Work-work

I figure as I've been in my site for a year now, it seems over due to have an insight into what I do for the work-work aspect of my time here in Burkina.

Making mosquito nets decorative by attaching pagne (fabric)

As a “community health development agent” my job is to work with community members to sensibilize my town on various health topics. During the malaria season, when cases of the sickness jump from 20 a month to 400, I worked with friends in town to address the health problem from different approaches.

First I tag-teamed the national free mosquito distribution and led sensibilzations with community members about another way to attach their nets: transforming the four point net, into a conical design. This transformation is encouraged because it requires someone to take the time to purchase the necessary tubing and attach it to the net, creating a monetary investment that was absent before when the net was given free. Giving out nets for free isn't wrong, just the more time/money someone puts into anything will increase the chance that it will not be abandoned.

 Attaching wire tubing to transform four point mosquito nets to conical style 

To preemptively discourage the concern about purchasing the tubing, I made a “boite image” (visual aid to explain a health concept). The image had two horizontal sequences: the first, a mother and son sleeping under a conically transformed net; then, a scene of the mother in the fields working and her son going to school; the final image was the tubing necessary for the conical design and 400 CFA (roughly 1$). Directly beneath this was a parallel scene of a man sleeping without a net, getting bit; then him waiting at the clinic the next day; finally a drawing of malaria medicine and 500 CFA.

Distribution Day, after doing a census, the goal was for a mosquito net to be given for every two people in Burkina. 

I would explain that to invest in the tubing was already cheaper than getting sick from malaria one time! Kossouka spends over 1,000,000 CFA ($2,000) every year buying malaria medicine; I would ask them to imagine how that money could be better invested in their town. After explaining it once, I would pass it to community health workers to explain.

Community health agent showing the boite image explaining the monetary benefits of preventative care of malaria 

After the four day distribution, I asked different friends to show me their nets and set up them up for me. It was discouraging to see what little mistakes were being made that defeated the effectiveness of the nets. To reinforce the proper attachment, another boite image was made ith six people sleeping under nets: five making a common era, one doing so correctly. With friends, high school students, and communtiy health agents, we had a stand during two market days asking people to identify who was sleeping properly and explain the others' errors. We also encouraged participants to enter our mosquito net and demonstrate. Bon-bons (candy) and peanut butter cookies were given as thank yous to participants (side note! it is really odd here to use peanut butter for cookies, for anything beside sauce actually; the fact I eat a peanut butter with.... bread!... everyday always causes gross outed reactions from friends).

My friend Abdoulaye, left, quizzing his friend on the boite image 

Risnata popping in to lead the booth for a bit. It is absolutely necessary there is someone with me at all time, one, because of legitimacy, the message is better given from someone from the town, but two, my Moore is still a work in progress (that's why we get two years right?)

Lady demonstrating to kids how to properly set up the nets

Finally, at a 6^th grade class in a satellite village's primary school, we lead a six day malaria program. The core message was achieving your dream will be more difficult if you are constantly sick, unable to come to school, unable to work, and constantly spending your money on medicine, than if you are healthy, so think of the future! This idea, thinking ahead/preventative care, is an important idea to encourage in the community. After passing an exam, the students drew what they wanted to achieve in their futures, we strung them together, then hung the banner in their class to hopefully be an encouraging reminder to think ahead.

It was actually really exciting to see the transition from the kids awkwardly sitting there not knowing what to draw and believing they couldn't draw their idea, to seeing the kids heads down getting into their pictures and not stopping when I said our time was up

CM2 kids, me, and the trainees who came to visit me at site that weekend! 

So, that was that! Malaria season has winded down as cultivating season ended in October. Now my work-work is consisting of improving visual aids at another primary school, ever attempting to get the library open (we're making moves!), and helping the school board organize a training for teachers. So, a little pause from the health topics, but that's the beauty of this non-9-5-office job, I have the freedom to pick projects when/where I want. Though... with with my vacation getting closer... maintaining that internal motivation is taking a little more effort... :) Thanks for reading!

Holiday Season

It has been four months since I last posted an update- 1/3 of my year!- since then, the rainy season has come and gone, Carl visited and stayed a bit longer than planned, malaria season hit in full force and is on its way out with the end of the cultivating season, and I hosted some of the newest Health PCVs at my site to give them a feel of the work and life here in Burkina.

