School year 09-10 has officially been declared a year of war against illiteracy in our village. Initiated by motivated and supportive parents, school faculty, and village leaders, we are in the process of implementing many programs to increase school enrollment, especially for girls, and adult literacy! Now with one trimester under our belt we are moving steadily towards realizing our goal! The following are some of our projects and programs...

Resource Center and Library - In collaboration with the Peace Corps Partnership Program, we are in the process of fundraising money open a resource center and library! The resource center will provide reading materials, other education learning tools, a space for studying, and will be a base of many literacy programs. Currently, village contributions include the building/space for the center, some educational materials, and over 800 books! YEAH! We are now asking friends and family to help complete the project with financial support for some furnishings, more books, and other educational supplies. Please visit https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=resources.donors.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=686-122 to donate (its tax-deductable!) to give the children of my village the education they deserve!

Parent Association Trainings - Lead by the departmental Parent As, we are traveling to each of the 30+ primary schools to train each other their parent associations on their role, organization, and implementation of girls education promotion. In Burkina Faso, parent associations are a relatively new concept. Little is understood as to the importance of the parent-school relations and how to effectively run a parent association. In such trainings, parents will learn basic functions such as taking meeting minutes, project prosal development, finance management and project management. Also, specifically mothers will be trained on how to support and advocate for girls education.

Koamba Karem Koamba (3K) Tutoring Program - In local language Koamba Karem Koamba means children teaching children. A basic concept found in many programs in the US - such as Big Brother Big Sister - the 3K tutoring program is based off the idea of older kids teaching and mentoring younger children. Classes in the primary schools are overcrowded with limited resources. Often children without a strong french influence outside of class are left behind lost and confused due to the lack of educational support and supplies. With the start of a tutoring program, younger girls will be tutored one on one by older students to ensure comprehension of class topics focusing on reading and writing - ultimately increasing exam rates and lowering dropouts and repeating of classes.

Female Role Model Guest Speaker Series - Starting in January, each month we will bring a guest speaker to talk to 6th grade girls on the importance of their education, studying, and planning for their future. Guest speakers will be responsible, respectable women from village and the regional capital who defy typical gender roles and have suceeded in their studies. We chose 6th grade girls to motivate and inspire further educational excellence since they will be taking their national exam in may to continue to secondary school.

Literacy class promotion - In January literacy classes will be starting for women in local language. Through sensibilizations and enrollment myself, we aim to double class enrollment from last year to increase womens literacy (did you know... 36% of women are literate in Burkina Faso!) We hope to change that in my village!

Lifeskills and Sexual Education Program - My village is lucky to have a small girls hostel supported by a German association. The hostel provides necessities such as food, shelter, school supplies and fees to 26 teenage girls from outlying villages in our department. Each girl stays at the hostel during the school year to go to middle school. The lifeskills and sexual education program is supplemental to their studies with sessions and activities each weekend on topics such as safe sex, HIV AIDS, money management, family planning etc.

Outside the realm of literacy and girls education we have also programed many other activities...

English clubs - weekly clubs to promote english comprehensionRadio club - club of secondary girls to make radio blurbs to sensibilize the public on girl sensitive issues such as force marriage, excision, girls education, etcMoringa trainings - implementation of the Moringa tree into school gardens and lunch programs. The Moringa tree is a durable and nutritious source of vitamins. Its leaves can be used in different sauces and powder can be used to purify water.Activities for the International celebration of Womens Day on March 8th on the theme of family plannig and maternal healthLatrine training on how to build latrines and promote health and hygieneAgriculture training on better cultivating and gardening techniquesand many others!!Yes, we are busy! And we like it that way!

Its ironic... I joined the peace corps as a girls education and empowerment volunteer, sent into small villages to empower women and children to study and go to school. However, everyday I find myself to be the one empowered. Empowered by the incredible drive of the peope of my village who will go to any length to put their children in school. Empowered by parents who are not satisfied just with enrollment but strive to provide their children with the best education with the best resources possible. Empowered by the women that despite their inability to speak french sit down every night with their daughters to help them study.. Empowered by the spirit of the children... There are only 8 months left in our war against illiteracy until my departure but I can ensure that these amazing people will continue their fight until they recieve what they deserve.. the absolute best.

Please help us in providing books and educational materials to the children of Burkina Faso.

Donate at the peace corps website https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=resources.donors.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=686-122

help us complete our community resource center! More specific details to come!

Happy Holidays and New Year!

-Meighan

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU

to everyone who have supported the victims of the flooding in BF!!

to everyone who have supported our new library and literacy program initiative!!

Thank you for your generosity, huge caring hearts, and devotion to my projects!

Updates on library progression coming soon!

Love yall

-Meighan

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8235040.stmIm currently collecting donations to provide food stuffs, soap, and clothing for the hundreds of thousands homeless in Burkina Faso's capital. Homes have been destroyed and people have been left with nothing, forced to live in schools and other public buildings. I know times are tough in the US right now, but if you can spare anything please contact me. Any and all help is appreciated.Love,Meighan

Made it home for a while (a few days late due to some scandalous airline incidences).. Butttt.. now Im back to the wonderfully hot Burkina Faso. It was great to see everyone and experience the precious amenities that come along with being in America but Im more than happy to be back! More updates on my village to come.. I leave to site tomorrow!

almost forgot..

