Camp GLOW

As most of you know, I have been working on Camp GLOW (guys and girls leading our world). Lorena (another volunteer) and I have been spearheading this project to bring this camp to Burkina. We will be asking for donations from friends and family in a few weeks, so I wanted to give you all a heads up. I've copied our project proposal for everyone to read, so please enjoy!

Project Description:

Excited by its success in other countries, Peace Corps Burkina Faso has decided to host its first Camp GLOW (Girls Leading Our World). In hopes to become the 23rd Peace Corps country to house a Camp GLOW, we also want to make Camp GLOW even more unique by giving it a small twist to transform it to Camp G²LOW (Girls and Guys Leading Our World). There is no denying that, in Burkina Faso’s patriarchal system, there is a need to empower women, but it is our belief that the only true way to empower women is to educate young men, and teach them the importance of working with woman as equals. Camp G²LOW is a week-long leadership training camp geared toward school-age male and female students across the world.

Camp G²LOW -as it pertains to Burkina Faso- will focus on three subfields: 1) healthy lifestyles, 2) development of leadership skills, and 3) promotion of gender equality. In order to address the subfield of healthy lifestyles, camp counselors, which will include Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) and host country nationals (HCNs), will lead educational sessions focused on proper hygiene and safe sex practices, as to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS and lower the rate of unwanted pregnancy. To develop their leadership skills, Camp G²LOW participants will take part in activities to teach critical thinking and decision-making skills. Lastly, camp counselors will aid in the promotion of gender equality by leading sessions that focus on ending domestic violence, as well as working with members of the opposite sex as partners on the same playing field.

The regional capitals of Kaya and Boromo have been selected to serve as the locations for the inaugural year of Camp G²LOW in Burkina Faso. Camp G²LOW will be held in Kaya June 19th to July 3rd and in Boromo July 15th to July 30th. During two weeks of camp, 60 girls and 60 boys from surrounding villages will participate in Camp G²LOW in each location.

Purpose of project:

With a United Nations' Human Development Index (HDI) ranking of 161 out of 169, Burkina Faso remains one of the poorest countries in the world (United Nations Development Program). Seeing as more than 50% of the country is under the age of 15, it stands to reason that Peace Corps Burkina Faso has identified middle school students (generally around the age of 11 to 16) as their target group. As Secondary Education Peace Corps Volunteers, we work with this particular group of the population on a regular basis. Often we encounter our young girl students getting pregnant before they reach the 8th grade; passive to the passes that are made to them by older men, and naïve to the process of getting pregnant and STDs. We work with male teachers who more than often take advantage of their position to get these same girls to sleep with them for a guarantee of a good grade and a false hope of a future with a civil servant. Sadly, these situations generally end in undesired pregnancies, an education and a promising future left behind, and occasionally a newborn abandoned in the middle of the bush. The youth, and more specifically, the young women of Burkina Faso, are generally passive when it comes to decision-making. Part of the reason the youth are so passive is because Burkina Faso is an extremely patriarchal society. As a result of the extreme patriarchal structure, men tend to make all decisions, and the women's voice goes unheard.

Additionally, we see boy students who idolize and wish to imitate their male teachers by sleeping with numerous girls at a young age or hoping to one day be a teacher so they can too take advantage of their female students. All the while, these young impressionable men are unconscious of the consequences and oblivious to the corruptness of the actions they wish to replicate. As teachers, we also have the misfortune of knowing numerous students who die of malaria and other various diseases every year due to misinformation and poor education. Camp G²LOW will aid development by working with this critical group of students and by educating them and instilling in them a sense of commitment and dedication to bettering their communities and country as a whole and by building the capacity of HCNs on interactive and participatory teaching methods. By addressing healthy living practices, the development of leadership skills, and the promotion of gender equality, Camp G²LOW 2011 intends to teach young men and women to work together as partners, and to take charge of their futures by confidently asserting themselves and by making responsible decisions.

Justification for the grant:

Burkina Faso is a country of constant metamorphosis. Plagued by political overturn, after political overturn, Burkina Faso did not become “politically stable” until the early 1990s, 30 years after gaining independence from France. It was with this stability that Burkina Faso was able to move toward more market-orientated economic policies and re-engagement with the international community.