The market before the holidays had the familiar excitement of the Christmas Eve rush

 

Amongst all these events was Ramadan and Tabaski. Just as Christians have two main holidays, these are two big days for Muslims. Celebrating these two “fetes” with my town made one particular contrast between American culture and Burkinabe culture incredibly evident. It wasn't what we did that was so different, both cultures' holidays consist of going to pray, followed by making outrageous amounts of food, and ending the day with eating, socializing and relaxing. Same, right?

Mariam, a nurse at the clinic, took me with her son, Mohammed, to the morning prayer. She helped me out by lending the outfit for the day

 

The flow of the day being the same, what surprised me how was identical Ramadan and Tabaski were to each other. Our culture is so saturated with stories and symbols that beyond the basic components of prayer and food, the food, music, icons, and color schemes mark the days as completely unique events in our year. It wasn't as if I didn't know how commercialized our holidays are- and this isn't a bashing commercialization of holidays post, all the flare and what not is fun- I just hadn't appreciated how massive of an entity we had created when celebrating holidays until seeing something so extremely opposite.

Maybe it seems tactless to be taking photos during the ceremony? And it does still make me feel awkward whipping out a camera, but a quick photo is really not invasive or rude. One time during a funeral, I looked over and realized people had their cameras out, sitting there, just filming me.

The men during the ceremony



After the prayer, a couple old men stood together under a sheet to continue to pray. I liked it because the image reminded me of kid's parachute game



And I've realized its not just our holidays. Compared to Burkinabe, Americans place symbolic meaning on some many things. The English professor at the high school told me how he learned Americans put a meaning to everything; he explained how colors are just colors here, but to Americans red isn't just red, it means passion, anger, fire. As he explains, I think “Duh, I mean it's red , what else could it mean?”

 

Making food with Mariam, her son and her "petite" (petites tend to be tweens that come to live with extended family members that help out with house chores)

 

 

So, after prayer and food prep with Mariam, I made my rounds visiting different friends. At every house, I would receive HUGE portions of noodles (noodles here are also way overcooked in our standards; they put noodles, water, oil in a pot, and then just cook it until all the liquid is gone, so they seem soggy and mushy) that are saturated with palm oil and magi-salty sauce. After feeling forced to each so much at each visit, this is gross, but it was the first time I got home, was sick to me stomach, and actually threw up for literally eating too much food. Food is not a highlight of life here in Burkina.

 

So here is a blending of photos from the two days to capture what holidays are like here, since, unlike the oddities that would arise if I tried to seem together a day of Christmas, 4^th of July, and St. Patrick's Day events, the two days were actually exactly the same

 

Friend's husband with their son. Check out the matching outfits: they're called uniform. A family picks a pagne (fabric) pattern and get outfits made together for the event. People make uniforms for weddings, someone's trip to Mecca, and holidays. 

And I just realized this post is in time for rush of holiday season back home. I tried to make the most of missing all the Halloween fun by giving candy to the clinic staff and explaining what we do on Halloween (took me by surprise how hard it was: we dress up as animals, skeletons, princesses, witches, eat candy, watch scary movies... there was no rhyme or reason to my explanation making the day sound really odd), letting myself gourge by buying two “gateaus” cakes (they're a delicious cross between the fried goodness of funnel cakes and chewiness of a doughnut- AMAZING), and invited a friend over to watch Hocus Pocus with me at night. Thanksgiving is around the corner and will be a mini-reunion for my stage in the capital.... then... HOME for Christmas and New Years! Enjoy the holidays, I'm thinking of you all, and see you soon :D

 

 

 

Visiting two of my favorite friends in village, Risnata and Awa

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So... what exactly do you do?

Its strange to recognize I am over a fourth of the way through my time in the PeaceCorps. It causes a strange mix reaction: encouraging to realize time is passing by, motivating to get projects going, but also makes my stomach turn at the thought that I have to do that again... three more times?!

It is said that 6 months at site is recognized to be a trying time for most volunteers. You feel pretty accustomed to life, have a solid grasp of the language(s) and are ready to start doing work. But work here progresses at a bizarre pace and cycle. And since multiple people have asked what exactly I'm doing, I figured I would try to briefly explain how I fill the days.

Baobab trees! They are enormous and ancient. 

PCVs have three goals. The first is to assist our communities develop in the ways they request. My priority being health means I assist in organizing different sensiblization campaigns regarding topics such as: malaria, family planning, malnutrition, and hygiene. However, I am not limited to health. Any projects at the schools or for the development of Kossouka are possible as well. Many projects have been discussed and began, though it is not clear which will continue consistently: English club at the lycee/high school; girls soccer; community garden; health theater group; improving visual aids at a primary school; revamping the town's library; malaria campaigns; and family planning promotion.