Happy Belated Mommys day!!

Happy Belated Birthday Dad!!

Happy Fathers Day in advance!!

Due to some complicated circumstances I will be village hopping for a month untillllll coming home to see all of yalls beautiful faces! Will be spending 1-2 weeks in Sunyatas village in the East working on girls camps and an awesome photo project with her... then hopping into the north to Anne's village to work on yet another girls camp, micro credit/savings project, and other activities.. only to finish my month out in ouaga where I will be working with a theater group to give sensibilizations on HIV AIDS and girls education before hopping on AIR SENEGAL for about 10 hours to come home to sunny florida :)

Ill get home the 3rd of July and will be staying at my parents house... sooooo if you wanna see me come find me!

Only requests are no hot tea, no rice, no pasta, no luke warm soda or beer, no starches.. lots of ice cubes, air conditioning, friends, laughter, and fun

1 month and counting!

Hello from BF!Yes its been 3 months but please forgive me.. Ive been busy..Everyone has been emailin me like crazy and with limited internet access.. cant even seem to get internet in the regional capital anymore.. ive been a lil behind on gettin back to yall and havent had time to update in a while.. so if ya love me please forgive, and lets move on to the update shall we? :D

Ok yea so the first 3 month "adjustment" period is over and the real work has started.. right now I'm in the midst of many projects and activities and would appreciate any help, suggestions, advice, networking yall have to offer!

Weekly activities include.. work in the kindergarten class with writing and reading.. just imagine.. one teacher teaching 70 6year olds in french when they dont understand french and she doesnt speak the same local language as they do.. so yea the white girls gives the teacher a break and inspires the lil ones to come back regardless of the beatings at school or how little they understand the both of us.. 

baby weighing/vaccinations at the local clinic.. I do this every market day (every 5 days) with my counterpart.. its a good opportunity to meet and know the new mothers in village and our surrounding 29 villages while throwing in some girls education, HIV/AIDS, and nutrition sensibilizations while I'm at it..study groups... all ages, male and female students from the primary school.. come to my house 3/4 times a week to study under my solar flash lampgirls theater group.. just getting this up and started.. but going to coupled with study sessions.. and theater will be focused on controversial subjects such as excision, forced marriage, girls education and other themes that the girls chooseenglish class... every saturday afternoon.. for the civil servants (aka teachers, directors, nurses etc)collaboration/aid at orphanage in the regional capital at least once a week.. working with troubled teens, especially girls, to keep them off the streetsgirls education sensibilizations.. I live in the commune of Perigban which also has 29 smaller satelite villages.. each week I go and give small sensibilizations regarding girls education while helping the staff of the local clinic give vaccinations to newborns and childrenlanguage classes.. taking french classes and starting to take lobiri (our local language) once a weekOther projects...fundraising for a Womens Center... in village there are many motivated women's groups.. and building a womens center in village will 1. give them a place to work 2. give them a sense of pride and 3. foster a better economy in village... almost finished writing the project.. waiting on a last few details in regards to a budget.. but hope to have it completed in april.. to start looking for sponsors/partners/financers in the US.. WE NEED YOUR HELP!! Please let me know if you would like to donate or know of any groups or organizations willing to help!Sex Education/HIV/AIDS Workshop for middle school girls in June.. we just had another pregnancy in our school.. this time she is only 13 years old! Thus to counteract the lack of general knowledge, lack of sex ed in school, and rising pregnancy rates.. I'm holding a 2-3 day workshop for my girls at the end of the school year with informational sessions, group speakers and demonstrations.fundraising for a small enterprise project with the protestant womens group... like I said earlier, the women are motivated they just need a little help in the right direction! The Protestant Womens Group want to start raising chickens and selling the eggs. I personally think its a great idea!! Because for one thing, no one else does this in village which = good market and demand, and for another I LOVE eggs! I will definitely will be a loyal client :) So yes once again almost finished with the budget to complete the project write up and will again need some love sent from home in the form of help and donation to make it a success!Girls Education Bike-a-thon... projected for September.. starting to organize a 200km bike-a-thon to promote girls education.. we would like to sensibilize at least 10 villages, specificially parents of girls, on the value of their education and the necessity of sending them to school for the new school year to start in October 2009Village Library.. this will be an ongoing project for all of my service or until we collect a substantial amount of books.. thanks to a french group of students who visited village in december, we are already off to a good start with approximately 30ish books.. thanks also to the Darian Book Aid and BooksforLife organizations who are supporting our village and have books on the way!Moringa sensibilizations.. originally learned about this amazing tree in Fort Myers and am still promoting it here.. it has an outrageous amount of vitamins and many other medicinal uses.. so I am starting my own moringa garden and giving sensibilizations to my womens groups, csps, and schools on how to incorporate it into their diets to fight malnutrition in village

Other things in village.. well.. March 8th is International Women's Day.. a very important holiday in Burkina Faso especially for us girls education and empowerment volunteers.. so I am helping organize the festivities which include a bike race for the girls, a soccer match between the girls and women, theater presentations, and a dance that evening.. so for all the men out there.. think about us on Sunday and do something special for your wives and daughters!