Re-engagement with the international economic community was good for Burkina Faso, but the benefits of this change were not always distributed evenly. Burkinabè youth, and more specifically the female youth, are still suffering from high levels of unemployment and few educational opportunities. The overall unemployment rate in Burkina Faso is 77% (The World Factbook). In terms of education, only 21.8% of Burkinabè over the age of 15 are literate. When one considers that 29.4% of Burkinabè men are literate, it is shocking to discover that only 15.2% of Burkinabè women are literate (The World Factbook). For example, in the town of Tougouri, with a population of 7 thousand and a middle school that caters to 42 surrounding villaged, only 30% of the 900 students are female. In the 2009-2010 school year, only 37% of those 300 female students made the average to go on to the next grade level. Because these numbers are so discouraging, Camp G²LOW can be a great asset to Burkina Faso. Unfortunately, the youth of Burkina Faso often feel that they are victims of the system, and do not even try to break the cycle of poverty and illiteracy. The youth of Burkina Faso need to be motivated and introduced to tools to tackle these obstacles that past generations of Burkinabè were never forced to encounter.

Burkina Faso is not developing rapidly due to its few large metropolitan areas, lack of ports for shipping and importing, and limited variety of products that build up the economic sector. For instance, 90% of the population are cultivators and agricultural workers; this would not be a problem if it were not for the fact that only 17.66% of the land is suitable for that type of work (The World Factbook). As a result of the lack of resources, opportunities are limited for youth. Camp G²LOW will offer economically challenged, rural youth the opportunity to leave their villages, quite possibly for the first time, and attend a program that will equip them with the skills required to start the process of bettering the state of their communities and themselves by teaching them to make good decisions.

Camp G²LOW 2011 will offer its participants a realistic setting in which to explore the various aspects of gender equality. In Burkina Faso, gender equality is almost nonexistent despite efforts by the government to enact legislation focused on improving women’s rights. In the typical Burkinabè family, the rights of the women (and in some cases the girls) are poorly protected. An alarming 2004 United Nations report actually estimated that 35 percent of girls between the ages of 15 and 19 were already married, divorced, or widowed in Burkina Faso.

In addition to the early marriage problems, there is also little equality in most Burkinabè marriages. Though the Burkina Faso family codes state that spouses are equal, and that both parents should share parental authority, the men are still considered to be the head of the family. All decisions men make are expected to be obeyed by their wives. The problems start to occur when the men are not able to make enough money to support their families, creating a situation where their wives are then forced to work and contribute to the household finances. Most men in this country have a hard time seeing women as their equals, so the fact that they are the same economically also tends to lead to problems. It is for these reasons, and many more that Camp G²LOW wishes to work with gender equality alongside both girls and boys.

One can use the practice of female genital mutilation as a case study for the power of educating a country. The OECD estimated in 2009 that 72% of Burkinabè women have undergone female genital mutilation (FGM). FGM was criminalized in 1996 and it is estimated that FGM for women ages 15 to 19 has dropped to 65% --more positive changes are anticipated for the future. Part of the reason there was a drop in the number of girls who underwent FGM was because of extensive education campaigns against the practice, as well as campaigns to spread the new laws regarding the practices (United Nations Development Program). During Camp G²LOW campers will discuss gender equality, women’s and men's rights and responsibilities, safeguards against sexual harassment and domestic violence, and health care for both men and women.

Lastly, Camp G²LOW will include several types of physical empowerment activities. In a high stress environment, the ability to relax and depend upon inner strength to face obstacles is of utmost importance. For this reason, the campers will be taught relaxation and stress relief techniques. A healthy mind, body, and attitude, coupled with individuality, independence, and self-reliance are significant attributes to Burkina’s youth today. Through these various activities, Camp G²LOW will empower participants to make changes in their lives by: raising awareness of existing opportunities in the community, providing resources to campers, and instilling new-found confidence in the students.

