African Adventure 20

Ghana Vacation

I took the bush taxi from Thyou to Ouaga on Thursday morning and went to the American Embassy to got three copies of the visa information for people I may want to invite to America. I had a chocolate milk shake at the American Embassy club, such a reminder of home. At the Transit House After some final preparations, I went to the airport for my flight to Accra, Ghana at 10:45pm. It took a little over an hour. When I arrived there at midnight, I changed some francs into cedis (Ghanaian currency). Then a taxi took me to the Millennium, a hotel next to the Cathedral in Accra. I caught up on my sleep there, before going to Makola Market, the city's chaotic main market. I walked through many streets of vendors and little stalls of things to buy where there were literally thousands of people everywhere. It became overwhelming! I rested in a gazebo type restaurant, where I could have brochettes and a beer, while listening to some Cuban music that several couples were dancing to. While there Connie called me to chat. She said they are going to Portland on Memorial weekend to show their slides of her visit to Burkina Faso. She requested I send pima (hot pepper) for the barbecue. I shopped a little longer, and found some black leather sandals for 20 cedis.



At Mass in the morning I was able to record the service which was in the national language, English. On the right side of the church were many people dressed in similar print tissue. Interspersed in the congregation were village chefs in distinct black on white designed tissue, with pagnes worn over their shoulders. The choral group was large and inspiring. The main priest saying Mass was an excellent speaker and talked about Christ making a straight line for man to follow as he zigzags through life. At offertory people brought up gifts of harvest and food in beautifully cellophane wrapped baskets to donate to the priests.

I took a cab to the tro-tro (bush taxi) station. En route the driver stopped at Barclay's Bank so I was again able to use my credit card to get enough local currency to get through the first week at the coast. The cabbie pointed out the Accra Football (Soccer) Stadium, where the world cup just happened and Independence Arch, where political gatherings occur. After an hour or two wait, a tro tro was finally leaving for Cape Coast, and I squeezed in with a bunch of passengers. The scenery was wonderful along the coast highway. Occasionally the traffic slowed to a crawl. During one such time, a young vendor walking in front of some cars was struck by a moto driving between the two lanes of stopped vehicles. The boy flipped up into the air and the two people on the moto cuffed him. From my vantage point it was the moto causing the accident. It was horrific to witness.

At Cape Coast Sylvester, a man I conversed with in the tro tro paid a taxi driver to take me to Takoradi, the final leg of my trip to the beach. He recommended a tour of Cape Coast Castle if time permitted. There was a branch of the University of Ghana Worker's College for adult education on the hill above town and I stayed in a dorm room for the night. The view through the large window in the back looked out onto a garden area, where the birds were singing amongst the old trees filled with fresh leaves. A light mist was falling, but I could still see the bell tower above the garden as I sat there reading. I finished “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achibe about the changes the white man brought African culture in Niger valley years ago.

In the morning the school director got a taxi for me to the transport station serving Dixie Cove, where I hired another taxi to Green Turtle Resort, so talked up in the West Africa travel book. The ride was quite an experience the least part of which was the terrible rutted dirt road 14K there. Halfway there the driver stopped because the radiator was overheating, and I watched through the front windshield in the space below the raised hood. I saw him tear off the fiberglass barrier, then get a rope from the trunk and proceed to secure the hose from the radiator to the engine. All this after the youth from the nearby hut brought him water to fill the radiator, which just kept puffing up steam. Many kids were standing around watching the activities. The driver was trying to somehow bite through the untwisted rope strands, when I handed him my Leatherman knife and he finished the task at hand and filled the radiator up with water again, with no cap for it. As we left for the rest of the journey all kinds of red lights appeared on the dash, brakes, fuel, radiator? The driver lingered at Green Turtle to see if I wanted him to return Friday for transport back, but the resort manager saved my dilemma when he said they had a car going to Takoradi then.



The tan stucco hut with a thatch roof sat facing the spectacular Atlantic Ocean. Inside was a main round room with a round shower inside its pebbled walls. The toilet was self composting with an urn of ashes to add once a week. The louvered windows and bamboo furniture and bed under a mousquitaire completed the coziness of the beach hut. I explored the area around the Green Turtle Resort and discovered a volleyball net, a ping-pong table and dining tables on a sandy ridge overlooking the rolling waves. The powerful sound of the ocean forced me to realize a vacation was at hand. I saw a native climbing a coconut tree and he cut one for me before he climbed down. Then he skillfully carved the husk off and opened the end so I could taste the fresh milk. I had chicken dinner on the beach that night by the light of the lantern. It was so lovely. And later as I fell asleep listening to the ocean I thought how glad I was to be here.