Overall, things are going well.. I have adjusted well to village and am trying to keep busy.. besides work Im the unofficial mother of about 20-30 (no exaggeration) children under the age of 10.. who come to my house to play or study pretty much everyday.. I love it.. they are my sanity and relief when I get frustrated with the stubborn mentality I confront day to day in village.. they make up most of my neighbor kids and now call themselves djiabloh ker bisana which translates into the white womans children in lobiri.. i love em to death and they are the reason i hate leaving village for extended periods of time.. when i told them i was leaving for a week to do a training (why i have the time to write you right now) in ouaga, the capital, the little ones cried and begged me to stay.. it breaks my heart to leave them now.. i can only imagine when my 2 years are up..

so yea.. things are good. im happy and healthy.. and need all the support and help I can get from yall back home! I promise to update more regularly than every 3 months.. but bare with my nonreliable internet..

miss you allthink of yall often

-meighie

Hello everyone!!!

Love you miss you dont have time to write much today but be expecting a blog next week!

thinking of you all

Happy Turkey Day

My life in Africa is a series of hellos and goodbyes. Each day new friendships are formed while others are lost amongst the inevitable changes life in Burkina throws at us. Yet accepting the continuous flow of people and things in and out of my existence here is not the challenge - for some reason ive mastered the skill of adaptability quite easily. The true challenge is not basing my happiness or lack thereof upon the loss of close relationships and necessity to start over making new ones time and time again. Tis month I've started to form relationships with my new village, the lobi culture, my best friend in village, my neighbor children who come to have "art hour", the staff at the school, Gaoua (my regional capital) among other new experiences and relationships that make life here happier and easier to live. Yet each hello is matched with a goodbye. September has marked goodbyes to close volunteer friends placed on the other side of the country, to others who have recently early terminated and decided BF isnt for them, goodbye to a neighbor lady who died from AIDS and another baby from "unknown" causes (most likely malaria). And soon a goodbye to my closest friend in village who is being sent to the capital for sewing school for the whole 2 years im here.

I have only started my rollercoaster ride of hellos and goodbyes in month ONE of TWENTY FOUR.. and although the emotional whirlwind of ups and downs makes some days trying... I known this is where Im supposed to be. For every hello there is a goodbye.. and for every goodbye another hello is bound to follow it. Luckily, I live each day for the Hellos!!

Hello Loghan - Miss your beautiful face! Keep up the good work in school and keep smiling.. Love you more than anything

Hello Momma -Love you n miss you! Stay strong and true to yourself! Im always thinking about you

Hello Randall - Miss you! Persistence, trust, and patience.. whats done is done but only you can make things better! Love you

Hello Ms. Dascal's social studies classes - Looking forward to hearing from you soon!

Hello Jesse n Norma - Thanks for all the support!!

Hello Uncle Donny n Aunt Carol - Yall are in my thoughts and prayers.. Miss you!

Hello Karen n Dave Markam - Thinking of you! (Mail on the way)

Hello Aunt Donna, Noel, Marie, and Grandpa - Missing you all! Thanks for everything!!

Hello Aunt Patti, Uncle Brian, and fam - Yall are always in my thoughts, Thank you for your endless support and faith in me

Hello Samantha - Miss you soooo much! Your letters always make my day... my week.. my month! Hope you are doing better!

Hello Joy - Love you! Hope you are rockin it at ESPN! Miss you!!

Hello Cassie - Miss you.. Cant believe Jada is going to at least 5 by the time I get to see her.. Thinking of you!

Many of you have been asking about address change since Ive moved to village... But its going to stay the same since having a post box at the regional capital is too expensive. Thanks to all of you who have been faithful writers! The letters and packages mean the world to me!!

Ahhh.. life feels right again! Im now at my village and getting settled in quite nicely.. I now live in a luxurious functionaire style hut with 2 bedrooms, living/kitchen area and indoor douche.. right now chez moi is surrounded by corn fields, mango trees, and shea trees in full green glory. Each morning I wake up, make some instant coffee/tea sit on my porch and take in my beautiful new home more and more. Pictures to come at the end of the month I hope!!

The people are wonderful. Although I have spent most of my first week relaxing after high impact stage and just settling in.. without making a conscious effort I have met some great people.. All zho have made my transition to living on my own in Burkina fairly fluid so far. My neighbors are very welcoming and have adopted me as their new daughter, Yeriboo (in the lobi culture the first born daughter is always Yeri and Boo apparently means petite in lobiri, the local language here.. sooo I was Mariam kidiga in the Mossi region and am now Yeriboo in the lobi region) My homologue, the director and teachers of my school have been beyond helpful as well. The director (principal) gives me french tutoring everyday, is extremely patient, and helps provide any need I may have. He is my closest friend here so far as I spend the majority of the day with him. One of the neighbor girls comes to check on me often too. Shes a little younger than me, just finished trade school for sewing and is starting to take me under her wing.. We have plans to go to a catholic church together next week and she wants me to teach her some english in exchange for cooking and sewing lessons. Leave it to Africa to make me become more domesticated!!!