Recruitment and Expansion

Recruitment of campers will take place in the spring of 2011. The administrations of 30 middle schools surrounding the regional capitals of Kaya and Boromo will be asked to nominate eight high-performing, middle school students for consideration as participants in G²LOW 2011. These young men and women should demonstrate characteristics of leadership, enthusiasm for learning, and teamwork.

HCNs will play a vital role in Camp G²LOW 2011. Each PCV counselor will invite a HCN from their community to work alongside the PCVs. The HCNs will be in charge of the traditional training portion of the camp and will set the expectations for work and interaction, facilitate sessions in their specialty areas or work field, and will lead discussions specifically related to culturally sensitive subjects such as sexual harassment and women’s rights. In addition to leading sessions, HCNs will serve as valuable interpreters and translators of the Volunteers and will hopefully make lasting personal connections with the camp participants. Prior to the start of the camp, a training of trainers (TOT) will be held with all of the invited facilitators for each camp. The TOT will be a valuable exchange of ideas and will provide an opportunity to discuss the camp as a whole, individual sessions, activity ideas, and teaching techniques. Since HCNs will be involved before, during, and after the camp, they will be trained in the organization, implementation, and facilitation of Camp G²LOW, thus preparing them to replicate the camp in the future.

As stated earlier, Camp G²LOW 2011 will take place in the regional cities of Kaya and Boromo during its first year. Having learned from Camp G²LOW 2011, Camp G²LOW 2012 will be a larger event with sites in four regional capitals to aid the youth in two more additional regions of Burkina Faso. In addition to the increase of participating campers, Camp G²LOW 2012 will be planned with the help and support from the people and government of Burkina Faso. The facilitation of Camp G²LOW 2012 will also include more Burkinabè involvement; the idea is that two or three model participants from Camp G²LOW 2011 will be invited to participate in the Camp G²LOW 2012 to serve as junior counselors and role-models to the new campers. These junior counselors will be assistants to the PCVs and HCNs and can be used to lead sessions, plan and be responsible for various activities, and be building leaders. This opportunity will allow past participants of Camp G²LOW to use and share what they learned at the camp, what work they carried out in their villages based on what they learned at camp, and to develop their leadership skills. The use of peer-to-peer teaching will reinforce everything Camp G²LOW 2011 campers learned in 2011 while at the same time making the message resonate more with 2012 campers; students, after all are more likely to follow the lead and example of their other fellow students. Additionally, the utilization of past participants as junior counselors will help facilitate the transference of Camp G²LOW from being reliant on PCVs to HCNs.

Camp G²LOW will add two more sites in 2013 and 2014. By 2015, Camp G²LOW, with the help and support of the government of Burkina Faso, will be a national camp hosted in Burkina Faso's capitol city of Ouagadougou with students coming together from all 13 of the national regions to work for the encouragement of healthy lifestyles, the development of leadership skills, and the promotion of gender equality.

Citations

United Nations Development Program. “Human Development Index (HDI) - 2010 Rankings.” United Nations, 2010. Web. 29 November 2010 <>.

The World Factbook. “Burkina Faso.” Central Intelligence Agency, 2010. Web. 29 November 2010. < https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/uv.html>.

Mom Comes to Burkina!

Although not off to the start I wanted, my mom made it safely to Burkina Faso! We started the trip off with a day in Ouaga, to let her recuperate from the flight and me to rest from the long voyage back from Ghana. The next day we travelled down to the South of Burkina, to the town Banfora, one of the main touristy places in the country. Once down in Banfora, we arranged for a guide to pick us up the next morning to go site-seeing. After spending the night in one of Burkina’s loveliest hotels, we were well rested for the day ahead of us. But we were not quite prepared. The guide arrived in a beat-up sedan that was supposed to take us 80km on a bad dirt road to Niansogoni, a trogolyte village perched on a cliff top. But we made it, despite the bone jarring ride! We hiked up the cliff to see the cave dwellings that have not been inhabited since 1980. After Niansogoni, we made our way back towards Banfora and stopped along the way to see Sindou peaks. These monumental structures were made by the movement of oceans and wind and hardly any noises disturb the silence. In fact it was a little spooky, but a needed rest from the cars jostling.