For several days I walked the beach, finding a little fishing village at the far end of the beach and near a bay where long narrow canoes pulled in loaded with fish and fishermen. I spent hours in the afternoons watching these vessels out in the ocean bobbing up and down, until their lights came on after dusk. To my dismay one morning I found some critter had eaten a hole through my canvas bag to get inside to the smell of peanut butter. They made confetti out of a blue plastic sack too. Later I found they slide in under the thatched roof and scramble when they hear a sound. I had brought a little food so as to not buy all my meals, but the bread fresh out of their oven daily and the other wonderful homemade meals at the Green Turtle convinced me otherwise. For example the next night's dinner was chicken thighs, fried aloco (plantain) and red-red beans in spicy sauce. Laying on the beach reading my novels, watching the ocean and listening to coast sounds was relaxing. Green Turtle has an outside shower area made of stone, some jutting out to set things on. Nothing is quite like shampooing in the warm shower with birds singing overhead and a breeze to refresh the skin. Add a breakfast of coffee, French toast, fried bananas with honey and it is paradise. I took some photos of a toddler kicking a football on the beach as he followed his father's cleanup cart. Very endearing.



One afternoon I decided to don my swimsuit and play in the surf. The water was warm and the waves quite strong. They knocked me over a couple times, and then one came that swept me off my feet along with my camera. Darn! I walked down the beach to the next little village, Akwidaa and had a drink that reminded me not of stout beer, but sassafras. Angie called me as I walked home on the dirt road instead of the beach for better reception. She said something called Swine Flu is causing world wide emergency plans into action. WHO is calling it a level 5 alert.

Two men returning from the fields, stopped me to ask about why I was in Africa and thanked me, inviting me to come work in Ghana when I'm done in BF. They continued on about the election and Obama. In this way the world is smaller now. I took my phone to the bar/common area in the center of the beach complex for charging overnight, but there was not enough sun so it took a bit of the next morning to restore power to my battery. Wisely people here rely heavily on solar energy.

I was now ready to head to Kumasi, a good distance north of the coast by way of a tro-tro. The entire way the land was plush and green like Hawaii, with thick underbrush. One difference was the villagers carrying water on their heads walking beside the road cautiously. There were any number of small villages along the route, but as we neared Kumasi both the traffic and construction increased substantially. The tro-tro let us off near the big largest market in Ghana and possibly West Africa, Kejetia. I made my way up the hill behind this “shanty town” market to the big, old Nurom Hotel Annex II for 12 cedis per night. As the rain was falling heavily, I stayed inside a Greek deli and ate dinner. I was watching a movie on the cable, when dozens of locals changed it to a soap opera that everyone follows habitually. Luckily I had seen “My cousin Vinny” before, but darn!

In the morning I shopped and found music and other things to bring back. Barcelona was playing soccer against Madrid (6-2) that day on cable. That was exciting to see. And at night I got goat meat brochettes and chatted with Hamadou from Cote d'Ivoire, who was in Ghana on holiday, because it was too cold at his home. That Sunday I had a cab take me up Roman Hill to St. Peter's Cathedral for Mass. I took in the beauty of the huge church, the music, the altar and congregation. I moved to the front so I could see better and try taping the English Mass. The musicians were there too. The acoustics in these old churches are fabulous.

I spent time at the National Cultural Centre in Kumasi where local artists make nice things you want to buy. Within the sample Ashanti Village I spoke with Dr. Oppong Ankrah who has an herbal remedy he treats all sorts of illnesses with. Traditionalists are common in most African countries. And often even trained medical staff use a combination of proven local remedies with modern techniques. In the center of the cultural boutiques and craft stores is a giant kiln, with four fire holes, and the potter said temperature of 900 degrees. The man who designed it is deceased but his legacy lives on here.

One of the fun things I learned to do in market was watch the cooks stir fry various rice and sauce meals, adding condiments and of course oil. They stir and toss the ingredients, holding the skillet on and off the heat. Presto, one has a meal wrapped in paper or a bag with mayo, pima, or red sauce to augment. Bon appetite!

Soon I was ready to return to Accra, which turned out to be a six hour bus ride, and completed the popular triangle of Accra to Cape Coast to Kumasi. I walked around the corner from the Cathedral and found the President's Hotel, where I stayed until my flight home. I spent those few days at both the marketplace, where I bought red palm oil and pagnes. Also I visited the artisan village in Accra , where I found beaded jewelry and an Ashanti design stool carved out of a single piece of wood.

