Experiencing the Ninth Circle of Hell

I’m back!!! I bet you thought I had disappeared off the face of the planet. That, or else fell into my latrine. I’ve been pretty lazy about updating my blog and I was also on vacation for two months in Americaland. Needless to say, blogging kind of took a back a seat to me stuffing my face with food and watching movies non-stop back Stateside. Don’t worry, I plan to write the equivalent of a dissertation to explain all that has happened in the last four months. Hmm…I think I shall start off talking about hot season. When hot season arrives, one thinks that they have entered the ninth circle of hell (reference to Dante’s work for those of you who are not familiar). As I mentioned in an earlier blog that hot season began early this year. I am talking 115/120 near me and upwards of 130 sometimes up north. Some days, I thought I would be okay if I just sat under my hanger all day and tried not to move. Yeah, that really doesn’t help—my thermometer under the shade would be like 105/110. My thermometer goes up to 120 degrees but every time I would look at it, it would be past the 120 mark. After I while I stopped looking at my thermometer; my ESP told me where the mark would be. Some where during the middle of hot season there was a day where I felt sick and nauseous all day. The whole day I just laid under my hanger all day and refused to leave. However, I knew I had to leave around 2:45 because I had a health lesson at the primary school at 3:00. So I mustered up enough energy to dress in more appropriately clothes (I was in a tank top at short shorts at the time).Given the choice, I would gladly have gone naked. Maybe even shaved my head but let’s not get crazy here. Anyhow I set off to the school and start throwing up on the side of the road. I now have a temporary aversion to cabbage and peanut butter (the supper from the night before). I get to the school looking awful and normally all the health agents and teachers like to tease me about how “cold” it is. So upon arriving to the school, the director of the school makes a joke and says something to the effect of how it was cold that day. I respond, “Not a good time to make a joke. I am sick, hot, and just threw up along the side of the road. If I could muster up enough energy I would hit you. But I do not have enough energy so consider yourself lucky.” He just starts to laugh so much he has trouble breathing and says he bets this is nothing like America. And I am thinking to myself, “You think?!!” Hot season, like transport, is so awful that you just have to suck it up and think of it as amusing. You know everyone is suffering and that, no, you will hopefully not die of heat stroke. Sometimes, volunteers will text at 3 AM stating that it is 100/105 degrees in the house, that they can’t sleep, and they think they may die. When I sleep in my bed, I wake up with wet hair that makes it seem like I just took a shower and a silhouette of my body on the bed sheets. These days during rainy season, right after it has rained and it is chilly, I think to myself, “Relish this moment. Relish this moment.” Ahhhhh…Cest la vie

I am a Busy Bee!!

I just recently organized an AIDS conference at the district to educate my community health agents. The conference went really well and all the health agents learned a lot. One funny thing that happened during conference was when the facilitators divided the health agents into groups to talk about different things and then to share their findings with the rest of the group. For example, one group discussed all of the modes of transmission while another group discussed methods of prevention. My job was to be supervisor of the group who was discussing modes of transmission. The health agents got the most obvious modes of transmission e.g blood and unprotected sex but they still were missing a lot of information. For example, I mentioned that there was more than one way to have sex and that each sexual act posed a risk of infecting ones partner. I was in a group of all married women and they were like, “Really? There is more than one way have to sex?” I was like, “Sure, there is anal, vaginal, and oral sex.” The women looked so confused. They had never learned about these sorts of acts. Sex in Burkina is kind of like “Wham, bam, and thank you Madame.” They then proceeded to ask me to explain each sexual act to them. I happily explained each one. So at the end of explaining these we then started to make a poster of all the modes of transmission. They women wrote out the modes of transmission on the poster but then I noticed that they wrote unprotected sex and the three types of sex as being two different categories/things. I mentioned that it may be a good idea to combine the two since anal, oral, and vaginal sex were considered sex and if done unprotected they could leave to contracting HIV. The women responded, “No, they are not. They are two different things. Those things are not sex.” It took me a good five minutes to explain to them that they were one and the same thing. Another interesting thing that happened during the conference was when the facilitators were explaining not only the types of sex that could transmit the virus but between whom e.g. man/woman, man/man, and woman/woman. A couple started giggling and the men shook their heads in disbelief and said that that would never happen (homosexuality). The facilitator got a big smile and happily explained that homosexuality does happen that they should know about it. Instances like these make me happy I was able to give the health agents the opportunity to attend a conference on HIV/AIDS. Even though these individuals are health board members and community health agents a lot of them are ignorant on health topics such as AIDS. Lots of the health agents and health board members are locals who have not received their high school diplomas and have not received formal training. These individuals help out during vaccination campaigns or do basic sensibilizations on family planning, malaria, and AIDS.
I am also in the process of planning an International Women’s Day complete with a soccer match between the women and girls, a raffle, and a theatre troop presentation and sensibilization on family planning. So this last month I have been selling tickets for the International Women’s Day raffle. I sold just over 700 tickets at 5 cents each. Whatever I make in profit the health board will match it. Everyone is so excited for International Women’s Day because of the raffle. Every time I leave my house to go to the market or the hospital I have people asking me when the raffle is again.
Everyone approaches me to buy tickets. I feel like the most popular person in the village; it’s great! Lots of times when I am walking women will come out of their family compound to flag me down to buy tickets. Once they approach me other family members/neighbors see me they start to come to. One time I was on the road so long selling tickets that they brought me a stool saying it would probably be awhile so I might as well get comfortable. Initially, since it is International Women’s Day Ganga only wanted to sell tickets to women since that was what the last volunteer at my site did. I told him no that I was going to open it up to everyone because of the family planning skit the theatre troop would be performing. I do not know why but district insists on only educating women on health topics (no men). While this may empower women, they are not the ones ultimately making the decisions for the household e.g. whether one can buy soap, contraception, and mosquito nets etc. So I told him that the incentive to come to the event would be to see if they are able to win the prize. And if they are going to come we might as well sensibilize as many people as we can, especially the men. Therefore, I was
going to open of the raffle to the men.
I just also attended a latrine building workshop at another volunteer’s site. It went really and I was able to bring my counterpart so that he could learn about the importance of practicing good hygiene and how to build latrines. At the end of the workshop each volunteer received materials to go back to their sites to build their own latrines. Very happy about that! In the next couple of months I want to really focus on good hygiene/sanitation and the importance of using latrines. The majority of the people know that latrines prevent infections/illnesses but they do not use them. Granted the only people in village who have latrines are the functionaires(teachers and clinics workers that are not from the village) but there are latrines at the maternity, clinic, and church. However, people do not use these latrines. I will see a person squat right beside the latrines and urinate and/or defecate and not go in the latrine. It is mind boggling! Since I have arrived here I have made it my life’s mission to find out why they do this but I am no closer to the truth. Anywhooo…back to the latrine formation. One interesting thing that happened at the latrine formation was that there was a man in the volunteer’s village who was chained to a tree. Apparently, he was “not all there” and one day started cutting up all of his clothes and walking around in a loin cloth. The village thought he would be a danger to others so there solution was to chain him to the tree. During the time that the man is chained to the tree (4 months) the village prays for him to get better. After his confinement is over if the village still thinks he is not all with it they will chain him up again. This has caused the volunteer to be incredibly distressed to the point that she has cried several times because the “prisoner” has not committed any crime yet, they just think he might. His legs have also swelled due to lack of circulation from the chains. But he is cared for; they have built a hanger for him so the sun does not beat down on him and people do bring him food. Because mental health institutions/facilities do not really exist here and/or if they do exist I do not think the families have the means to send their relatives to them, the village’s solution is to chain them up.