The next day found us with the same guide, but we stayed closer to Banfora, so we did not have as long in that dreaded car. We went to the waterfalls of Takeledougou, hidden behind fields and fields of sugarcane. Being at the waterfalls was like being in a different country, or back in the rainforest in Ghana. The trees were humungous and the temperature was downright cold (to me, after being in Burkina 19 months). We hiked up to the waterfalls and enjoyed the view, and the water, which is a rarity here.

Then it was up to Tougouri! I needed to get back to begin teaching again; I was already a week late for the start of the second trimester. Once back at site, we settled into a routine, I’d get up, run, and go to school, Mom would show up a little later, then we’d cook lunch, then go visit people in village, then it’d already be time for dinner! I think Mom enjoyed being in village much more than doing touristy things, but I’m glad she got to see different parts of Burkina. Everyone was very excited to meet my mother and state what a good thing it was for her to come here. Still today, two weeks later, I get asked everyday how my mother is doing back in the U.S.

The final night of her stay in village, we had a big fete (party) to honor her visit. 17 chickens were killed and cooked with a basketful of vegetables. All of the teachers at my school showed up, along with some village friends. The school gave my mother a traditional outfit which she wore and even danced in (once the generator got going, unfortunately). I wasn’t thinking when I said yes, the teachers could bring a generator. This meant there was a loud generator running with music blasting over it in my relatively small courtyard. Oh well, my village friends had a great time.

Then it was time for my Mom to leave. I have to admit it, but I was glad to see her go. It was a GREAT trip and I am thrilled she now knows how I’ve been living for the past two years, but after living alone for this long and all of a sudden having someone around 24/7, I was tired. But I cannot begin to say how thankful I am that she came to visit. I love you Mom.

Now, it’s back to the grind of things. School is in full swing and I’ve taken on a few extra hours teaching sex education classes, which I actually love teaching! It’s a lot of fun to get into topics that the students actually care about and talk about things that are pertinent to their immediate lives. Don’t get me wrong, someday my students may have to know the acidic properties of granite or the lifecycle of algae, but not now. In addition to sex ed, we will be talking about gender issues and inequality, goal settings, and decision-making skills. In addition, I also started a World Map Project at my school, which involved myself and some of my students first drawing, then painting, the world on a concrete slab on the outside wall of the library at my school. Even though I’m still in the beginning stages, it has generated a lot of interest. If I’m ever working on it when the students are not in class, I usually have a crowd of at least 30 students around me watching me. It’s going to be really exciting when it starts to actually become a map of the world.

Hot season is also upon us, on the cusp of breaking. The past few days have been in the low 100s and I’m not excited of sweating for the next 6 months. This past cold season definitely spoiled me. However, it rained (ok, sprinkled) this afternoon. That never happens up North where I am. There are “mango rains” in February, but generally only in the lush, green South of Burkina. So I am a little confused. But not complaining in the least, because rain means cloudy skies which mean a lower temperature. Yay! I will be sleeping well tonight!

That’s all from here at the moment. Again, I apologize for the lack of photos. Please look on facebook for recent pictures. Miss you all!

Bobo Christmas and a Ghana New Years

I know I’m about a month late, but here’s my first of two updates of my current life.

For Christmas, I travelled down to the South of Burkina (about an eight hour bus ride) to meet up with some other volunteers in the city of Bobo-Dioulasso. Bobo is Burkina’s second largest city and is often preferred over Ouaga by PCVs. There may be more faux-types (guides/annoying Burkinabe waiting to prey on hapless tourists), but it has a slower pace of life and is much greener than Ouaga.

The 10 other volunteers and I rented two apartments and ensconced ourselves in American-ness for two full days. Several PCVs had received Christmas decorations from home, so we decorated the apartments to the nines. The decorations made it seem almost Christmasy and were completed with the two-foot high fake tree sent to Julie. Christmas Eve we had a candle-light ceremony complete with hymns accompanied by Colette on the flute. The next morning we awoke to cinnamon buns and exchanged secret Santa stockings. We spent the day cooking an inordinate amount of food and then stuffed ourselves silly. Overall I have to say it was a good Christmas, if one has to spend the holiday away from home.