I found a nearby restaurant, set in a garden and run by a Canadian couple with homemade and plentiful food. I chose chicken, chips and cole slaw. I perused my West African travel book and decided to get a cab to drive me past Independence Square with Arch, replica of the Arc de Triomphe. I asked him to drive along the Atlantic coast too, but alas there is not much public beach available. Next I wanted to visit the Osu Castle located on a road that ends overlooking the ocean. Taxis aren't allowed very close to the entrance so I walked down a tree lined boulevard to the gate and discovered that there are no tours as it is a “government restricted building”. I used their facilities, walked to their tiny post office, and out along the bluff overlooking the ocean. I noticed children playing in the surf close to the Independence Square. I returned to the entrance area and a guard with a gun motioned for me to move off the grass. Of course I did, then stopped to talk to him. He inquired if I was sight-seeing. Then referred me to Elmena Castle, which is identical but open for tourists and near Cape Coast. He also explained the security concerns are related to the president's mansion being located down a lane near this castle.

I walked back down the tree lined route and at the Artist Centre I found the little stool for 70 cedis. I also got two acrylics from Joe, who was negotiating the bench price between me and the vendor. It was closing time and all the staff wanted to get home to watch the soccer game between Barcelona and Chelsea. I fell asleep in my room watching that.

My journey to the airport was not eventful, and I was able to change my remaining cedis into francs outside the terminal. The flight left on time, then made a stop at Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire to pick up more passengers. Flying over this country, I noted it was more like Ghana and Hawaii too. They are known for their cocoa and fruit tree exports.

Second week of May

I returned to Ouaga by noon, and to the Transit House to relax and visit other PC volunteers. I practiced the Moringa powder recipe for beignets that evening with Elsa's help. On Saturday at the Food Security Committee meeting Kevin provided an overview, and I gave a brief talk on malnutrition. Pete updated everyone on the progress of the seed bank, and getting more resources together. The agriculture workshops were a part of the discussion. In the late afternoon we all adjourned to the Transit House, where Elsa and I made a big batch of beignets accompanied with either sugar or a guacamole sauce. A Niger volunteer, Lauren, came to stay overnight at the TH on her way back home. She knew all about Moringa and said Hawa would be happy to know we are making her Moringa powder beignet recipe.

Sunday I put on my Easter pagne to attend Mass at St Francis, where there was a men's choir singing and 5-7 priests at the altar. It was very beautiful. Father Gaelon stressed that the sacrament of reconciliation gives one the strength and grace to resolve any issues. He said that God is merciful as long as one keeps trying. When one stumbles, (s)he picks oneself up and continues trying.

I had a nice long chat with Heather that afternoon, and she still wants to come visit me in Africa. We discussed places we'd like to see. She's doing 60K bike ride soon for an AIDS benefit. Later Chris and Tabor called and Tabor told me he wrapped mom's mother's day present. Shelley will like her flower from her son a lot. Chris said that Todd and his new girlfriend, Tracey stayed a few days with him and at the end of an impromptu barbecue, Shawn, Jodi and Cash stopped by for a brief visit.

I was able to get my blog posted and a package ready to go with a PCV visiting America next week. Then the PC driver came for a few of us to take to the taxi brousse gare for returning to our villages. I bought a few more things, picture frames etc before mine left. When I got back to Thyou the Major came in his car and took me and all my things back home. I was so happy for the ride. The whole compound came out to greet me. Minata took me over to see Salame, the family chef, who severed his big toe in a moto accident. It was bandaged up. I watched Hamadou, the other family chef in our compound play with his baby son. I was glad to go to the market in Thyou and taste local dolo again after my vacation. I also was glad to renew my French lessons.

I tried to find a soccer game on the radio, when Dicko Oussmane, a Sala teacher stopped by for a visit. He gave my soccer donation to the district office in Sapouy, who is organizing the playoff games between different villages. Sala won their game and go to the next level this coming weekend. Dicko talked about wanting to learn to use a computer soon. I showed him the student letters I've been translating too.

I walked down my hill to Issaka's new 4 room house with a rounded corner on the NW exterior, exceptional in village. I wanted to talk to him and Sita about Sali's eye appointment next Tuesday. He will bring her to the bush taxi.

When I went to the clinic I found Babou was there also because his daughter was on drip feed for malaria. I went home to get a couple things for her: a ball and hair clips. I gave Babou some photos for himself and Batiou, ASCs from the talks we did in their village, Dana.