Family Planning Bike-a-thon--Pedal for a Brighter Future!

I feel like these last few months have flown by. Work wise, all of my projects are coming together and I feel great. I just finished a Family Planning regional bike-a-thon with two other volunteers. I had a great time and we were able to educate individuals on why practicing family planning was important. However, hot season just began so most days—no, no make that all the days-- it was awful to bike. Lol. We thought that by planning it in late February we could just miss hot season but it began early this year. In the shade it was 107 degrees. Ick. At the peak of hot season it can get up to 120-130 degrees. Anyway, back to the bike-a-thon—it went well and 19 people participated--3 volunteers, 12 theatre troop members, 2 health board members, and 2 women from a local NGO. We visited ten villagers and educated more than 2000 people. Family planning or lack thereof, is a really big issue in Burkina. I think less than five percent of people in rural villagers practice it. The average women here has 7 kids but I have seen women have as many as 15. The issue with having that many kids is that they do not have means to properly raise the kids. Often the families do not have the means to feed or clothe their children or even send them to school. From time to time at the maternity I will see women who are so malnourished themselves that they are unable produce milk for their babies. Moreover, it is part of the Bissa tradition that even if one is currently breast feeding, if she become pregnant again, she has to stop breastfeeding immediately(not good—if a child is weaned to quickly or before the time that he/she should be, it can cause severe malnutrition). During my last two week nutrition workshop a couple of months ago with a group of women I posed that question. Hearing their response that they would stop breastfeeding and then asked why is it part of their Bissa tradition. The women told me they did not know why but that they just practiced it because it was tradition. I then asked says who? The women said the elders said so. I was then like, “But why is it tradition? I do not do something unless there is a rationale behind doing it. What happens to the women’s body that she cannot breastfeed while she is pregnant?” Finally after asking this for about five minutes one woman finally understood the question and was like, “When a woman is pregnant her body becomes hot so if she breast feeds she will then transfer her fever to her child and he/she will become sick and die.” When I heard this I thought two things: A) I was happy I got a response as to why they do this practice and B) What The &%^#?!? Where and how do I even begin? Oh Lordy. I collected my thoughts and explained that that was not the case and that a woman should continue to breastfeed her child to avoid malnutrition. I then asked if they became pregnant while they were still breast feeding if they would continue to breast feed. They said no. I then asked, “Okay, if the head nurse at the clinic, not necessarily myself tells you the exact same thing that I just told you, who are you more apt to believe---the head nurse or the elders? The women were like, “Well regardless, we have to follow the elders because if we don’t and they child becomes sick they will tell us that is not their problem and that we are on our own. At this point, my finger nails started to dig into my thighs. Religion is also a big factor as why people do not practice family planning. Another factor is that having lots of kids as seen as having security/insurance for when the parents get old and cannot provide for themselves (they also need the children to work in the fields). One question raised by the one of the men during the sensibilizations was the following: “If specialists only recommended having 4 children (any more and the health risks to the mother increases—especially in lesser developed countries/rural areas), I have 4 girls and no boys. I want boys. What now?” We tried to explain that if they even if they have 4 girls they can take really good care of them and make sure they attend school/university and in the end the girls can take care of the parents just as well as having boys. Even though we may say this, it is not always well received because the status of women in Burkina doesn’t exist—they are seen as physically and mentally inferior. They do not have many rights. Also, the issue of family planning is complicated because men want their family name to continue. Girls are married off and are forced to live with the husband’s family—often times in a neighboring village. Without boys to continue on the family name in the family village, the legacy ends and it is assumed that people will forget about the family and their contribution to society. I once asked the head nurse at the clinic if a woman could be happy if she has so many kids that the family cannot provide for them? He replied that here children are seen as a gift from God and that even if they children are not provided for, the woman is still happy. I think a certain part of why people do not practice family planning is due to ignorance or the families think that they do not have the money to buy contraception. I get frustrated when people tell me they cannot afford family planning. The different methods of contraception are heavily subsidized here so that families can afford them. For example, the pill is about 20 cents a month, injection (every 3 months) is one dollar, the implant that can last up to 5 years is 5 dollars. It is not a lot of money. The frustrating part is that I see these same people buying dolo, the local beer, every day spending between 10-30 cents a day on it. I try to explain to them that I am not telling them to stop drinking dolo or buying snacks at the market, for example, but that if they normally buy 20 cents of dolo a day then maybe buy 10 cents of dolo. Hence, if you save little by little you can easily afford the contraception or even to send their sick child to the clinic. I tell them they need to think about the future and prioritize what is important to them. I also tell them good health is an investment and that if you practice it—whether it is buying soap or practice family planning—you will ultimately end up paying a lot less in hospital fees than if you don’t practice it. Even when it is explained to them, their response is still “We are too poor. We cannot afford it.”—that is most frustrating part. During my Etude de Milieu (my community analysis that I conducted when I first arrived at site) I would ask families why children die in the region and lots of people would respond “God wills it.” So I would try to explain that you can easily prevent them from dying by buying simple things like soap and they respond, “Nope, God willed it. We could not do anything to counter his will.” Also, when individuals just accept the deaths of their children because it was God’s will and they aren’t very concerned about the health of their children, one often wonders if children here are seen as property or individuals to be taken care of. I cannot answer that question. Family planning is a multi-faceted and complicated issue. I love my village and I love the people dearly. I just become disheartened because I do not know how to reach them. In the end, the bike-a-thon went well and I hope we reached at least some individuals.