Bringing some of the early childhood resorces I am working on to Habibu's courtyard to read with the kids there. 

The second and third goal of the PeaceCorps is where much more of my time is invested. They are essentially to foster a cultural exchange between the American volunteers and our host countries: to bring back to the U.S. knowledge and appreciation of another country (How many people knew where Burkina Faso was before? Check!), as well as to be a representative of America to our host communities. America is known across the world; its necessary communities have individuals they have friendships with to associate with America beyond whatever concept has developed from the media.

As another PCV in Burkina said “To simply live here is 2/3 of our job.” So during the rainy season when everyone else is being working in the fields, schools are on vacation, and doing actual health work needs to wait, investing in our second and third goals is a pretty satisfying and amusing way to live life. For instance...

I went to watch the traditional dance, Fango, a three day dance around the market praying for good rain. I made the obvious mistake of getting there right on time as the event began. Thus making me even more visible than I usually am and was grabbed to come join/lead the dance.

Beginnings of the march... notice how impossible it would be to inconspicuously join in 

To clarify: I like dancing at events! But I prefer to slip in the middle and decrease how visible I am. Since it was just getting started, they put me front and center. Embarrassing for the obvious reason how exposed I was but secondly there was no one in front of me except for little kids to watch and know how I should be dancing! I am developing incredibly thick sick and losing any pride....

A shot from behind me while dancing. Look how many people eventually came to watch, and check out the kids in the trees hanging out getting a good view. 

I spend a lot of time with my neighbors Joel and Abdoulaye.

And still make visits to see Habibu and hang out with her family.

The women have just applied a new floor to their courtyard and use stones to smooth it out. 

I have tried to go out and help in the fields multiple times. 

This is Awa! My courtyard wall is the back wall to her coffee stand. She corrects anyone who calls me "Nasara", gives me free bread and gateau and took me out to her fields one day. 

But after about 15 minutes of cultivating, whichever friend I've tagged along with inevitably insists I must be tired and I end up resting in the shade with the toddlers.

And this past weekend Kossouka played our neighbor Seguenega in soccer that was apparently a big deal because it was televised and my host father back in Sanga called to say he watched the game!

My friend, Adama. I am beginning to realize he's like the clown jester/ mascot for all of Kossouka. Check out the patriotic chicken they painted to give to the visiting officials. 

Rushing the field after Kossouka's win :) 

Overall, life in Kossouka is going good. You're bound to hit a wall at some point, right? It is just important to be mindful of how normal it is that this is hard and not internalize the difficulties as something I'm doing wrong. And as much as everyone says 6 month slump is normal, they also say the second year is so much easier. So remembering that, I'm actually over halfway done the hardest part. Now, that's not so bad.   

Senegal: Strong and Thankful

A quick recap of our trip to... Senegal! This is more than a little over due but I haven't had quality internet access since we got back.

Senegal was never a country high on my agenda to visit during my time in Burkina. But! When a PCV mentioned there was going to be a jazz festival in St. Louis, Senegal in a month, I knew I was going. And- whoa- what a lucky conversation to fall into! The whole trip left us giddy and jacked, but also a little worried that Burkina had apparently made us so weirdly appreciative after just 8 months.

On the ferry to Goree Island. Historically a port where 20,00 slaves were sold and later a French military base. Now it is a beautiful art filled island (Key West meets French colonial) and is home to Senegal's number one school for girls 

After arriving in Dakar, being blown away by the sea, CLEAN streets, and restaurants with salad (I really, really miss salad), we tried to comfort ourselves that “Hey, its okay, we live in Burkina Faso, 'Land of the Upright People'. Sure they may have a variety of salad dressings but at least our people are nice.” And, yes, while Burkinabe are nice, Senegalese are absolutely incredibly kind and welcoming as well. Throughout the trip we had people go out of their way, at their own expense to help us out.

For example: Our first night out was shockingly fun, from free appetizers and free drinks, to Natalie easing her way into the DJ booth and giving us music to last till 4am. At the end of all that, we decided to just grab our things from the Senegal PCV Transit House, jump on the first bus and head up to St. Louis right away.