Language... woah.. Ive been on french overload!! The first few days were rough around the edges in the communication department! Butttt things are getting better! When my private tutoring started my director realized that i can read, write, and overall comprehend more than I can speak.. and since then he introduces me as the American who understands french but cant speak it which was a bit irritating at first i must admit but doesnt seem to matter as much now as im starting to speak better and better each day.. not even 4 days into tutoring and he attempted to have a religious philosophical discussion with me in french! I tried to explain to him that I didnt believe in any specific religion or god because i didnt think it was possible for one thing to create the universe. After hearing his views and over an hour of french frustration i can conclude that he still really doesnt understand why im not religious but has accepted my stance in good humor when i told him that my French/english dictionary will be my bible for the next 2 years (AMEN)!! Things are good tho.. vraiment.. Although I often go to bed zith headaches from langue overkill I can acknowledge improvements ( yet small ones) all the time. Par example: most of my dreams are in French! And often when im thinking to myself its mostly in french.. i happen to think that in the linguistic world these are big feats! But going days with no english will do that to ya.. Next week starts english training however. Along with computer classes (my director is the only person in village who has used one) im going to give language lessons to the director and interested teachers who are eager to speak english. and looknig into the future ... Lobiri classes for me are scheduled for January!

In concluding..

Random thoughts, revelations, and decisions after my first week "on my own" in Burkina...

perserverence is keybeing a low maintenance american in africa bewilders the shit out of the locals*children are my inspiration and motivation here.. which solidifies my decision to adopt post grad degreethe difficulties of stage are nothing like what my life is going to be like herewith or without electricity, grocery stores, or nearby restaurants.. I STILL hate cooking!television is an unneccesary commodity and i can easily go the rest of my life without one. A radio, however, isnt! I bought one today to listen to the news.Lobi to kicks some Mossi to ass.. but Mossi peanuts are the closest thing to Jiff Ive had hereReading has become a new enjoyable past time and mark my words I actually MISS doing research (never thought i would say that after last semester)I will vote this year - unlike previously when i found it irrevelantpets are out of the question in Burkina and the dogs disappoint me to no end (Ginger could rock their worlds!!)rain has become one of the greatest pleasures of lifethe diarrhea gods have moved on to another victim!my only arch nemisis in BF is laundry which in all honesty is the same in the US which makes me believe Im destined for retirement in a nudist colony somewhere in the Carribbean hah!The lobi culture is a new unique world that im eager to make my ownI couldnt be more happier starting my 2 years in Burkina Faso!!7 days down 723 to go!!!

the road to my villagemy host hut :D small but just rightin my quartier (group of huts kinda like a neighborhood) view outside my front doorbehind my quartier.. baobab treeprimary school off into the distance.. clouds were amazing that dayfields between the bogoyas

Absetu, my gorgeous lil host sister.. 4 years oldMy kids!!! And not even all of them...Lizetta, Absetu, and another lil girl in my family (right to left)my host grandmother that always complains that i dont eat enoughRasmane, my host father

my host mom, Adamata, in the yellow pounding millet with another woman in our quartier

Yes the countdown has commenced.. with less than 20 days left in our training everyone is getting anxious to go to site and finally get the ball rolling. Days seem to creep by but the weeks seem to go fast.. Odd reality we live in.

Nothing too exciting lately to "write home about" but heres some highlights:

got my phone and am loving the wonderful calls from home!! i miss you all dearly!my french is actually getting a lil better.. i was getting frustrated cuz it seemed like I hit a plateau for a while but now I think Im finally making more progress :)our dropout rate has risen again to 3ppl.. one girl recently left due to her mother having to get surgery back at home.. we hope shes doing well and maybe next year she will return but who knowsIve been getting over being sick again this week - I got an amobea.. but dont fret my immune system is kicking its parasitic ass!!Getting a dress made for our swear-in ceremony this week.. i think blue or red.. my first burkinabe clothing.. hopefully ill have my camera by then so I will be able to show yall how it turns out!Upcoming Events:12th - teaching Life Skills in model school23rd - final language test! woot woot!!25th - last day with host family26th - heading to Ouaga for the last training sessions before site29th - swear-in ceremony at the Ambassador's1st - OFF TO SITE!!!!!!!The next few days cant go by quick enough.. as yall know im not a patient person haha.. but each day is a lil bit closer and easier.. especially with all your love from home!! Miss you :)

011 (to call out of US) 226 (country code) 76155838 (my number!!)

My advice.. google for burkina calling cards to find a good rate but be careful.. it has to be for a cellphone..

If you are lazy.. check out speedypin.com.. I heard 5 dollar segments can get you around 35 minutes

Love yall.. cant wait to hear from you :)

And check out my new and improved wishlist on the side column and keep a look out for my phonenumber.. should be getting a cell phone any day now!!

Much thanks to everyone who has sent me letters & packages!! (The fam, Aunt Donna, Samantha!!!)

You rock!!