Animism, Spirits, and Funerals

A few weeks ago Ganga brought me to an animist funeral. It was quite the experience and very informative. It was like I was five years old again and asking “why, why, why?” It is a fascinating religion. I played “20 questions” the whole time we were there. The old man had died a few months back but normally people here wait until the cold season (December to February) to have festive funerals because they do not have money to throw a big party until after the harvest season has ended in December. But no worries. They do have a wake right after the person dies so the person does not have to wait to be buried. Anyhow, Ganga first shows me two elderly sitting on an animal hide pounding flat metal circular objects into the hide. I asked Ganga what was happening and he told me that the elders were looking for answers. I responded, “They are going to find answers by doing that?” Ganga replied yes and then told me while they do that ritual they seek out the spirits of their ancestors to explain why the person died. I then asked what sort of reasons the spirits would give as to explain why the person died. Ganga explained that sometimes the spirits say the person died of an illness, natural causes (old age), or that they upset the gods by transgressing. I probed him further and he explained that if a woman leaves her family compound to have sexual relations with a man whom she is not married to(whether she is married/single) that would be one cause. Another possibility would be if she received money for engaging in sex and with the money she received she bought beans or rice and fed it to a member of her family, which could be a reason her family member would die. Another explanation would be that if someone found money on the side of the ground they are either supposed to A) leave it there B) give it to the chief so they he can seek out the person who lost the money. If the person finds and keeps the money, they will die. I was like, “Ganga, the latter reasons do not even make sense. Do people actual believe those reasons or that the spirits talk to them?” He replied that it was their religion so they have to believe it—whether or not it makes sense. He also said that in Africa there are no autopsies so the majority of the time the people seek out answers through the spirits. I asked Ganga if the spirits ever directed the elders to kill an individual for committing a crime such as murder, rape, or theft. Ganga replied that the spirits never would make that decree but that the transgressor would be exiled from the community for ten years. However, for the case of rape, that is not forbidden or against the law according to the animists so the rapists go unpunished. By the way, the girl that was raped in one of my earlier blogs, there was no punishment for her rapist. The Chief (who happens to be animist) met with the two families and the rapist and his family asked the girl’s family to pardon him. The family did and so did the girl. So that was end of it. I told Ganga that I did not think the girl would have forgiven him and that she probably just said yes because that was expected of her. What was Ganga’s response? He suggested that he take me to her house so we could ask her if she forgave her rapist and why she did. I was “Ganga, no! We are not going to talk to the girl about her rape. She has been through enough without us bringing it up!” Sometimes it is hard to watch how culture, religion, and tradition conflict with the advancement of society or just things that seemed normal like rape 100, 500 years ago are still viewed in the same way. Instead of bringing in the gendarmerie (national police) to settle crimes/disputes most rural people have the Chief act as the judge. Anyhow, I have gotten off topic….after the funeral I asked Ganga what was the cause of the death of the man that had died. Ganga informed me that the spirits said the man had died of old age but that people should wary because a sorceress lives among them in the compound and will bring evil to her family. Hence, they should seek her out. At this point, I interrupt Ganga and am like, “Wait, Ganga. Wait. Everyone here says women are inferior and cannot live on their own/provide for themselves so how can the village exile the “sorceress” when they know she will die. Ganga concluded that it was her problem and not the village’s problem. However, if she or anyone else that had completed their ten year exile, they could return to their village and the villagers would welcome them with open arms.

A Couple of Interesting Interactions w/ My Friend's Family

My friend’s two daughters (ages 4 and 6) always tell me they want their mom to find them skin lightening cream so they can have white skin like mine. It breaks my heart when I hear them telling me this. In response I tell them that their ebony skin is so beautiful as it is and that my skin color is so boring. Upon hearing this the girls adamantely shake their heads and say that that is not true and that they still want white skin.

A few few weeks ago as I was waiting for my friend to finish preparing dinner I crossed my legs to get more comfortable in my seat. Seeing me do this her 4 year old daughter imitated me by crossing her legs as well. Masse, her mom, saw her do this and commented on it. I think to myself, “Oh, that is so sweet. She is copying me.” Masse then asks me if I know that crossing my legs when I sit is a totem (Burkinabé word for something that is strictly forbidden). She tells me that when I cross my legs it means my mom is going to die. I think to myself, “So basically I have been offending everyone since my arrival to Burkina. I was surprised this was the first time I had heard about it. I knew there were certain ways Burkinabé don’t sit e.g. Indian style because they consider it improper but I did not think it was a totem.” I was like okay even though sitting with my legs crossed is a like second nature to me I will try not to offend her and her family ( I doubt they would care though) and find a new position to sit. So I uncross my legs, rest my elbows on my knees, and rest my chin in my palms. I think to myself, “Good. This is a comfortable position. Probably won’t offend anyone.” Upon seeing this my friend tells me, “You know, that position is also forbidden. When you sit like that it means your dad is going to die.” I could not help but laugh because there must be so many gestures, movements, positions, that I do that are forbidden/improper here. I must be offending everybody! I know that the locals do not care how I sit or move; I think they just figure I am ignorant and let it slide.

Who Wants a Good Flogging?

A few weeks ago I attended a village event in Zabre commemorating the chief. There were hundreds and hundreds of people from Zabre and its surrounding communities there waiting to see the chief. However, those were not the only people in attendance. There were some men whose job was to keep the peace—not policemen but ordinary villagers. How did they "keep the peace", you ask? They would go around with long sticks yelling at villagers and flogging them. Granted I am not sure if flogging individuals, men and women alike, to get them out of the way or if they are not crouching down enough is the best people way to keep the peace but I suppose it works. If they were not there, there definitely would be risks of stampedes of people being injured or even worse. My friends and I arrived late to the event so we were all the way in the back. I wasn’t really all that worried because being the only whitey in the region does have its advantages. I (and other volunteers as well) am not sure if we are given special status because of being white or because the villagers view us as being a guest to their communities. The line is often blurred. Anyhow, there were two crowds at the events. There was one crowd immediately surrounding the chief and then there was another circle maybe 30 feet further back in a form of circle watching on. However, between the two circles there were the men “keeping the peace” with lots of flogging. We managed to get to the front of the second crowd but we were still quite far away. The “peace keepers” were yelling at the people that no one was allowed to cross them to join the other group. I was a bit disappointed because I wanted to take pictures of the ceremony. However, I was not disappointed for long because once one of the men passed me and saw that I was white he called out to me and said, “Nissara(whitey) you can pass the line but just you.” Camera in hand I happily joined the group. However, it meant that I was to be separated from my friends as they were not allowed to accompany me. Flash forward to after the ceremony of sacrificing chickens, the crowd was then instructed to head to another spot. So we all head over there. It was quite chaotic with everyone racing to get a good place to watch. About 5 minutes later I arrive at the new location. I arrived but was not in the immediate vicinity of the chief (that place is reserved for higher ups and people with special status). I was at the front of the line but I was not passed it. I was quietly and patiently waiting like a good villager. In the meantime the “peace keepers” were waving their sticks and yelling. All of a sudden out of the blue a man flogs me in the legs. The chaotic environment and surprise of being hit made me almost start to tear up. I do not think that the man had realized who he had hit because immediately afterward his friend said something in Bissa, the local language, to the effect of, “Great. Now, you’ve done it. You hit a whitey!” The man begged for forgiveness and told me to join the “special” crowd of about 20 people.

