America for all the young relatives. They could get into that I believe.
Saturday Abdoulaye and I had all the women in the quartier try on lovely tee-shirts Nancy had kindly sent for them. There were still a few children who had not gotten their shirts so we did them too. The women were so excited they lined up on the veranda waiting their turn to come in and try on their shirt. Everyone went home happy!
My friend Achille came from KDG for a visit after my stroke, and to make sure my health had returned. That night happened to be Easter vigil at church, which we attended that evening. The service and baptism were taking place by the big bonfire near catechist's house. We proceeded to the hangar thereafter for a three hour lovely service. {See photos.)
It was mid-April when the wind came up and the temperature dropped 15 degrees within an hour before it began raining. Finally a break from all the 100 degree days.
The major drove us 8K to Basmnore' his natal village to do a sensibilisation on hand washing with the 150 students of the school there. The director Nebie' Julien greeted us along with the PTA president and two other officials of the group. They were all there to see the sensibilisation too. Mr. Nebie' brought all three classes together in the largest schoolroom and we set up our causerie. Four volunteers participated in demonstrating proper hand washing to their peers. We encouraged the students to talk with their families about the lesson learned today. The students like the chant and were led through it alternately by Georges and by the school director. I passed out balls of soap for each classroom. We had a photo session outside with all the students, and I can have it blown up like a school photo for them. The PTA group and the major's birth family relatives gave us a chicken as a gift. We also enjoyed benga and mui (beans and rice) there.
Last weeks of April 2009
I needed to go to Ouaga to get my Visa for Ghana and all the trip plans organized. I took the bus from Sabou. I also went to see Manoj, travel agent, who booked my Ghana flight. My charge card did not work for it as I had not informed the company that I would be gone to Africa and so my attempt to charge the trip met with security block. But soon thereafter Angela spoke to the credit card people, who cleared my card for use in Africa.
Back in village I helped weigh babies and then observed a nurse change the dressing on Sita's thumb. Her thumb got pierced in the field, and was infected and swollen badly. I also learned that there was a Tetanus Campaign going on this week, as directed by the Minister of Health. That meant I would need to reschedule a sensibilisation at Zao School for the students until the following Wednesday.
That evening I received a visit from Georges and his brother, Maxime, who came from the city of Bobo. I was happy to give Maxime the laptop computer donated by the church group in Eugene, Oregon for his use in his seminary work. I explained to him that my PCV friends took the laptop to a store in Ouaga, the capitol, for changing the English keyboard into French. Then my friends (all computer whizzes) installed the French computer programs for him. The seminarians have to write out their personal history and Maxime told me that all the candidates, but him, have computers they use. His joy was a pleasure to witness.
First week of March 2009
On Friday the school was having a theater group perform a skit on health issues. The district in Bougnounou had set it up. We went to watch, and see if it dovetailed our sensibilisations, which it did. The PTA group was there with many elders from the quartiers, as was the village chef. The local student actors did a fine job with the hygiene theme. The focus was on hand washing and cleaning the dishes before preparing and eating meals. The “father” didn't want the children changing his behavior, so was resistant to the information. But as one after another of his children got ill, he went into action. First buying medication from street vendors, later taking them to the clinic for appropriate help. The kids imitating the adults was hilarious. Everyone enjoyed the performance. (See photos.) The district education official spoke to the parents at length afterwards.
This week I gave Abdoulaye, my 15 yr old neighbor boy, an apple. His first ever! He loved it. Fati, 11 wrote Connie a letter, thanking her for coming to Africa and asking for a backpack, flip flops and skirt and blouse, all for school. I took Zanabou to church one Sunday, as she enjoys the service. En route we stopped down the hill where the neighbors and some paid laborers are building Issaka's new house. (See photos.) Several nights the sky lit up with thunder and lightening. I would sit outside an hour in the evenings to observe the beautiful show!
That week we did two school sensibilisations, one at Salo and one at Zao. Georges borrowed a moto from a friend, Koala Jean for the first trip to Salo (8K), and we took the teachers each a Moringa seedling. They were so glad we came. We talked with the younger students (87) first and there were four volunteers for demonstrating proper teeth brushing to their comrades. Then the older ones (100) were all together and we had eight volunteers. Both groups loudly sang the chant from our last talk with them. They obviously enjoyed learning it. I left student letters from Harmony School in Vancouver for them to write to pen pals. I encouraged the teachers who wanted to write to the teachers at Harmony as well.
The next day we again borrowed a moto from CSPS to travel to Zao School (15K). We filled it with gas and oil, and text the director of the delay. He gave a French answer “Pas de Probleme!” that one hears daily in Burkina. Once we arrived we did two presentations, one for the younger grades and one for the older. After we put up our demo posters, the director had us remain in that classroom and he changed the students. Thus we didn't move. There were also two preschoolers underfoot and a newborn goat in the classroom, which proved interesting.
We talked with the students about proper nutrition, teeth brushing, and had examples of hard things that break teeth, i.e. metal, bone, glass, rock, etc. They agreed they all have some family or neighbors with missing or broken teeth, and we expressed our hope that with daily care they make it to old age with all their teeth healthy. When we got to the chant, Kuba, the director thought up lyrics for this causerie: “Si tu veux la bonne sante', broussez-toi les dents; A patte dentrifriche, broussez-toi les dents” (to “Michael row your boat ashore”).
I gave the student letters with drawings attached, addressed to the Zao students to the director and the other teachers from Harmony Elementary. Several teachers complimented us on the presentation and were happy we came there. Kuba invited us to his house next to the school for lunch of to' and sauce with green leaves and rabbit in it. He cut up fresh mangoes for dessert. I was content to be able to visit these small villages for student sensibilisations before going to Ghana next week.