so this is the first time Ive had the chance to write complete real thoughts about my experience so far.. to put things in perspective.. Im currently laying on a mat under a tree outside the primary school in my homestay village during our lunch break.. today is unique in that i have some alone time other than while i sleep at night. usually there are always people around especially kids so even when we have breaks from training there are people around. today the village is in mourning though since one of the village chiefs died. we will be going to the funeral in a couple of of hours to show our respects but due to that no one is around.. they are either with the family or out cultivating. so anyway thus far i have mixed feelings in regards to my experience so far. its been really hard for me to tolerate having every moment of my day micromanaged.. as everyone knows Im extremely independent and really like to make my own choices/decisions and that is simply not a possibility here. it seems like every breath of my day has been noted and accounted for and this is why i cant wait for training to be fucking over already. training is in my mind the equivalent to a college graduates' summer camp. there is a weekly newsletter that is complete trash, community meetings for upcoming "events" - the most recent that makes me want to vomit is a talent show! seriously a talent shown in the worlds poorest country when we cant even speak their language yet.. what the fuck? everyday i question why people are really here.. for some this is just an easy way to get in the state department, a free language program, an option because they didn't want "to work" after graduation etc etc.. and it all makes me sick.. these kids are more concerned with spending their time organizing summer camp activities than opening their eyes to the poverty around them.. Im not trying to be against group morale whatsoever but i just cant relate to these kids and how they are okay with rubbing their American privilege in the faces of the poorest people in the world. Sooo training has become a countdown until the day i can go to my own village, emerse myself in this culture in every way possible to make a positive impact, and distance myself from these self absorbed "do-gooders"... it is the mentality of the americans that surround me that make this so difficult.. not the tasteless food, the extreme temperatures, shitting in a hole, having diarrhea, biking kilometers to town or lack of communication with the outside world.. i can handle all of that with ease. Im a very adaptable person but i cant seem to handle the ignorance of those around me. As a result i have been labeled not only as one of the "bad asses" but as on of the groups cynics. But i just keep telling myself that Im here for different reasons and wont be spending my two years in the same situation Im in right now. There is no doubt in my mind that i wont complete what i set out to do Ive just come to realize my greatest struggle will be tolerance over the next couple months.

It really is impossible to explain life here. yeah i could recite a typical day...

wake up at 6, bucket bath, eat bread and have tea, go to tech/cultural/language classes at local primary school with the other trainees from 8-5ish, go back to my host family , bucket bath again, study/interact with them, eat dinner, sleep and repeat.. with slight variances when we go to town for training..

but that could never accurately describe my life even with more details.. yes living is simple here but its the small things that complicate it. Lack of means of communication is by far the greatest struggle.. i live with a host family that i don't understand because i don't speak their language. and i don't even mean french which i can kind of understand and get my point across in (but not really).. in my host family of over 20 people, only 2.5 people speak french.. the rest only moore (the local language) getting my laundry or better yet just the water for my laundry takes leaps and bounds. out of my 2.5 french speakers 2 are my preadolescent moody host sisters who don't understand me most of the time and lie to me. the .5 is my host dad who at this point may know less french than me. the rest all speak moore which i can only do greetings in. so it took me over a week to get my sister to finally get extra water so i could do my laundry. she kept saying "yes" when i would ask her if i could do it then would just walk away or would sometimes say "tomorrow" but tomorrow never comes! Needless to say we all have developed a new determination of what is dirty of clean. There will be times that i wear the same clothes 2 or 3 times before i wash them and even then they would still be considered clean in Burkina Faso standards. Washing clothes alone takes me at least 2 hours. There is no machine not even and old fashioned washing board! There is a certain technique using your wrist that i have either not mastered yet or haven't built up the touch skin for yet because you scrub against your wrist and by the time Im done my hands/wrists are raw and bleeding. not fun but a necessity for now. Most volunteers hire kids/neighbors in village to cook or fetch water for them.. I think id rather pay to have my laundry done and do the others myself!

Luckily however laundry is the hardest thing of the household duties.. i dont cook right now.. my host family provides 2 meals a day for me.. breakfast = bread and hot tea and dinner = some form of pasta/rice/carbs. For lunch if i have an appetite i will have fruit or whatever i can find in village or a real meal in town. Very rarely do i eat protein in village and safe meat in town is hard to find. I basically rely on eggs and peanuts for my protein source while in town and every once in a while will have bruschettes ( a beef kabob) that are really good a one of the "nice" restaurants. My diet will improve greatly once i get to my own site and will have complete control over what i eat which as you all know will require the least amount of cooking and involve as many fruits/veggies i can get. I wont be cooking over an open fire though.. i will get a gas stove concoction thats available here instead.

Other aspects of life for me here are just different not necessarily harder than the US. No running water or electricity is fairly easy to live without.. I do most of my studying, reading, writing by lantern or flashlight and have only wanted electricity for a fan when I first got here and the heat was over 100 degrees in my hut. It will be cooler living at my actual site though.. in the south its cooler and my hut is in a forest (aka lots of shade). As for water I have a huge filter that holds several gallons for drinking and several buckets for other things like baths and washing. when you really think about it you don't even need running water and electricity.

Transportation is just different too. Luckily I enjoy biking (some volunteers don't and struggle with it everyday) and biking approx. 7 kilos to town doesnt bother me. Its actually a nice break and you can get "slightly alone" time. You are never truly alone in Africa. Its also great exercise that I need since I eat more carbs in a week than i did all last year at home (no exaggeration!) You would think people lose weight here but the medical officers and other volunteers say that most gain due to the carbs. As for me.. I've lost 10lbs so far and hope to keep it off! Other means of transport include taxis, buses, and any other car/truck that is willing to take you somewhere. Motos aka wannabe extremely small and much slower versions of motorcycles are everywhere but we are not allowed to ride on them via peace corps safety policy. Oh and of course you can just walk! which everyone does a lot of...