On that Friday we pedaled our bikes to Dana for a sensibilisation at the school in Dana. The director put all the students together for the hygiene lesson on brushing teeth. The teachers took a break while we talked with the children. We were a little rusty from a month off but soon got in the groove again. 8 youth from the various classes did a good job demonstrating the activity. The students sang the song perfectly we taught them last time. When the teachers returned they said the director had walked over to the Dana market, so we went there to donate the school supplies for him to distribute. We also left the village chef his framed picture and several Moringa trees at his home. We biked back and made it to our marche' for pork sandwich.

The final soccer game between Bagre and was in Thyou that day, so I went to the field and found a seat with Ky Simplice and Koala Jean and other functionaires. Our Sala teachers were there. Bagre won 2-0 and the thousands of spectators were very enthused about it. Prizes were awarded at the end of the season.

My neighbor kids helped me invite the children in our compound who hadn't received a new tee-shirt to come for one. That took a while, but was rewarding, as they each had a big smile. Saidou's wife came by for coffee and asked for a shirt for their baby too. Then I pedaled 3K to church, where many young adults were being inducted into the Scholastic Society. I attended Mass and Communion, and greeted many people afterwards. That Sunday afternoon Angie called me and she shared that she was disappointed that I didn't stay the whole month in Ghana. She said the girls' First Communion went smoothly and they were happy with the rosaries I sent them.

Last two weeks of May

On Monday I found the Major at clinic early and let him know my planned activities for the week. I'll take Sali to Ouaga for eye exam Tues, go to Yaoghin school in Thyou on Tues for sensibilisation and do a HIV-AIDS presentation on Saturday with Garrett's help. He oked all of it and went back to his supervisory conversation with the RN. After some reading and a nap, I went to the marche' and met some friends for lunch. Then I searched for baby clothes for one tiny one who missed out on the t-shirt giveaway.

On Tuesday morning Issaka brought Sali over. She had not eaten anything, believing she'd eat after the exam. I convinced him it will be a long day and feeding her won't interfere with the eye exam in any way. He had Adama, 13 take her to the gare on his bike. When I arrived at 7:05, driver was saying “Tante, vite” meaning “Auntie, fast!” We all left at 7:08am. Eight year old Sali sat by the window and from that elevated position had a good view of things as we traveled to the capitol. She had never been to Ouaga before and watched the numbers of people, the vehicles, and the vendors everywhere with fascination.

We caught a taxi to the Simigna Clinic and the young optician, Kan Fabrice, adjusted my glasses. I filled out papers as we waited for Kan Rene', the Ophthalmologist to arrive. Presently his son came into the waiting room and said that his father was doing two eye surgeries this morning when the power failed in Ouagadougou. He took my number to call me if Rene' returned soon, but thought we'd have to reschedule, maybe in June, when the heat and demand for AC power lessens. So Sali and I got in another taxi and went to the TH, where I did a few errands and then onto the PCB, where I checked my mail and worked on the computer some. All of this was new to Sali. The staff and other volunteers were interested in Sali and what we were up to. We ordered lunch from the Bleu Marlin and PC drove us to the gare to return to Thyou. I bought many sachets of water as the day was very hot. By the time we got back to Thyou, I was very fatigued. Dicko Oussmane happened by on his moto and offered to take Sali back home. I pedaled home and retired early.

Wednesday we packed up for the sensibilisation at Yaoghin School where Abdoulaye, the Major's son teaches. He had all the students come outside to gather on an ancient boulder in the schoolyard in three consecutive groups for the dental hygiene discussion. (See photo.) We used four students from each group to demo the proper method for cleaning their teeth. It went smoothly and we finished up with the chant, which will help them remember the lesson learned.

That day and night I drank lots of water and ORS (oral rehydration salts) because of the heat and humidity, which made the weather rather uncomfortable. I kept waking up at night.

Thursday I arrived at baby weighing and we began early, weighing 40 babies in total. The accoucheuse did some Prenatal Consultations, the two nurse recorded the weights and heights as I weighed and measured all the babies. There was a rhythm to our work that day and we finished by 11am. Again it was so hot, 101 degrees. In my language lesson I read a lesson in French and Georges reviewed my written English translation.

Later we went to his house for dinner. I wanted to show Laurentine how to prepare the liquid herbal medicine for stomach problems I got her in Ghana. She was just making powder from cotton seeds for haricot leaf sauce., which covered ground maise toe- very delicious. Georges butchered a pintade and Laurentine made another sauce with tomato, oil and onions and garlic. Suddenly the wind came up so we went inside. That subsided and the house got stuffy, so we went back outside. Rain threatened so we moved under a hangar. Reminded me of musical chairs, and the evening was enjoyable.