A Village Rape

About two weeks ago I was walking home from the market and I saw Ganga arguing with my new neighbor (who was at the time building his new mud hut). It seemed like an intense conversation so I decided to not approach the two but to ask Ganga later on. The next day during my nutrition workshop I asked him what had happened the day prior. He had explained that a man had raped a girl from his village and he had come across her crying along the road. I assume he has found her somewhat soon after the rape had happened. I was shocked and then ask/told him that I assumed he was going to go the the gendamerie(national police) in Zabre to report the man. Ganga informed me that he was first going to have a meeting with the rapist and the village chief to decide what should be done. I was flabbergasted and responded, “What?!? You are not going to the police! The man raped a girl and the gendamerie needs to be involved to prosecute the man.” Ganga replied that first there would be a meeting with the Chief of the village because that was the African way—to handle conflict at the village level and not involve the government/police. That night I was eating dinner at my friends house and I told her teenage daughters what had happened and I asked what would happen to the man now. They informed me that the chief would probably have the man beaten and that the man would have to pay a fine to the victim’s family. Then they told me if the girl became pregnant she would then marry her rapist. I quickly became angry and irritated and felt sick to my stomache. I had read about situations like this going on in the Middle East in one of my political science classes but I naively thought it didn’t happen in Burkina. I then asked the girls why she would marry the man who had raped her and they said no one else would want her because now she was pregnant. I then asked what happens if she does not get pregnant, would she still have to marry her rapist. They told me yes because she was now tainted(not a virgin anymore). I wanted to ask more questions but I thought that I would ask Ganga because he would know more than anyone. I headed home and mid way through the night a horrible thought popped into my head—why was Ganga arguing with my new neighbor about the rape. Was my new neighbor the rapist? The next day I found Ganga and told him, “Ganga, please tell me the rapist is not my new neighbor who is building his mud hut 25 feet away from mine.” Ganga started to laugh and told me not to worry that the rapist was not my new neighbor; however, he did not explain why he was arguing with the man about the rape. He told me the rapist lived in Koma--another quartier of my village. However, he did tell me the man worked at the market mill. This mill happens to be about a 3 or 4 minute walk from my house. Hmm…I then told Ganga about what the girls had said and asked if it were true. He told me yes the girl normally marries her rapist if she becomes pregnant because no other man would want to raise another man’s child (abortion is illegal here, regardless of incest, rape etc.,). He told me if she did not become pregnant she would not have to marry him. I asked if virginity here was important. He told me that in his mom’s time that virginity had been really important and that the girl would most likely marry her rapist but that it wasn’t as important now. However, he did tell me that this happens today with a certain tribe in the south of Burkina who places a high priority on a girl’s virginity. By then I was livid and Ganga could tell. I was like, “Ganga, that is the most asinine thing I have ever heard! Don’t people realize that once the girl marries her rapist, every time they have sex it is like reliving the rape all over again.” Ganga replied, “Todara, that is just the way things are done in Africa—it is the African way.” A few days later I was having lunch with the mayor of Zabre and I told him about the situation and asked if it was true what they had said. Desire had told me that it was not true and that the man would go to jail. This, however, was dependent upon the girl or her family lodging a complaint against the man with the gendamerie. Desire then told me that often times they try to settle the issue at the village level because the Chiefs of the villages have problems with giving their power and authority over to the government and other officials(in the past before police it was the Chief that handed out the judgment). He also said this was corrupt because sometimes the Chief may be friends with the rapist’s family or he worked with the man and so he would let the rapist off easy. His words appeased me for the moment but then I thought who was I more likely to believe—the mayor, who is a rich functionaire/ a parliamentary member who doesn’t know much about village life/politics, or the locals who tell me something completely different but who live village politics day in and day out.

The Wonderful World Of Transport

Transport. Oh, transport. I don’t know even how to begin to explain transport from my village to the capital (or any other place). Imagine this: a van with rows of seats that are meant for 4 people (a snug fit even with 4). The drivers make it mandatory that 5 people are to go in each row. We are packed in the van like sardines. It doesn’t matter if you are 500 pounds; you still count as one person across the row. Or if you have children up to the age of five, you and your one or two kids still count as one person. It is the funniest thing to watch because I will see grown men sitting on top of each across the row because there is no room whatsoever. One butt cheek will be on the seat and the other cheek will be on their neighbor’s thigh. Often times, one man will lean forward against the seat in front of him while his neighbor leans back against their seat because there is not enough shoulder room for everyone. There often times that my knees are uncomfortably shoved up against the seat in front because there is no leg space. I am 5’3! Can you imagine what it is like for men who are 6 feet +?! Sometimes they pack live chickens/goats on top of the roof or in the taxi near my feet and I will forget they are there and I will step on them. Sometimes the children will pee during the 4 hour trip. Not the best situation if they pee/defecate about ten minutes into our ride because there is no escape from the smell. The windows. I almost forgot about the windows. Well…or lack there of. I always think if we were to get into an accident, no one would survive because there are so many people crammed in the bush taxi (with no seat belts, mind you) that it would not be possible to get out. There is that fact and the fact that often times the windows don’t open or sometimes there is no window at all and there is this big sheet of wood covering where the window once was. There are multiple times where the taxi breaks down or I will hear a loud scraping noise during the trip that I imagine cannot be good for the van or us. One instance when I was going to a district capital the van was going about 20 miles an hour because it kept on breaking down and would not go any faster. This was during the middle of the day, mind you, when the temperature was probably near 100 degrees. Did I mention none of the taxis have air conditioning. So every 5 minutes the driver stops the bush taxi to lift up his seat to remove a part that looks like it belongs to the engine. He blows in it a few times and then puts it back into the car. The whole time I am thinking, “Oh my God, I am going to die from the heat and I am pretty sure you are supposed to be removing that part/blowing in it to fix it.” But after stopping like twenty times to blow in the part we finally reached our destination. There is also a tradeoff between breathing in dust and being hot. Since 90% of the roads in Burkina are unpaved they are often dirt/sand roads with many, many potholes. You spend more time in the middle of the roade or the left side of the road trying to avoid the potholes. lol. I don’t mind breathing in the dust but I do mind being hot. I always like to sit by the window on the off chance that we do get into an accident I have a small chance of surviving but I also like having control of the window to open and close it as I please. One time I had the window open because it was incredibly hot (actually, there is never really time that the window is closed because it’s always hot) but having the window open meant that we were breathing in dust. The window next to me kept on bugging me to close the window. I finally turned to the women and said, “Women, it is ungodly hot! The window is staying open! One time my friend Josh came to visit me from his village and the first thing he says once he gets out of the bush taxi at the station was, “I do not think there was one point during that entire 4 hour trip that both butt cheeks were on the seat.” One time I rode down to my village with my friend, Gwen, and I felt so bad for her because her seat was broken so she was sitting on the seat springs. She is not used to riding in bush taxis because the road to her village from the capital in on a highway so she always rides in a bus. Experiencing transport is so ungodly awful that it is funny and you just have to find it amusing to convince yourself to take it the next time.

I Finally Have a Website For My Grant!