Physical aspects Ive described havent been hard for me to adjust to but life here is definitely hard, tough, and at times merciless for those born and raised in Burkina Faso. As a population they are struggling to survive against rising costs of living, lack of education, and means of making a living. They are the most hardworking people Ive ever met, the women especially. The women wake up at 4/5am and dont get to bed until at least 11! They are the first to rise and last to rest. A villegoise woman's workload is incredible.. and when you question why the women work so much the men reply "because they like to work." HAH The paternal hierarchy is overwhelming and will be a great force to confront when trying to get more girls in school, especially higher education. The lack of resources combined with increasing costs of living doesnt make things easier either. Approximately 500CFA = $1US.. with 500 cf. you could feed a whole family in village. Yet that 500 cf. is hard to come by when your crops havent harvested yet. Most people seem to only work to feed their family if that is even possible. At least 90% of the kids in my village have overextended undernourished bellies. Kids may only have one/two outfits which are typically ripped , torn and rotated between kids. Others may only have a skirt or just one piece of clothing to wear at a time. Children get excited if i have an empty soda bottle because that means they have a new top! The poverty is so apparent . And this is why I get so angered at the others preoccupied with talent shows, going to the hotel pool every weekend, and other Peace Corps training summer camp activities.

End rant :)

Hello hello..

Its been a long couple of weeks and i miss you all beaucoup beaucoup! I went to visit my site for a couple days and it is beautiful! I live in the middle of a forest in rolling hills/mountains! The weather is very similar to florida there during the rainy season it is sunny or partially cloudy all the time and rains once a day.. everything there is beautiful and amazingly green in comparison to the north of the country where i am training right now.. but ever since site visits staying and tolerating training gets harder and harder.. we all have going thru a roller coaster of emotions in regards to how valid and helpful training really is going to be.. we all do agree that language is the hardest thing.. im learning more and more french but its hard for me to understand the girls since they are all taught to be so shy and meek.. they talk so so softly and always have something in front of their mouths so i cant even read their lips to help myself figure out what they are saying.. but cest la vie i suppose.. while at site i got in a really deep conversation with the director of the school in regards to girls education.. he told me that in general girls outnumber the boys in primary and middle school but when it comes to sending a girl to highschool at the closest city parents dont think its worth it.. he said that families feel that most of the girls will just get pregnant and thus the family would have wasted money on their education when they will never do anything with it.. as a result he said that sexual education is really needed in my site and would like me to teach it.. although im not here to actually teach in schools i told him i would be glad to and hope to devise a program to incorporate sex ed into all 7 primary schools in my area along with the few CEGs (middle schools) and somehow make it so they teach themselves so it will be sustainable when i leave in two years.. who knows what will happen though.. this is just my first impression so far and my initial thoughts after site.. overall training has just been exhausting and i wish there was a chip i could insert into the back of my head for french!

during one of my frustrated moments i decided to write down the positives instead of bitching to one of the fellow discouraged volunteers like we usually do so here goes..

things that make me smile/laugh while living in Africa

being the mediator of a conversation between 2 people not even three feet away from each other cuz "thats just how they save face around here"hearing RKellys "Im a flirt" blasting in the streets of ouahigouyacharming my way out of getting arrested in broken french zhen ze zent down a one way street the wrong way and didnt realize it.. and as a result just leaving with his number insteadwhen vendors change the music to old school hip hop as soon as we approach themthe 20 kids in my hood chanting kindo mariam (my new african name) instead of nasara (white girl) when i come home after trainingcold bissap juice after getting FOUR flat tires in less than 2 hoursthe old ladies that carry on in moore and expect me to understand their local language completely after one monthvillage dances where we are clearly the outcasts the whole night but get praise for going and dancing for weeks afterwardromantisized bucket baths by moon and latern lighthow my host family thinks i cant handle walking 4k, the million times they ask if im tired, and the disbelief when i say im not and continue to play soccer for hours afterwardweekly sunday night soccer with anne's host brothersplaying cards with the kidsthe innumerable uses of duct tapevivid dreams my weekly malaria meds give me wonderful blog comments, emails, and support from homemangos, bananas, cucumbers and peanuts with sugar YUM!the simple fact that training (aka summer camp) is almost done.. which means no more bullshit and on to the real work!Well yall thats all i have time for today.. havent had the time to prepare any interesting stories so ill save it for next week! also get my phone sometime within the next week also so start searching for phone cards and call me soon!love you all

Its been a hell of a week!!

4th of july was a nice break.. got to come into the city for a few hours to celebrate with the secondary education volunteers.. we had our goat, burgers, fruit salad, mashed potatoes, watermelon, and mango pie (among other yummy goodies)... all went well and it was pretty relaxing..

The aftermath of the 4th was not so amazing however.. couple days after about 8 GEE volunteers (including me) and a handful of SE volunteers all got really sick.. we all think from the burgers.. vommiting, hardcore diarrhea, nausea etc.. lotta fun lemme tell you!! I had a 104 fever last night but apparently my immune system is pretty tough cuz currently im doing fine with just sporadic diarrhea :) DO NOT WORRY!! We are all being taken care of very well!! and.. we got site placements today WOOT WOOT

Now on to the important shit!!