Garrett came for a visit on his last day of teaching school and grading papers. We talked a long time about our experience in Burkina. I text Jean Baptiste, the ASC in Bolo, and made plans for the causerie on Saturday there. We hoped to have sensibilisation with the students and then HIV-AIDS talk with the villagers, since we were traveling 9K into the bush. The school director had all the students come into one room for the talk and that helped minimize our time. It took a little over an hour for the dental hygiene talk and demo by the students. I left some American student letters for Bolo students to have and respond to.

The ASC from Bolo found us at school and led us to the causerie site in the marche' near where Philippe, the clinic RN and another nurse in training were giving vaccinations. Some women were there too, but left for the fields immediately afterwards. We ended up rescheduling for next Thursday. Garrett was getting very hot on his bike and needed water. I was on the moto so not feeling that depleted.

In the next week I had Dr. Claude come for a site visit while we were at the Yargo School in Thyou doing sensibilisations with three groups of children. She observed that, took pictures and captured a video with sound on it using her new cell phone. She played it back for the students and they all giggled with glee. She said a few words to them about life long dental health. She said that Georges is a good animator leading the singing and that he translates well. She was impressed she said and happy to see me in action. We stopped by Garrett's so she could say Hi to him and Dr. Claude suggested that he involve his students in summer activities. Then we went on to my house, where I made her an American tuna sandwich. We reviewed the Prenatal Flip Chart on healthy pregnancy for mother and baby plus involving the father as much as possible in the process. We talked more about my work and she gave me ideas, like using the flip charts to talk with the women at baby weighing days. Many of my neighbors came by to greet Dr. Claude.


SCHOOL-BASED SENSIBILISATIONS

I think I found my niche! Sometimes training the villagers in Africa can seem overwhelming, and I try to sort out where my impact will make a lasting impression. We have done talks about VIH-SIDA, Malaria, and Principal Health Problem with the villagers of Sala and her 7 satellite villages. And we have sensiblized the many students in all of the schools in my same area. The health hygiene topics of washing the hands properly with soap and brushing the teeth correctly have been well received by this captive audience.

I say “we” because my language teacher, Kiemtore' Georges accompanies me to every sensibilisation to aid in my French and to translate into Moore' as needed. But an added bonus has been that since he has been choral director at church, he is also an animated leader in teaching song to the students.

I use visual aids and involve the students in these health lessons. Sometimes the students volunteer or the teacher volunteers them, but I believe having children demonstrate the process is meaningful to their comrades in school. I include a series of questions to get the students quickly responsive, with a bon-bon treat as incentive. Sometimes there is laughter from the class, when a youth drops the soapball in the dirty water bucket, or when they have toothpaste all around their mouth.

The best part seems to be when we get to the chant to the tune of “Michael, row your boat ashore”, as outlined in Avant Santee. “Si tu veux la bonne sante', lave' toi les mains. A l'eau et du savon, lave' toi les mains.” We usually have half of the class sing at a time, contrasting with the other half a couple times, and then in unison they shout it out. We are all having fun!

When I began the teeth brushing sensibilisation I was able to find posters from WHO to illustrate the importance of taking daily care of the teeth. The students agree they know people in their families and neighbors with missing or decayed teeth. We demonstrate with both the local material, Niim using soda powder as well as modern brushes using toothpaste. We show them the things that can damage teeth when put in the mouth: glass, bones, metal, rocks, and very hard candies. At the conclusion I asked the students if they remembered the song we taught them last time regarding hand washing They immediately sang it for us. At the school in Zao the director revised the chant, switching the words to “Si tu veux la bonne santee, brouche toi les dents, pate de dentafrice, brouche toi les dents.” We have used it ever since! We ask the students to take the information home and tell the family.

I know it's made a difference, because more and more kids, when they see me or my language teacher and I along the route, start singing the chant. Not only they but their little sisters and brothers too! We were in my most remote village, Sune, 24K away, last week on a VIH-SIDA talk with Garrett when a 3 to 4 year old girl spontaneously sang the chant perfectly.

My village Sala is intertwined by proximity and marche' and in other ways with Thyou, 3K away, which is in a different health district. Nevertheless when teachers from there asked for the trainings, I was happy to get the ok from my major to take the trainings to the three schools in Thyou too. At one school the staff organized the two youngest classes, CP1 and CP2 on a huge ancient rock outside for the talk.

I took it as a complement when my major asked us to come to his natal village school with the lessons too. The students are always delighted to have visitors especially when they are so remote. My hope is these lessons will last a lifetime!