I finally have a website for my grant! Yayyy! Here is the website to donate to my morgina garden. It is the following: https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=resources.donors.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=686-125

I know the world is going through some rough times economically and money is tight but if you can donate (no matter how small the amount), it would be greatly appreciated and it will go towards a really good cause. In case you did not want to go searching through my blog history for my Moringa garden granted, I have also re-pasted it.

A Garden to Inspire Hope for a Healthier Future
Yorko, Burkina Faso
September 20th, 2009

Significance and Scale of Problem:

The village of Yorko is located in the central east region of Burkina Faso, in the province of Boulgou, and 15 kilometers east of Zabre, its district capital. Yorko is part of the aire sanitaire of Beka (11,689 inhabitants). As a farming community with 4,675 inhabitants; the village is separated by six quartiers. The village lacks electricity, running water, and paved roads. Yorko is characterized as being a farming community, harvesting grains, vegetables, as well as peanuts. Unfortunately, the growing season only lasts about 9 months (October-June). During the summer months, when there is a scarcity of fruits and vegetables, most families can only afford to eat once or twice a day. The majority of these meals lack nutrients, as fruits and vegetables are scarce during this time and/or each family is not able to pay the inflated prices of fruits/vegetables. Thus, malnutrition affects the entire community.
Malnutrition is Burkina Faso’s most prevalent and most pressing health concern. A child who is malnourished during pregnancy or during his/her first two years of life is affected both mentally and physically—these effects are irreversible. From pregnancy to adulthood, good nutrition is of utmost importance during all stages of life. Each family is affected by some form of malnutrition. Unfortunately, Yorko follows this norm. Bloated bellies, elastic skin, tinged red hair, a lack of hair, emaciation, are all too often common place here.
Baby weighings are offered at the CSPS clinic in Beka—6 km away-- three times a week. Very often one will see children who are moderately or even severely malnourished (according to World Health Organization guidelines). When a child’s weight borders severe malnutrition, the mothers are supposed to be referred to a CREN (Centre de Recuperation et Education Nutritionnel)—a hospital that specializes in the rehabilitation of malnourished children. Once admitted, the children and mother must complete a 26 week stay. However, the closest CREN is in Manga, 75 km away, and the majority of the families simply cannot afford to send both the mother and infant to the hospital for that amount of time or money. Hence, often times health agents will not refer cases that border severe malnutrition to the CREN because they know the families cannot afford such costs. Instead of recommending the families to the CREN, the health agents will invite the child to participate in the World Food Program (WFP). A couple of times a month the WFP will give some flour to those mothers whose children qualify. However, while in theory this alleviates some of the malnutrition problem in the long term this practice is not sustainable, as the program leaves the family forever dependent on the Non Governmental Organization (NGO). A more sustainable approach to the eventual eradication of malnutrition is to offer an opportunity to the community to allow them to work together to find their own solution to the maladies plaguing their community. Within Yorko there is a strong motivation and dedication to improve health and quality life through a community effort to establish local nutritional sources. With this said, the only thing lacking in the community is the means to implement such a sustainable project.
Moringa oleifera, commonly referred to simply as "Moringa,” with its high nutritional value, is a key and a vital factor in helping to alleviate some of the adverse effects of malnutrition. Trees for Life, Church World Service, and Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization have all advocated the Moringa tree as a “natural nutrition for the tropics.” Leaves can be eaten fresh, cooked, or stored as dried powder for many months without refrigeration, and reportedly without loss of nutritional value. Moringa is especially promising as a food source in dry and arid climates because the tree is in full leaf at the end of the dry season when other foods are typically scarce. Not only does Moringa aid in the fight against malnutrition but can be used in the treatment of a variety of different ailments ranging from high blood pressure, inflammation, rheumatism, and indigestion. While the benefits of Moringa are numerous, Moringa alone will not cure malnutrition. Moringa must be used as a complement to other nutritious foods such as fruits and vegetables. Therefore, it is important not only to educate the villagers on the many benefits of Moringa, but also on the basics of nutrition. With help from friends and family, a garden, of both Moringa and vegetables, would offer Yorko and its surrounding communities hope for a brighter and healthier future by allowing them to take charge of their nutritional needs and thus become active participants in their fight against malnutrition.

The purpose of this project is to accomplish the following objectives:

1) Improve the overall health of women, children, the elderly, and the sick
2) Increase knowledge and awareness of Moringa and good nutrition, thereby increasing Moringa consumption
3) Develop a year-round sustainable income generating activity which will improve the quality of life of members and their families by increasing the accessibility and availability of fruits and vegetables to the community year round.
4) Conduct nutrition sensibilizations by promoting cooperation between CSPS staff, maternity, women’s groups, parent teacher associations, schools, and traditional medicine men. This will result in improved local
5) Promote organizational capacity
6) Promote reforestation and to help counter the effects of desertification


Intended Recipients:

The direct recipient(s) of this project is an agricultural women’s group, DAKOUPA, based in Yorko, which specializes in the production of peanuts(and all related products: peanut oil, peanut butter, etc. The women will not only share the profit generated by vegetable and Moringa sales but also set aside a portion to oversee the maintenance and upkeep of the garden and wells. The women will not just sell the vegetables and the Moringa in the market, but also the CSPS. Thus, the individuals who buy the Moringa and vegetables will benefit directly from both the nutritional and medicinal values. While the women’s group will be benefiting financially from garden sales, they will also be incorporating Moringa and vegetables into their cooking, thereby sharing the benefits with their family and friends. These individuals, as well as those who buy the Moringa and vegetables, will be benefiting indirectly from the garden. Those who consume the nutritious leaves and vegetables will benefit as the leaves/vegetables will give the individuals a balanced diet, thus improving their health. These individuals can also use the tree products(like the flowers and bark) to treat common ailments such as high blood pressure, rheumatism, inflation, etc.


Grantee Organization:

DAKOUPA, an agricultural based women’s group of Yorko, will be the organization to oversee the garden. Informally started in 2003, DAPOUKA specializes in the production of peanuts(and all related products: peanut oil, peanut butter, etc.); this group of twenty-five women, was formally recognized by the government in 2007. DAKOUPA is a group of dedicated women committed to the continued development of Yorko. In 2002, DAKOUPA sought out a grant to help build a community Bantaré school. In addition, the organization has used some of its peanut sale profits to buy school materials for the women. Not only does the group understand the value of a good education, but also the importance of good health and hygiene. Prior to the completion of a water pump in 2003, the women attended a conference on the benefits of pumps and clean water. The group also contributed 50,000 CFA from their peanut sale profits to help pay for the pump. The women believed that by helping to contribute to the construction of the pump, the pump would not only benefit them and their families but the rest of the community as well.
For this project DAKOUPA has formed a sub-committee to oversee all garden related matters(operations, finances, maintenance, community relations/education). The purpose of this committee is for a smaller group of active and interested DAKOUPA members to take ownership of the project and to ensure its success from beginning. Finally, Houssein Ganga, husband of one of the members, was asked to serve as conseillé of the organization to further facilitate its success. His extensive experience in both the agricultural and health sectors will aid in the sustainability of the project (see: About Houssein Ganga).