I got exactly what i wanted!! I am the southern-most volunteer from our group! I am in the southwest near the boarder where it is lush green beautiful with lots of fruits and vegetables! Yep Im the lucky one :) My village is also right off a paved road which means easy access to transportation with daily communication, water points, and access to a good market! Apparently my house location is good and the school staff and committees are all stoked about me coming and are really motivated in regards to girls education and empowerment! Languages spoken there are Lobiri and Dioula ( local languages) along with french and there is also another volunteer living down the main road currently so I will have a close Peace Corps neighbor who I dont know yet! Next week we have a counterpart workshops and site visits so I will be able to tell you more after that.. counterparts are local "supervisors" that aleady live in the communities and are kinda like your go-to person when you guidance or assistance.. So the peace corps doesnt want us to tell the name of our village on our blogs for security reasons so if you want to pinpoint me on the map just email me and ill let ya know the name!!

So today I will end with my only bad news which is that I have recieved NO mail after being here for a month!!! Definitely havent been feeling the love in those regards people!! Some people get 5 or 6 letters every time we get mail which is at least once a week!! So yea.. yall are slacking! Butt... I do appreciate all the blog love so I will let it slide this time :) Never been good at holding grudges haha But write me damnit!!

Life is good.

hey yall...

village life has been great so far.. its been really been exceeding my expectations.. in fact ive been actually more then happy to go back to village after our weekly overnight stays in the city.. i sleep better in village, eat better in village, take better bucket baths in village and just overall enjoy the people better.. the only complaint ive had lately is my language class.. im bored to death!! but my new solution hopefully will be having another volunteer teach me in our free time so i can excell more quickly.. in other news.. we had our first trainee go home today which is kinda sad bc she was cool and it will most likely open the door to more people leaving early too but to each their own, the peace corps is just not for everyone i suppose!

coming up.. next week we have interviews for our site placements which is exciting.. we get to talk to our program supervisor and discuss our preferences on village size, location, etc etc.. we are all really excited about that so everyone pray that it all goes well.. i believe that we actually find out where our placements are in the first week of july.. its the 4th week we are here, whatever week that ends up being.. i dont even know what today is haha :)

thanks again for everyones support and wonderful emails and comments.. no news on mail yet from the capital but when it gets here i hope some of it is from yall!!

will have plenty of stories and insight next time i promise!! but this is all i have time for now! love you and miss you all

-Gatorade concentrate (anything but grape or raspberry)

-Peanut M n Ms (they melt in my mouth not in the envelopes) :)

-frisbee that lights up (we are starting a night frisbee craze in Burkina)

-markers of all colors (my host family has over 20 kids and im starting to post pictures they draw for me in my hut!!)

-vitamins (to keep me healthy duh!)

-hammock with net (only if you love me a lot cuz they are pretty expensive)

-index cards (to practice ma français)

-pictures of yall!!! (and LOTS of em)

-CDs with new music (I like rock, alternative, reggae, hip hop n acoustic)

-Florida calendar (FL to show where im from.. calendar cuz i never know what day it is)

-Small spray bottles (its fuckin hot)

-Pretty nail polish (my host sisters love mine)

-Exfoliating face wash ( the dirt in my water just doesnt feel the same or smell as good)

-LETTERSSSSSSSSSS (cant stress it enough haha)

Highlights for the week since I dont have time to send everyone emails:...

-I am the first trainee to get a scorpion in their room... i was eating my dinner on the floor on my mat and the damn thing ran across my feet.. i did a jet li jump up onto my bed from the sitting position on the floor in like 2 seconds and just waited for my lil sis to show up.. she got her bro and he killed it for me and yes i was the laughing stock of my compound the whole night

-Chief of Ouahigouya asked to marry me when we went to an introduction ceremony and i gave him the trainee group gift of a chicken.. no worries tho i turned him down!!

-In return however.. he gave our training group a goat as a sign of appreciation or maybe just to get in my pants we arent really sure.. either way we are eating it for 4th of july and were the first peace corps training group to receive one!!! woot woot!!

-Still no diarrhea!!

-And still no mail.. (hint hint) =)

-Mangoes are amazing!! cucumbers too!!

-Im eating rice, bread, and pasta twice a day and still losing weight.. gotta love biking in million degree weather!!

-Bucket baths are the bomb

-I have a fan club.. there are no less than 10 people in my courtyard at all times.. but having approx 20 kids and 2 or 3 wives can do that to ya.. (im def not lonely haha)

-I dont miss any food from home but I do dream about ICE CUBES!!

-One girl has already confessed to me that she is going to drop out.. i hope she changes her mind

-I regularly wake up at 5:30 am ( not normally by choice) but its now routine and im getting used to it

Thats all for now i guess..

Check out my wishlist if you love me enough to send me goodies from home!!

Miss you all

hello hello everyone!!

yes i am alive and still malaria-less, diarrhea-less, and in good mental condition ( in case you were wondering) :)

just moved into my new crib dans la village and so far c'est tres bien (its very nice) im equipped with my very own cement hut with 2 rooms bed water filter trunk end table plastic chair and outdoor bathing area n shitting hole (aka latrine) basically im spoiled when it comes to burkina standards and my new family is cool.. dont know much about them yet but one kids speaks french and the dad does kinda so communication is somewhat there... mostly its a lot of pointing and them laughing at me but its all in good fun..

hardcore training starts tom so more to come when i truly get started!!

just to put things in perspective... it was 100 degrees last night in my hut after it rained and cooled things off..

so yea how do you say WOAH in french???

love yall

miss you!!