By midnight it was raining in torrents and was pounding the metal roof for two hours nonstop. The lightening lit up the room and the rumble went on and on. The wind continued blowing hard enough that the louvers had to be tightened as far as possible to keep all the wetness out. The temperature dropped 10-15 degrees and my sleep improved with that. The air became fresh and the hot season appeared on its way out finally.

We went to Bolo the next morning for the rescheduled sensibilisation. Babou met us and set us up under a tree. We passed the time there while waiting for the people to come in from planting their fields. A man with one bad eye came by with his older children and talked to me until I understood that he was father of the twins born eight months ago in Sala. He said that the twins were losing weight and got referred to the CREN in Sabou, where the boy, Albert died. Albertine, his daughter survived. I had given them a baby quilt from home at their birth. It is such a heartbreak!

By 1pm there were sufficient number to begin the talk. Patrice translated into Gurunsi after Georges translated into Moore'. Time consuming, but when we got to the condom demo, the villagers started giggling and squirming. No questions at the end, but I gave out a mousquitaire to a woman who came early and participated as we went along. The crowd numbered approximately 75. We came back on a dryer path than it was in the morning, but with a low tire. We had the mechanic repair the leak in it. That took almost an hour.

On Friday I met up with Laurentine to learn how to make maise toe. She was at the marche' where she was selling her cooked fish. When the last of the fish sold, we pedaled the back way around the Sala barrage to Paul and Ordeille's place, where the women were gathered today making toe. En route we waded 3 meters across a rapid stream with big rocks. I leaned on my bike for support as I walked across. The women were stirring a huge marmite full of toe, and rotating stirrers, as the fire and steam were very hot, not to mention the cooking was in direct sunlight. When 30 minutes passed and the toe was the right consistency they spooned round globs into clear plastic bags to be used tomorrow. I took a turn stirring but didn't last long and the women led me to sit me under a Mango tree with another grandma type, who was pulling leaves off vines. So I helped her strip the vines in the shade. The other women served lunch which was mashed kiki (igname) with fresh onions cooked in oil. Next came another course, rice with cabbage and sauce. Great! I continued to harvest the leaves until the heat of the day subsided around 3pm when I pedaled around the south end of the barrage going back home.

Saturday was the 20th anniversary of Fr. Frederick's Ordination and the cause of all the food preparations the previous day. There was a Mass at our church to mark the occasion. Fr Frederick is brother of Paul, who leads the choir at times. Four priests came there to assist. The priest who gave the homily had everyone laughing. He is the priest in Catholic Development near the Cathedral in Koudougou. The others were fellow seminarians with Frederick. Singing on this occasion was exceptional. Everyone was invited out to Paul and Ordeille's house for a lunch feast. I sat at the main table where Georges was with the dignitaries, and the KDG priests wanted a brief description of my volunteer work in Burkina. When the tables were cleared the priests made a toast with an excellent Italian wine and said closing Grace before people left for home. What a treat to be invited!

I packed a bag to stay the night in Sabou with the nuns, in order to attend the Catechist Mass the following morning. When I got to the gate Sister Margaret met me and we watched the new puppy trying hard to play with the very pregnant cat. She was having none of that. We had a light meal together of soup, salad and keisch ending with mangoes. Then it was time for vespers, and Sr. Mary handed me a French prayer book to follow along. Soon they indicated it was my turn to read, and they responded in chant. Their voices are very practiced and beautiful.

After dinner this 6 inch spider ran across the kitchen floor towards me and I actually jumped out of the way. Oh!!?!! Sunday morning I strolled around the yard to see the fruit and Moringa trees they had planted, about a dozen Moringa trees 1.5 meters high and looking very healthy now.

First week of June 2009

One morning I checked in with the Major and found that most people are in their fields, so the clinic is not busy. I let him know I would prepare a report for the COGES meeting to update them on my health activities. Later Georges reviewed my French COGES report. I also relayed to the Major that the twins from Bolo went to the CREN and one died. He felt badly. He said he would like to tour the CREN one day soon with me. I worked on translating student letters.

We prepared for the causerie at Thyou Ecole Centre. We had combined classes of CP1 and CP2.for a large group in one classroom. That attracted other youth to look in the windows, which proved too distracting. We had to chase them away to hold the attention of the students in the room. We talked to them about dental hygiene and the need to care for their teeth every day. The 483 students came in three groups and we had volunteers in each to demonstrate the brushing with toothbrushes and trimmed Nim branches. The teachers who were in a meeting were very appreciative for the activity.

That night the frogs were in harmony croaking down by the barrage, thousands of them.