After Bobo I travelled with Sabrina to Ghana (!!!) for New Years. I was under the impression that all of West Africa is the same, just like Burkina. Boy was I wrong. Now I know why volunteers call Ghana “Americaland.” Even small villages have paved roads, sidewalks, and believe it or not, streetlights! Hard-boiled eggs with sweet Ghana bread, along with fried rice with chicken, can be found on every street corner. It was a dream come true.

Sabrina and I travelled the 24+ hours from Ouaga to make it to the beach to spend four days in utter relaxation. Those days consisted of swim, eat, sleep, swim, eat, sleep. I was not complaining. On New Year’s Eve, a local dance troupe came to perform and we roasted a pig. I stuffed myself silly, again, but again, not complaining. After the calming days at the beach, Sabrina and I went to Cape Coast to visit the slave castle and then onto Kakum Monkey Preserve to do the canopy walk. After that we moved up to Koumasi, Ghana’s second biggest city. The big tourist attraction in Koumasi is the market, so of course Sabrina and I made our way there. I thought I knew markets, but I have never seen Africans move so fast. Everybody was go go go, with something to do! Although Sabrina and I were a little perplexed at first by all of the moment, we prevailed and found beautiful Ghana fabric to bring back home to Burkina.

Sabrina and I were scheduled to take the 5pm bus back to Ouagadougou and were informed at 530pm that the bus would be 7 hours late. Usually, this would not be a problem, as we’ve become habituated to things being late and not running on time, but this time this was a slight problem. My mom was flying into Ouagadougou the next afternoon and I wanted to meet her at the airport! I went up and asked what time the bus (16 hour ride) would be getting into Ouaga and was told it would arrive at 12noon the next day. This did not make any sense to me. And of course, we did not get in until 5pm the following day, with the bus having broken down twice on the way, after the seven-hour delay. Boy was I glad to finally get off the bus and thankfully, some friends of mine went and picked up my mother at the airport. So everything worked out, as it always does!

I want to apologize for the lack of pictures; the internet connection is to slow to upload anything at the moment. Please look on facebook for photos.

Falling for Fall

I think I'm in love...with the weather these days. It's officially "cold" season, where it doesn't get above 100F during the day and drops to the low 80s at night. You don't realize how much the heat takes it out of you until the heat is gone and you can actually be productive between the hours of 12 and 15 without just wanting to lie there, fanning yourself, while dripping with sweat. I still sleep outside (the Burkinabe think I'm crazy), but only in order to use a comforter when it drops below 85F. So every night I sweep my porch, bring a mat outside, drag my mattress out, then my bug hut and finally my blankets. Then I heat water for a shower, take a shower that gives me goosebumps, and crawl into bed under the starlight. I do not have much to complain about at the moment.

School is going well and it's almost already the end of the first trimester. I have only two tests left to give. Technically the trimester does not end until December 23, but the last day to give tests is December 5. After the 5th, teachers spend the majority of the trimester doing grades. Also December is a funky month, in that lots of strikes generally take place. December 6th is predicted to be ferie due to students striking about a student death at the hands of a solider that occurred a few years ago. The 11th is the 50th anniversary of Burkina's independence from France, while December 13th commemorates the death of a journalist and more striking is predicted to occur. So in actuality I will most likely be done teaching next week.

In addition to teaching, lesson planning, and grading tests, I have been busy with a girl's soccer club, teaching English to my nuns, working at Tougouri's malnutrition center, and beginning the process of doing a World Map Project. All in all the time has been flying, although of course some afternoons still drag by. I just finished reading book number 100. My goal is 200, although I am not sure that I'm going to make it with all my current work.

November 16 was Tabaski, a Muslim fete, which was celebrated with a lot of gust in Tougouri. It started at 6am when all the women started cooking food. I bought 3 chickens to be added to the food already being made in my courtyard: meat, riz gras, popcorn, crudite. We finished making the food around 13 and then ate a little bit and proceeded to give away the rest of our food to the neighbors. Then kids started arriving with food to give us from our neighbors. It seemed that we gave away all of our food just to receive the same exact food from our neighbors. People flowed through all afternoon and we gave everyone who came by a plate of food. I also went and visited people, eating a lot of food. Children also came by asking for candy or some coins, while giving us raw meat from the animals that their families had slaughtered for the occasion. All in all, Tabaski was like a mix between Halloween (although no fun costumes) and Thanksgiving with a lot of work for the women while the men just sat around drinking beers and talking all day. Typical.