About Houssein Ganga:
Born in Cote D’Ivoire in 1968, Houssein Ganga is a resource person for both the health and agricultural sectors. He has occupied several diverse posts within the aire sanitatire of Beka. Houssein has acted as a land surveyor since 2001 with EPA(Enquietes Permanentes Agricoles); he has also served as a surveyor for DRAHRH (Direction Regionale de l’Agricultureet de l’hydraulique et de Resources Halieutiques) since 2005. Houssein is responsible for supervising the provision of harvests, surveying potential arable land, and ensuring food security. Additionally, he has experience writing several grants including one for a garden(demi hectare) in Beka. Since 2003 Houssein has acted as a health agent for Yorko, has been an active COGES member since the induction of the CSPS in 2005 and has been President of COGES since 2007. As COGES president, Hussein attends every community sensibilization (malaria, malnutrition, diarhea, family planning, etc.) and serves as the chief translator at such sensibilizations and community meetings.
In addition to Houssein’s roles as agricultural surveyor and health agent, he has served as a Peace Corps counterpart, collaborating with volunteers since 2005. In 2007 he helped the Peace Corps volunteer at the time draft a grant for a water pump in Beka and was the main Bissa liason for community sensibilizations on the importance of good hygiene, sanitation, and nutrition. He also has attended a conference on infantile nutrition in 2006. Houssein is fluent/alphebetized in French and Bissa. His active involvement in the community demonstrates not only his dedication and devotion to improving the quality of life of all the region’s inhabitants but also makes him both a qualified and excellent choice to act as a conseillé for DAKOUPA.


Local Contributions:

Local contribution include the following:
1) One hectare of land for the garden
2) All manual labor involved in the construction of the garden, cultivation, maintenance, and Moringa/vegetable sales
3) Local materials (sand, gravel, rocks, water)
4) All local transportantion costs related to well and garden construction
5) Use of public spaces to plant community trees
6) Conduction of community sensibilizations on good nutrition


Community Benefits:

There are numerous ways in which the garden will benefit children, women, men, alike, as well as the elderly and the sick. On the health side, the garden will provide Yorko and its surrounding communities with access to vegetables that are often lacking in one’s diet. Additionally, during the rainy season when availability and access to fruits and vegetables is scare and expensive, moringa leaves, not only rich in nutrients, are plentiful, thus helping to counter malnutrition. After initial training of COGES members and DAPOUKA(training of trainers) on Moringa and nutrition in general, these two organizations will in turn educate the rest of the organization and community.
Environmentally speaking, the benefits are numerous and far reaching. The leaves are not the only valuable resource from the Moringa tree. Leaves, as well as its branches, can be used as fodder for animals, while its high nutrient content makes for excellent mulch in the garden. By using Moringa as mulch, it acts as a covering to minimize excessive evaporation and erosion of the soil. Additionally, the planting of the Moringa will decrease the threat of deforestation and counter the adverse affects of desertification.
Economically speaking, the garden will provide DAPOUKA with a sustainable means of year long term income generation. The women may sell the vegetables during each vegetable’s designated growing season and Moringa all year long, especially during the summer months when resources are scarce. The women will not only introduce the Moringa and vegetables into their families diets, but also equally share in the profits generated by the garden, both of which will improve the health and livelihoods of the families. As previously mentioned, the women would like to set aside a certain percentage of their profits to help build another Bantaré school within the region as well as helping pay for the education of children whose family simply cannot afford it.


Statement of Work:

The following activities will be planned for 2010:

1) Nutrition/small enterprise development conference and sensibilizations
a. After the nutrition conference, sensibilizations(women’s groups, agricultural groups, schools, Parent-Teachers Associations, CSPS staff, etc.,) can commence in January and can continue prior, during, and after completion of the garden
2) Construction of the wells
a. Well construction should begin early February in order to be completed by the beginning of rainy season
3) Construction of the garden
a. Garden construction should begin early March in order to be completed by the time planting begins and before rainy season
4) Development of Moringa seedling nursery
a. Development of the seedling nursing should begin two months prior to planting. Planting would be ideal during the month of May, so seedling development should be done mid-March.
5) First Planting
a. The group would like to begin planting 200 of the total Moringa seedlings mid-May
6) Second Planting
a. The group would like to begin planting the vegetable seedlings early August
7) Production and sales
a. Moringa: Once the Moringa trees come to term, moringa production and the selling of the leaves and powder can be sold year round with an increase during rainy season(early June to late September). Initially sales will be done by word of mouth; however, after several sensibilizations the women will see an increase of sales at the local markets
b. Vegetables: Once vegetables have been harvested, they can be sold at the markets at different times of the year(depending on the vegetable)




Budget:

Requested Materials Quantity Unit Price Total
Metal fencing 11 rolls 30,000 CFA 330,000 CFA
Watering can 12 cans 2,500 CFA 24,000 CFA
Metal fence posts 60 posts 9,000 CFA 540,000 CFA
Cement for posts 12 sacks 5,500 CFA 66,000 CFA
Metal wiring for fencing 10 rolls 2,500 CFA 25,000 CFA
Metal door 1 door 60,000 CFA 60,000 CFA
Buisage (molding for wells) 2 50,000 CFA 100,000 CFA
Iron 6 for the 2 wells 17 1500 CFA 25,500 CFA
Iron 8 for the 2 wells 5 3000 CFA 15,000 CFA
50 lbs. fertilizer 1 bag 19,000 CFA 38,000 CFA
Binette (small hoe) 5 1,500 CFA 7,500 CFA
Tomato seeds 5 packets 1,500 CFA 7,500 CFA
Cabbage seeds 1 box 10,000 CFA 10,000 CFA
Lettuce seeds 5 packets 1,500 CFA 7,500 CFA
Insecticide 3 5,300 CFA 15,900 CFA
Cement (for 2 wells) 50 bags 5,500 CFA 225,000 CFA
3 day nutrition conference XXXXX XXXXX 125,000 CFA

Total Amount Requested: 1,621,900 CFA or $3,243.80 USD
(Based on an exchange rate of 500 CFA to $1)


Statement of Sustainability:

Since deciding to do this garden, the issue of sustainability has been at the forefront of the organization’s objectives. In dealing with construction of the garden and its wells, the organization chose to build cement wells rather than the traditional, rural wells. While cement wells are considerably more expensive than traditional wells, the cement wells will last for years while traditional well will start deteriorate after a couple of seasons. Thus, the group decided cement wells are a better investment for the long term. Because DAKOUPA is dedicated to the continued development in all areas of community development including nutrition/health, education, environmental, and economic, it has created a separate sub-committee of DAPOUKA devoted entirely to oversee all aspects of the garden including: financial, organizational, as well as the general maintenance of garden.
In conjunction with the aire sanitaire’s community health board (COGES), the members of DAPOUKA, after initial training on nutrition/Moringa, will be active in educating men, women, and children alike on the benefits and nutritional value of moringa/having a well-balanced diet. The organization will be working with important, and more importantly, active members of the community (traditional medicine men, midwives, nurses, and teachers), thus cementing the powerful and credible message on why good nutrition and Moringa is important. Overall, this training of trainers will in turn not only develop but promote organizational capacity as well.
In the course of educating Yorko and its surrounding communities on the benefits of Moringa and nutrition, the group will not only create a demand for their products(Moringa leaves, vegetables etc.,) they will create an income for themselves and the families. The women understand that for the garden to be effective in the long run, they must be life-long advocates of good nutrition. These members can then reinvest the profits back into the garden as well as share part of the profits amongst themselves further improving their families’ quality of life.
As mentioned before, the group would like to contribute a certain portion of its profits into the development of the community by constructing a Bantare school that would educate more than 70 women. It also has plans to set aside money to help send the children, of needy families, to school. This would be an excellent place to start educating women and children on good nutrition. Women and children alike can then share the information learned at school with the rest of their families and friends and in effect, the message can be passed on for generations to come.
Environmentally speaking, Moringa’s adaptability to adverse weather and soil conditions make it an excellent food source given Burkina’s environmental conditions. Additionally, because the tree produces leaves during the wet and dry seasons, it is a reliable source of green vegetables when little other food is available. This offers not only an income generating opportunity for the women year round but also aides in Burkina’s fight to combat malnutrition indefinitely. In addition, the leaves and branches of the tree can be used as fodder for animals, while its high nutrient content makes for better mulch in the garden. By using Moringa as mulch, it acts as a covering that will prevent excessive evaporation and erosion of humidity within the soil (from the sun). The environmental benefits of Moringa are far reaching and will only reinforce the sustainability and effectiveness of the plant for generations to come. The clear benefits of Moringa/nutrient rich vegetables, coupled with the dedication, commitment, and hard-work ethic of DAKOUPA makes this garden project sustainable—one worthy of serious consideration.


Evaluation of the Plan:

In evaluating the success of the garden, there are many ways this can be done. Initially in terms of tangible evidence, successful completion of the wells and garden is an easy way to evaluate this. Additionally, the number of trees planted within the aire sanitaire of Beka will be another indicator. After each sensibilization a Moringa plant will be given to each family who wishes to have one. After the vegetables and Moringa has been harvested, it would be easy to monitor profits and monthly trends (such as if Moringa sales increase during the rainy season). Another way to measure the success the project is to count the number of sensibilizations conducted and the number of individuals who attended. Granted if there is an increase of interest in Moringa/garden sales after all of the community sensibilizations, this would be a clear indication of success. At the CSPS, staff can monitor the number of moderately and/or severely malnourished, who come through during baby weighings. The CSPS also distributes food rations from the WFP; the CSPS staff can then monitor and document if the number of families who participate in the program decreases as the months pass.


Stewardship:

Brittany Bermudez, a Peace Corps volunteer in the health sector, will serve as local project steward assisting in communication and translation between DAPOUKA and Friends of Burkina. As acting steward, Brittany will attend all meetings, sensibilizations before, during, and after completion of the garden as well as offering support and guidance to the group in all of its endeavors. In addition to participating in the training of the group, Brittany will assist in the evaluation reports prior to the end of her service in 2009 and assist in any follow-up necessary. Brittany will be treating this activity as one of her primary responsibilities during her Peace Corps service. Her successor will overtake all responsibilities after December, 2010.

Christmas, New Years, and My Resolution to Never Eat Again

For Christmas most of the girls and women (both Muslim and Christian) all got their hair done. I decided I should get hair done as well so I bought mesh (fake hair) and asked my friend Antoinette to tress (braid) my hair as well. Four and a half somewhat painful hours later it was finished. My hair looked great! During the day my head felt fine; it was not until I went to bed that first night, which I thought I may just die. It felt like my scalp was on fire or else it was on a bed of nails. The whole time I was thinking why in the world anyone would put themselves through this torture. They had to me masochists! I wanted to just cut off all of my hair. But to ease myself I kept on saying, “Beauty is pain. Beauty is pain. Beauty is pain.” I was not able to fall asleep for the longest time. About 330 in the morning I finally fell asleep—I went to bed at 8, mind you. I think my scalp either went numb or I fell asleep from exhaustion. Probably a combination of the two. The second night my scalp still hurt but it was a little less painful. After day 5 I could sleep with ease. Now whenever anyone in my village sees me they comment on how I have gone “African.” I laugh and say that we do this in America as well. I like my hair so much that I may do it once or twice more before the end of my service here. Crazy.
For my birthday, which also just happens to be Christmas, my friend’s family had bought a rooster several months back and have been fattening it up for me. They were surprised when I declared that I, alone, wanted to kill the rooster. When the moment came to kill the poor chap they handed me the knife to do it with. The knife, of course, probably had the sharpness of a butter knife. Needless to say, the rooster died and long and probably very painful death—considering I was a novice working with a butter knife. I then de-feathered the rooster and gave it to Mohammed to cut for me. The rooster was quite tasty! To celebrate my birthday with my friend’s family I baked death by chocolate fudge brownies and brought small trinkets and candy for the children. Masse’s daughter, Barikissou, turned 4 on the 23rd, so it was kind of like a joint birthday celebration. The day of her birthday I was like, “Barikissou! You’re the big 04 now! You are a big girl now! What do you think?” She didn’t really think anything of it. In Burkina they do not celebrate birthdays here. Your birthday passes like the day before it and the day after it. The majority of the time Burkinabe do not know their birth date, let alone the month they were born or the year. For adults they guess because they were not issued birth certificates(this is especially prevalent in rural villages) and for the children born these days their birth dates are written on the maternity cards but these cards are often put away and forgotten about. Anywhoooo, back to the Christmas day celebrations, it was a very lovely Christmas. Muslims and Christmas alike celebrated, each house hopping with one another. I, of course, house hopped as well with my friends and everyone invited me to their houses. I ate about 10 kilos of meat and twenty five kilos of rice. Every where I went people kept on putting plates of food in front of me. Towards the end I was like, “Please, no more food. My stomach will explode. I am currently 9 months pregnant and. I should be heading to the hospital right now to give birth.” They responded with a “haha” and followed it up with “while I am preparing your plate, you can work your appetite back up.” You know how some people vow to give up chocolate or cigarettes for their New Year’s resolutions, at the end of the night, I seriously considered giving up food.
For New Years Eve I attend a midnight mass that simply amazing, to say the least. There was lots of singing and prayer in the dark church that night--more singing than praying. When it got closer and closer to midnight the singing got louder and louder and the people got more animated. About 10 minutes before midnight everyone lit candles, illuminating the once dark church, while at the same time singing and dancing. I was able to snag a seat near front and to look back towards the back of the church with the candles and dancing ringing in the New Year is an experience I will never forget. Last year, being my first experience with New Year’s Eve mass, I was not prepared with all of the dancing and candle holding (swaying wildly). The whole time I was thinking, “Watch the hair. Watch the hair.” This year I let loose and participated in the dancing and candle swaying.