I packed my backpack and one bag to go to KDG. It was good to be back there. I pedaled to the mission Notre Dame to find it closed for two weeks. School is out and nuns went to France. I text other PCV Melissa who suggested I try the mission by the hospital in town, but they were full. I sat under a tree there and kids came out to see me, then their father, who was happy to talk to an American. He asked me what I was doing in Burkina. He emphasized that here is a difficult life with the poverty and heat, which I was feeling at the moment. I told him about my heat stroke and he had his children bring me water. In spite of their own poverty, the Burkinabe' always find a way to help their fellow man.

I text my friend Achille, who came right over and helped me find a room at Hotel Modeste for 5 mille a night. I had to stop several times due to heat, but when we finally arrived there, and had pork sandwiches for lunch while relaxing. Achille came back in the evening with dinner from the restaurant by the Forest Conference Center. We watched TV a while, but I was dozing.

We spent one afternoon at the KDG marche' shopping. I was happy to find a Burkina Faso t-shirt I liked. Then onto the internet cafe' for computer work. I posted student letters while in town too. I wanted to cash check at the bank but the computers were down so it was not possible. We pedaled to Achilles’ family home and we visited with them. His brother Seraphim is traveling to France for a month from mid June to mid July. He renewed his visa to travel. He said he will help Achille getting a visa for America. I explained that since 9-11 it is harder.

Sunday morning we met at Moukasa Parish for Mass. It felt like a big gymnasium. The place was packed and the choir was large, with many drummers. It is a ways from the center of town. We pedaled to town afterwards as I was returning to Sabou today. I found Georges outside St Luc's parish in Sabou, and also the nuns, who invited me to lunch and nap at their place. They are very good to me, and I got to see their flock of new pintades. Refreshed I left there to pedal to my village 15K away. En route Laurentine and Carmel (who was confirmed that day at Mass) stopped on the moto and invited me to stop by their house for repast and mélange. I prefaced my answer by “If I'm not too tired....” She insisted that I eat before going back home. I rode home by the moonlight, and when I turned to go up the path to my house, I got into the rain gully which ended suddenly, so I fell over on right hip. OUCH!

Monday I visited the clinic but they were not busy, so I returned home and translated six student letters, before reading my book “Unlucky in Law”. After the midi repose, I went back to the clinic to talk with the Major about going to Ouaga with Sali again for her eye exam. I turned in my three month report for the COGES (local health board) regarding my activities bringing health information to the villagers. Further, I let him know he and I can tour the CREN this week and he picked Thursday.

Sali and I traveled again by taxi brousse to Ouaga for her 11 am eye appt. Tuesday morning and the doctor was there this time. When they called us in, they administered the standard eye chart test on the wall to Sali. She read about four rows of large letters. Then came the machines! They adjusted her stool to fit the machine. The next thing I heard was Dr. Rene Kan say “Oh, la, la” several times. Sali looked into the machine and the technicians gave her instructions in Moore' for each eye. Next they put Sali on another machine that allowed Dr. Kan to look inside each of her eyes. He told me that the retina has two large areas of scar tissue in the left eye and one in her right eye that cover from the center out to one side. The right eye has 20/60 vision, whereas her left eye has 0 vision. He added this serious diagnosis is not correctable by wearing glasses. He offered that her mother may have been ill during that time in pregnancy when her eyes were forming. Added to this her father is diabetic.

Dr. Kan offered to photograph Sali's condition with yet another sophisticated machine. I agreed to this for the purpose of consultation with Dr. Cole, who paid for this office visit. I asked Dr. Kan to email Dr. Cole with this information and attach the photos. He observed that the only way Sali sees now is by turning her head and looking sideways. My guess was that she has no depth perception, but when we got back to village I saw her riding a bicycle, carrying a 5 gallon jug of water. It is human nature to adapt to whatever life hands one! Upon return to village, I rode my bike slow while Sali walked home. Her mother, Sita was in the fields until after 6pm when she came to find the results of our day in Ouaga. She thanked me.

On Thursday the Major and I rode his moto to the CREN in Sabou for the tour. The Major and Sr. Mary who is a doctor got along famously. She showed us the ER and the place where they wash wounds, then we came to two hospital rooms with patient's beds numbering to 10. One older man was being treated for lung infection, which the Major later told me was TB. We toured the pharmacy, lab and testing rooms, storage rooms and the accountant's office.