Burkina elections were held last weekend, with the incumbent President winning again. The elections went off without a hitch and no violence occurred. Cote d'Ivoire's elections are supposed to be today, and we'll see what's going to happen.

Three weeks ago a 6eme student in my village got hit by a gendarme driving too fast through Tougouri. The student was very badly injured, having been thrown at least 6 feet in the air. Fortunately, he is making a good recovery. And of course, no consequences are going to befall the gendarme who hit him.

Last week I was working at the CREN (center for malnutrition) and saw a baby die. I’ve never actually seen someone die and it was disconcerting to say the least. It made me feel helpless and almost ineffectual. This child was sick in the first place due to malnutrition and poor sanitation and was brought to the center too late to really do anything. I wish I could do something about this, but I know it’s very common here and I’m doing the best I can by educating and sharing my knowledge.

I'm in Ouaga for the weekend. I came in early to celebrate Thanksgiving with other PCVs and bureau staff. I ate wayyy too much food, including 2 slices of apple pie (my first in over a year!). My stomach was so unused to the rich food that I got sick Thanksgiving night, but don't worry, it did not spoil the day for me. The rest of the weekend will be spent preparing the budget and project writeup for Camp GLOW (girls leading our world). Camp GLOW is a well-known girls camp in 22 other PC countries but is not yet in Burkina. Another volunteer, Lorena, and I are working to bring Camp GLOW to Burkina. It's going to be a lot of work, but definitely worth it!

I hope that everyone back home had a fantastic Thanksgiving weekend and enjoyed being with friends and family! Miss you!

Gorgeous vegetables!

They never lied about the size of insects in Africa- they're big.

Mariam, Salmad, and me

My little boy, Said, all dressed up for Tabaski

Summer 2010

Hello there! Long time no see. So I've been very busy during the past few months. I'm just going to recap a little bit. During the month of August I taught English in Ouagadougou at the American Language Center. My class consisted of 15 bright Ouagalais students. Teaching in Ouaga was a very different experience than teaching in village. First of all, the class size was much smaller- 15 students as compared to 100 students. We also had supplies, like tv, paper, markers, and glue! In addition to teaching English, we did a lot of American camp-like activities. It was fun, especially to see another aspect of life here in Burkina, however it didn't really feel real, as if I was almost living in a dream world, because it wasn't the Burkina I know.

Me and my class at the American Language Center

On September 5th, I left Ouaga for Po, a city in the south of Burkina, to kick off the bike tour. From the 6th to the 23rd, I, along with other volunteers, pedaled around Burkina on my bike to raise awareness about Peace Corps (and its 50th anniversary) and to raise money for gender and development projects. I had a fantastic time seeing much of Burkina, learning about this country I'm serving in, and becoming closer friends with my fellow volunteers.

After the bike tour, I went back to site, after being away for a long time. It felt so good to be back and everyone was so welcoming. The first night back in Tougs I stayed up until midnight talking with my neighbors, which is very late, considering I'm usually in bed by 8pm in village. School started October 1st, but still some teachers have not arrived yet from vacation. I've already been teaching for a week and it's so much better than last year- in all aspects! I already know what I'm doing this year, have the French down (for the most part...), understand the school system, etc. I have already started planning secondary activities, so this year is looking good!

I hope you're all doing well at home, loving the cooler fall weather!

Enjoy the photos!

Ready to start!

Driving across a flooded barrage

Broken down in the dark, in the middle of nowhere

Who knew there were hills in Burkina?

Cutting a watermelon, of course with a machete

Soccer game in a volunteer's village

Getting the car un-stuck

Welcome to Takeledougou!

Marita riding off into the sunrise

Bike Tour on Three

one, two, three....BIKE TOUR. HUZZAH!

I'm currently participating in a bike tour around Burkina Faso to raise money for gender and development activities in addition to raising awareness of Peace Corps around Burkina and to celebrate Peace Corps' 50th anniversary. Check out the blog at:

http://www.burkinabiketour.blogspot.com/

Take care!!