World AIDS Week

To celebrate World AIDS day my counterpart, Ganga, and I, organized and conducted a World AIDS week with all of the local primary schools within the aire sanitaire of my village. Each day we would visit a different primary school and conduct AIDS activities and games to teach an array of AIDS related themes ranging from the biology of AIDS to sex. The week went really well as we were able to educate more than 400 kids on AIDS awareness and prevention. Given the sensitivity of the topic some topics covered proved for awkward/funny but informative nonetheless moments. For example, at one point during the day I was discussing the different types of sexual acts that can transmit the virus e.g. oral, anal, and vaginal sex. Now I can list these acts but I cannot explain them eloquently; hence, I turned to my counterpart and was like, “Ganga, by all means.” Ganga starts cracking up like a little school boy with a smile a mile long and was like, “Todara, we cannot explain these to the class. They are just children.” I responded, “Ganga, some of these primary school “kids” are 16, 17, 20, years old(however the majority are between 10-13). Do you not think they haven’t already engaged in sexual activity? It’s important to explain it. Besides, their parents obviously do not talk to them about it so where will they get the information? Anyhow, I am sure you can explain it a lot more eloquently than I can. I naturally tend to use a lot of gestures/hand movements when I speak. Now, if I am at a loss of words and/or I am trying to explain an idea that is difficult to convey, my gestures go ten-fold. Let’s see here…me and my perhaps crude gestures or you explaining it eloquently in French?” Chuckling, Ganga agreed and proceeded to explain the different types of sexual acts. Unfortunately, we did not have enough time to elaborate fully on abstinence and the things you can do you prolong it e.g. masturbation. I blush at the drop of a pin and this may have been one of those moments. If we had had the time, I would have gladly talked about it. There were times when Ganga’s immaturity, if you would call it that, annoyed me. For example, I was trying to explain to the students that just because they have a girlfriend or a boyfriend does not mean they have to engage in sexual activity. Having a girlfriend/boyfriend can mean that they value the friendship of a special boy or girl and they want to spend more time with them. Ganga, the nympho, starts cracking up like what I just said was just preposterous. I turned to him and was like, “Shut up! You ruining the message and wrecking the moment!” I also stressed that I did not care if they engaged in sexual activity or decided to be abstinent, I just cared about that if they did engage in sexual activity Nonetheless, we worked really well together and the week went off without a hitch.
On the topic of AIDS, I had a really nice visit from the Chief’s 19 year old son a couple of weeks back. I always like when people stop by my place to ask questions about health. I think he heard about my AIDS week and came to inquire if mosquitoes could transmit AIDS. Our conversation was great and we talked about AIDS, sex, relationships; I even made him practice putting a condom on wooden penis. When he was leaving I told him he could come ask me about anything—it did not necessarily have to be health related. And if I did not know the answer I would Google it in Ouaga. He was like, “Google what?” I laughed at my slip as clearly he would not have had heard of Google. I was then like, “I just meant to say I will find out for you.”

Bike Fiasco II and a Selfless Act of Kindness

So maybe a month ago before “cold” season started—still in the midst of the mini-hot season I decided I would be ambitious and go for a bike ride to a satellite village. The temperature at the time was probably just over 100 degrees, mind you. The first part of my bike ride was lovely but upon returning, my bike decided it hated me and decided to die on me. I got a flat and the entire tubing pretty much came out. How I manage to get myself in these situations, God only knows. My bike was in such bad shape that I could not even push it (in the unpaved sandy roads) back to my village—the back wheel simply would not turn. So imagine this me, hot, sweaty, not really happy about the bike situation, considering I had a least a good 3 kilometers left, forcing this bike along. I think I even vowed I would give up exercising in general, just to spite my bike or else commit bike-o-cide. At this time there was not anyone on the road to help me. Granted this time around my French was much better so if someone decided to assist me I could explain the situation—not that much explaining would be necessary. So here I am pushing this wretched thing in the sand back to my village when all of a sudden out of no where my bike suddenly lifts up and is now pretty much weightless--all I had to do was just guide it along. I was mystified. Was a miracle being performed before my very eyes? I turn around to find a small woman (probably not even a hundred pounds)lifting up the back of my bike, which is quite heavy. I realized I had passed this woman earlier on in the road—at the time she had been carrying not one, but two, kids(one in the front and one on her back) as well as her sack of rice on her head. She was making the 10 kilometers trek from the district market back to our village (I recognized her little girl but didn’t know where in the village they lived). When I saw this I teared up; I was so touched at this women’s selflessness to help me when I was in need. She could have left it to someone else to help me but she decided to help me despite being hot, not to mention tired, from the 7 kilometers she had already walked with her two kids in tote with her bag of rice. I noticed she gave one of the children to her four year old? to carry so she could take my bike. When I realized she was trying to help me, I tried to switch places with her to I could do much of the brunt work; all I was doing at the time was guiding the bike while she was carrying it. She insisted on maintaining her place and that I guide the bike, knowing full well that I clearly was doing no work whatsoever. The women did not speak an ounce of French and my level of Bissa is limited. After a few moments of walking in silence, I stopped the bike, turned back to her, and adamantly insisted that I take over the back for a while. She relented and let me. The bike was quite heavy and I had to switch arms lifting it up every two minutes because of the weight. I felt quite embarrassed when I had realized that while the women had been in the back she had not switched arms once. After a bit, she then told me to take the front again and we proceeded like this until we eventually came across a boy on the road that was able to at least fix the tubing so that the wheels would turn. After the boy fixed my bike, I thanked them both many times over and continued on my way. After walking a bit I turned around and waited for the mother and children to catch up with me. I asked the little girl if the woman was her mother. I figured it was far easier me to remember the little girl than the face of her mother (I normally see the girl on the road to my village market). The next day I was heading to the pump for water when I suddenly spot the little girl from the day before. I quickly changed plans and biked to my village market and proceeded to buying a bag or rice, beans, and sugar. I did not know how else to thank the woman and her family for her selflessness. When I went back to the spot where I had seen the girl I could not find her. I went to the nearest house and asked in Bissa where the little girl in the white dress had gone and if they knew her. Luck, as it turns out, was on mu side--I was already at the little girl’s house and was talking to her family. I asked the men to send the little girl out; a few minutes later the girl appears, I hand her the sack, and tell her to thank her mom for helping me out. I am currently seriously thinking about extending my service here in Burkina. When I think about the kindness (not to mention generosity and acceptance) that people like the woman have bestowed upon me, it’s an easy decision to make.