In a separate octagon shaped building, Sr. Amy showed us the CREN. We saw the weighing room, and watched as a malnourished baby was admitted there. We observed the sleeping areas for mothers and infants. The center grand room in the CREN is where the mothers are taught to make enriched brouillie and there are fire pits where they cook as if in village. Long benches line inside each exterior wall. Afterwards we had a long debriefing session with Sr. Mary, who gave the Major some medical supplies for Sala. (See photos.)

Last two weeks of June

It is mid-June and finally the skies opened up and gave us four hours of much needed rain. It sure helped my Moringa trees both at the maternite' and the new ones in sachets on my porch. I had company for American dinner, which Gilbert liked better than did his wife, while the baby slept through our time together. We ended a pleasant evening with a game of Uno. Garrett had another PCV Lara visiting, so we also enjoyed dinner together one night after which they walked back to Thyou in the moonlight.



Because everyone is in the fields most days, I do my own wash by washboard with soap, and hang it on the porch walls to dry. I walked to a nearby field that my neighbor ladies were planting to photograph them with my new camera. I caught sight of some children playing and some young men resting under a tree that made a good photo.

The Red Measles Campaign was four consecutive days, of which I helped out two. When I arrived there COGES members were organizing a line of children to begin vaccinations. I tallied numbers and opened syringe packages under the big tree out front of the clinic. Later that week Dr. Claude called and offered me her home to stay at when I go to Ouaga. I was thrilled with the invitation.




On Saturday, June 20th Burkina was playing Cote d'Ivoire a soccer match and it was on TV at the video store in Thyou, so I went there to watch, me and 500 men! Wow! Two men made room for me in the third row from the TV screen. (See photo.) When Burkina scored a goal, the place erupted in shouts. But, it ended 4-1 in favor of the neighboring country, So much passion and energy goes into the games here.



On Sunday when I took a taxi brousse to Ouaga, heavy rains started by the time we got to Sabou. The problem was there was no working wiper on a windshield resembling a spider with 12 legs. The driver did slow down but the rains came in his open window to the degree I had to put on my long sleeved shirt to avoid getting rained on. At Sabou I bought local bread, but I had no small change and neither did the boy selling it. The Muslim reading his Arabic prayer book and praying next to me paid for the bread. I was surprised and grateful. Once in Ouaga I took a taxi to the PCB and waited there for Dr. Claude's driver to come get me. Bintu greeted me at her door! What a surprise! The whole stay was delightful, with meals prepared for us, and access to the internet, and a chance to watch a Jeopardy type TV show from France. After a night in luxury, I moved to the Transit House by noon. Dr. Claude let me know that my site was selected for audit by the Feds and I should get a list of contact people and phone numbers to her soon. They are looking for benefits from having a PC Volunteer in their village.



I got a box ready to post to USA, as Bridgette, PCV is flying there this weekend. The clerk at the library store cut a box to fit for the things I wanted to send my family. Burkinabe' are so helpful to visitors.

At Bobo on June 23 Maxime was dedicated as a deacon, and the Catholic Church is lucky to have him. I typed his thank you French letter into English to send to the donors of the laptop from the church members in Eugene, OR and another PCV showed me how to attach the picture to go with it. Whew!

That Friday Georges, Garrett and I went to Bouyou for HIV-AIDS presentation. It was my last chance to have Garrett co present with me. The morning breeze was welcome. We arrived at the house of Amidou, who was there, thank God! And immediately set about gathering people for the causerie. In an hour there were enough people to begin and they were looking at the dark clouds gathering. We got two thirds of the way through, and after the condom demonstration, the weather suddenly changed to wind and rain. The people fled to the fields, and we took cover in the school director's house...for the next three stormy hours it turned out. (See photos.) It was a slippery and long ride home from there.



On Saturday another of the Major's children was wed, Hamidou to Sofi. They were married in another village and came to Sala for the marriage feast. I wandered around taking many photos of the Koala family in a similar tissue (fabric) made into many styles of festive attire. I was intrigued by the organization of the food, music, groups of people visiting one another awaiting the arrival of the couple. The momentum picked up as Zachariah drove them up to the door in his father's car. The bride and attendants came inside to sit on the couch while they ate. Soon Fatimata (major's daughter who was married last year) took me to photograph her brother, Hamidou, who was near where the music boom box would play on into the wee hours of the morning. There were hundreds of youth there as the whole village joined into the fun.





Sunday Mass had Thomas, the priest from Sabou and Deacon Maxime officiating to a packed hangar of parishioners. They are very happy to have one of their own becoming a priest. And the change from a service to a Mass is always welcome. I went to Ouaga to wish Lindsey bon voyage, as she is on her way to the University of Michigan to study. I feel sad another Somiaga volunteer leaves, as Becky and I now hold the mantle.