Rains Down in Africa

Usually when you think of summer, you think of hot, sweltering heat, right? Well summer here in Burkina is a little different. Yes, it is hot and sweltering (as usual), but there is the relief of rain. Clouds are constantly on the horizon, bringing the hope of relief of the heat. Hot season is over and now it’s rainy season. Before coming to Burkina, I thought that “rainy season” meant monsoons, with rain every day, or at least every other day. Instead, it rains about once a week in my village, and more often in the south. Despite the fact that there are no monsoon-like rains, the rain is still very welcome and cools down the earth to a more manageable temperature. So, thank god for the rains.

Since getting back from the U.S., I have been busy. I stayed in Ouaga for a few days after I arrived to get some things done, such as dentist, etc. Then I went to Tougouri for a few days. It was a little odd being back in village because the village seemed dead! The villagers were all out in the fields cultivating and the functionaries had all gone back to Ouaga or their home villages. So my courtyard was empty, which was a little disconcerting being alone after being with people for so long. The one time I want people in my courtyard, they’re all gone!

The next week I came back to Ouaga to participate in Coaching for Hope, a program to teach coaches how to coach and how to teach about HIV/AIDS through soccer. Overall, I think the formation went well and the Burkinabe counterparts, which each volunteer brought from their village, learned a lot. However, there were some difficulties due to cultural differences, such as the Burkinabe love to argue and talk on and on and on and Americans do not. When we’re done with a session and we’ve covered all of the topics, just let us go, instead of talking about something not related for an extra hour. Or, we don’t like pushing in line when the food comes. And, saying “give me food now” is not nice! But, the goals of the formation were covered (for the most part) and we all left feeling better for having done it. Although I must admit that I was very happy when it was over.

Last week I went down to Gaoua, a town in Southern Burkina Faso, for a wedding between a volunteer, Jillian, and a Burkinabe, Ibe. It was amazing to see the mix of American and Burkinabe cultures that were incorporated at the wedding. Jillian did a GREAT job of putting it all together and I’m sure that Gaoua had never seen anything like it before. Jillian and Ibe had already technically gotten married at a Muslim wedding a few weeks before, but this was the civil wedding that made the marriage “official” in the eyes of the government. This civil wedding was at the Marie (mayor’s office) and Jillian had to fight to have the wedding outdoors, but she succeeded! The Burkinabe did not want the wedding to be outside because they did not Americans to see pictures from the wedding and think that Burkina cannot afford a building for the mayor- shows what they know about American weddings!

The ceremony was beautiful, as Jillian had designed a pretty tent to be under. The mayor fought that as well, stating that he needed to sit at his big desk and his big desk would not fit under the small tent. I asked why he had to sit at this particular desk and why not bring a smaller desk outside. I was told that the mayor does not sit at small desks. Anyway, everything went smoothly and the wedding went off without a hitch. Except during the ceremony, the mayor went over the rules of marriage in Burkina and started saying things such as “All decisions must be made together, but if there is a disagreement the man decides” or “If you move to the U.S., you must do it together, but if both parties do not want to move, the man decides where you will live.” At one point during this Jillian leans over to Ibe and says “Ce n’est pas vrai” (It’s not true). Go Jillian!

After the civil ceremony, everyone moved to a restaurant for the reception. I got there early to check on decorations and make sure that everything was in order. Then the guests started showing up. I believe that over 400 people came into that small restaurant, of which 30 were fellow volunteers. The restaurant sure got crowded! After drinks, food, and the giving of the gifts, the dancing started and continued on into the night. I had a great time and hope Jillian and Ibe did too! Best of luck to them!

After the wedding I came back to Ouaga and have been working at the American Language Center, planning for English classes that will begin next week.

Coaching for Hope

My counterpart, Konate, and I

Obviously professional soccer players

Marita, Kim, and I excited about soccer

Jillian and Ibe

Civil Wedding Ceremony

All of the "nasaras" at Jillian and Ibe's wedding

I've found my new husband! (Doesn't he dress nice?)