Emma, me, Natalie, Hallie, and Amber

Except... bus stations may be the one thing Burkina has over Senegal. Our taxi driver, Mustapha, instead took us to this parking lot full of beat up station wagons, men and dogs swarm the car, and one guy is insisting if we get in his car right now he'll personally drive us up there. NO. We flat out refused to leave his taxi, told him this was unacceptable, and demanded to be taken to a bus stop. Our driver didn't speak that much French so he drives us to his friend (who conveniently worked at a late night burger place, seriously, perfect things like that all week!) to help us out and translate. Musapha then drives around Dakar stopping on the highway at random buses, runs out, checks where they're going, and keeps driving and searching.

Solid late night burgers with our driver

All of that time we were greatly appreciative. We recognized how awkward it must be for him to have four American women refusing to get out of his car or take his advice. He was stuck with us, but he made sure we got where we needed to go. It became comical how unreasonable we were when we later learned that the main sort of public transports really are “Sept/Seven Plus”, station wagons that drive you all around the country. Which is exactly what he took us to the first time around before we threw an outrage and declared he find something more appropriate.

"Sept Plus" wagons, heading back down to Dakar after the festival. 

Our trip was full of kind, helpful people, with one exception: Awa, the landlord of our squatter hotel in St. Louis. Since we were on a continual cloud nine the first 36 hours, when Awa informed us we didn't have to camp on the roof after all but could sleep in the big bedroom, we thought our praises for Senegal were never going to end. She shows us the room, and we are so psyched to get to stay there. It wasn't until after we got back from dinner that the golden haze of our vacation induced euphoria had been sedated that we began to recognize what a complete joke our room was. No running water half the time, no trash can, no bed frames, not enough blankets, just mattresses thrown on the ground in a room with a weird faux wood finish, plaster holes in the wall, and flies. SO many flies. Once we recognized how scammed we were getting, we lost it. But instead of stating how unacceptable everything was, we uncontrollably laughed that night. And continued to laugh throughout the trip whenever something arose to make us we recognize how weirdly, disproportionately, inappropriately appreciative we had become after just 8 months in Burkina.

A joke, right? But when we first saw it we were so ecstatic we truly thought our luck in Senegal was never ending . 

Affected? Burkina Faso, being the poorest country PC operates within, has clearly augmented what comforts I anticipate for my daily life. Thus the obvious down side: a country lacking so many of the basics and beauty that Senegal had will be my life for the next year and half. I hadn't truly realized what I was missing until I saw it again. The plus side? What became our motto of the trip: We (PCV in Burkina Faso) are Strong and Thankful people. Meaning: living with marches/markets that only sell mangoes and onions for the next three months causes a day visit to my regional capital for a mediocre salad with a mayonnaise based dressing to be my gastronomical highlight for the next week because here, in Burkina, you take what you can get, when you can get it. And hell yeah I'm going to speak up and tell you want I need- try getting your bike on a bus that is jammed pack, while it is still moving, 40 people are swarming around, and no one will listen to your muddled attempt at French and Moore! 

So not only was Senegal (St. Louis and Dakar) an incredibly fun trip with my friends, it also produced our rally cry and our meditative mantra to support us as we keep going through our time here in hot, bare boned, but land of really nice people, Burkina Faso.

: D

Please... all I want is a post office (NEW ADDRESS)

I write a lot of letters. One a day to be exact. While I'll wait later in the service to broach the long-distance-in-the-PeaceCorps-thing, I will say now that letters have been a really rich way to maintain conversations, jokes, share stories, and overall keep my relationship with Carl secure and strong since being here. 

Since letters are what we decided would be our main form of communication, I was nervous of being placed without a post office by my site. Most volunteers don't have one remotely close (or easy to get to is probably more the problem) and must go to Ouaga about once a month. I knew that wouldn't work for me/us. 

During my site placement interview, I wasn't feeling too hot (ghardia seems to be a bug my body loves having around) and was worried after the convo that my fatigue had caused me not to do a good job advocating how badly I wanted one near by. 

Well, perhaps that is all I made clear because the first line, in bold, mentioned I had a post office just 11km. (!) 

Once a week, usually Saturdays, I leave early in the morning and head out. 

The road is pretty easy, only a few hills. And I get to enjoy Burkina Faso's wildlife. 

herd of sheep

Oh? Were you expecting elephants, zebras and such? I.wish. While I am living in Africa. This is northern Burkina Faso, southern region of the Sahel. Domesticated farm animals are all I got. Though, I will say, goats are hilarious and sometimes men from the north pass through easing their way slowly through on ENORMOUS camels. I had no idea how big camels were. 

Right before I get into Seguenega (SHG), I pass a large barrage. Since it is hot season, the barrage is pretty low, but normally it is lush, beautiful and full of blooming lilly pads. 

So- the new address is:

FLAMM Elizabeth

01 B.P. 12

Seguenega 01

Burkina Faso

West Africa

If you write "Par Avion" on packages it will ensure the box is mailed instead of finding itself on a ship and taking oooh who knows how long to get here. And the crosses on envelopes have worked so far! If you have recently mailed anything to the address in Ouaga, I'll still get it. And I do end up going there once a month, so no worries. 

A couple people have asked what are good items for a care package, so some solid basics that always are comforting:

- Tuna/salmon fish packets! 

- Flavor adders for water. Crystal Lite or there are these new liquid drops which are good since they are considerably less waste

- M&Ms. Fun fact that combines my love for chocolate and history: Why M&Ms? They don't melt! M&Ms (sugar coated chocolate) was invented as a way to give soldiers chocolate that wouldn't melt in the heat. 

- Almonds. Almonds. Almonds. 

- Snacks... bars (Cliff, Luna, Kind, Nature Valley, ect) and fruit snacks are great

- Add-Water-Foods. They say rainy season, June and July, gets really rough in regards to food  variety; onions will be about the only thing available at the market. I  expect mixes from home will be a huge help. 

- Fancy soaps. A couple friends have sent me nice soap and life here is all about the little things. Using lavender infused goat milk's soap during my bucket bath is equal to a week long spa get away anywhere else. 

- Updates! I miss you guys and want to know how you're doing and what's new

My house!

Finally have my camera back AND internet so now am able to share photos of my home with you all! 

SO- my expectation for housing during PeaceCorps was either in the middle of a village family compound with hardly any privacy or pretty isolated out in the bush or within the CSPS (clinic) grounds. I ended up getting placed at a pretty cool middle ground situation; I live by myself but right in the center of town, on a main road, where a lot of people can stop by and visit me throughout the day. 

This is the outside of my house. I painted the door to try and give it some curb appeal (I've left out the trash garden that sits to the left of my house). I'm hoping to build a hangar (shady area) out front, so I can work and read while still being visible for people passing by. 

The view entering my courtyard. I am sleeping outside now in my bug hut because it is SO hot. All.the.time. It is unreal how consistently hot it is all.the.time. It is difficult to cook dinner on my stove or save left overs because of the heat, but those are things that I expected. But the heat has become inescapable in other ways. Like when I put on clothes in the morning, they feel fresh, hot out of the dryer; when I grab a book to read, the book is super warm; picking up a potato to cook with at night, and the potato feels as if it has been sitting in the sun for hours, instead its just been roasting inside my home. Sleeping outside does the trick for now, but I hear in April it gets to the point where I will again be waking up with hair soaked from sweat. I have no idea how volunteers serve in communities without electricity. Knowing I can buy ice cold water is my sanity. 

View of the inside my house from the doorway, my living room 

        

My kitchen set up: cooking station with gas stove and then my filter/sink set up, water bidon that I store all my water in and hanging produce baskets

Pantry/bookshelf set up. I think my mom's insistence on keeping the pantry door closed made me buy pagne to cover up all the storage spaces. 

Walking into my bedroom 

    

Bedroom set up  

My shower stall, bucket bath area. Showers are a bucket filled half way with water and then using a cup to dump water on me. I used to try to take one every other day to conserve water and limit my trips to the pump, but now I am up to taking about two a day. 

The latrine 

My courtyard! I love this space. It is pretty big and completely private. I'm hoping to get a garden going one day...  

                         Joel                                 Risnata                              Habibu 

My three closest friends in Kossouka. Joel is my neighbor and looks out for me all the time; Risnata is super sweet and my go to; Habibu is such a character and my  quasi-host mother; one of my first days at site she came running out of her courtyard after me, brought me in, gave me a Moore name, Oueraogo Sakinato, and now I have a family courtyard to visit when I want to get out of the happening down town Kossouka scene. So I've realized I have the two living situations at once- complete privacy when I want and a family I can easily visit and hang out with whenever. 

My stage just finished our first three months at site dedicated to getting to know our community and then a two week training session about project planning. Right now I'm in Ouaga working on a project creating books to be used to promote early childhood literacy and then staying for a close of service party for the oldest stage leaving in a few months. 

Back to site in a couple of days... feeling a little nervous about the amount of possibilities for projects and what state my house will be in after almost three weeks away, but looking forward to seeing those faces above again and getting back into my sweaty, internet deprived, easy going routine.