Ok.. so maybe I wasnt born and raised and Im not really sure if its west.. But Im in Philly right now :D 

And we just finished our staging (woot woot)! Tomorrow we get some vaccinations and are off to the airport to head to Paris then BF.. FINALLY!! Bring on the heat, bucket baths, french, and weird ass food! Im ready :)

Love you all! Thanks for the support! Hope to hear from you soon :)

First of all lemme just say that.. along with LETTERS and yummy PACKAGES.. comments on my wonderful lil blog thing Ive got goin on here.. are pretty much the equivalent of a Peace Corps volunteers wet dream!

Sooo leave me a comment damnit! Im going to miss yall!

Now for all yall computer illiterate folk.. AKA 99% of my family.. this is how ya do it.. :)

At the bottom of each lil "awe inspiring" post yours truly writes.. there will be a lil link saying "comments"... Click on that and a lil box will pop up where you can write me a love note! Once you're done.. If you dont have a blogger account.. which is most of you.. click on the name/url option and fill in your name.. dont worry about the url part just leave it blank.. :)

Yay so now yall know how.. I will be expecting AT LEAST 5 comments my first week! Just a small request from a girl thats dedicating the next 2 years of her life to the betterment (is that a Bush "word" haha) of the world!! ;)

For those of you who have already expressed their love.. YOU ROCK :D

Burkina Faso in T minus 4 days!

So everyone asks me.. why are you going? why the Peace Corps? why for 2 years? why why why why!!!

So let me just outline my reasoning for joining and why I think its beneficial to me..(in no particular order)

Travel - if ya know me even the littlest of a bit you know I love to travel around the world :)Its Africa! - been a dream of mine to visit Africa since I was a little girlNew culture - its an amazing opportunity to experience new cultures, lifestyles, and traditionsFrench - I will learn a whole new language (maybe even 2!) and hopefully become semi-fluentMaking a difference - big or small... I will impact lives while in the Peace CorpsResume - personally I think it looks pretty damn good on a resume Grad school - Returned Peace Corps Volunteers have discounted grad school options :DGas - at 4 bucks a gallon.. filling up my car bi-weekly will cost approx. $9984 for two years!! ONLY if gas doesnt go up... so basically I'll be saving over 10 GRAND while in the Peace Corps!so yea.. there are other reasons too but those are what count most :)

10 DAYS!

Thats right yall!!My lil blog has officially made it big to the Peace Corps Journal website!!www.peacecorpsjournals.com

Holllllaaaa

:D

Only 16 days to go!!

And since it takes approx. 2-3 weeks to get letters and 1-3 months to get packages..Get your pens n pencils workin so I can have wonderful news from home shortly after I arrive!!

For the first 3 months my address (also located in the side column) will be:

Meighan Higgie, PCTS/c Corps de la Paix01 B.P. 6031Ouagadougou 01, Burkina Faso

Important!! When sending letters or packages please right AIRMAIL and PAR AVION on the envelope and package.. otherwise they will take forever to get to Africa and may even arrive in Burkina Faso after I return home in 2 years!!

Also..-For packages.. to reduce the chances of having them broken into.. it helps to write "religious materials" in red marker or pen all over the package AND to address it to "Sister Meighan..." or "Nun Meighan..."

-Packages in padded envelopes are BEST ... saves you and me customs charges!

-If ya wanna send me a postcard put it in an envelope or it will most likely end up on some random postoffice wall

-For real valuable stuff.. Burkina has DHL :D

If I dont have your address already.. please leave it in a comment at the bottom of this message so I can write to you from my lil hut :)

Other news...Yesterday was my last day of work WOOT WOOT!!Friday is Going Away Schindig #1Next weekend = Key West with famPacking is 98% complete!!!! 

Love you all!!

Flight information!!

June 8th:Leaving Fort Myers at 7:45am - Arriving in Philly at 10:30June 10th:Leaving Philly at 6:45pm - Arriving in Paris at 8:25amJune 11th:Leaving Paris at 4:10pm - Arriving in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso at 7:45pm

With less than a month to go my days now consist of work, packing, and errands to tie up any loose ends before I leave..

My last day of work is the 21st.. and I plan to spend the rest of the time with family and friends before I depart..

Thank you everyone for the support/cards/gifts!! Please note my new address in the side column.. I would love to hear from everyone while I'm away.. Please stay in touch!!

Hello Everyone!!

Since its going to be so hard to keep in touch with everyone while in the middle of the bush in Africa, Ive chosen to start a blog to keep everyone up to date with my life as a Peace Corps Volunteer!! Oh yea so those of you who dont know already.. I joined the Peace Corps :) And will be leaving for Burkina Faso on June 8th!! Right now life is a big countdown as I have only begun preparing for my 27 month adventure in Africa!! 

Upcoming Events

April 21 - Officially accept my invitation to Burkina Faso- Start language training in French

- Turn in paperwork for passport/visas and medical compensation

April 22 - Aunt Patti's coming to visit :DApril 23 - Last final of school... Forensic Anthropology (yuck!)- HIV/AIDS class @ ICANApril 27 - Graduation!!!!!!!!May 2 - Dad's BirthdayMay 11 - Mother's DayMay 14-17  - FEMORS training in OrlandoJune 8 - Staging in D.C.June 11 - Peace Corps Training in Ouahigouya, Burkina Faso

A Lil bout B.F.Burkina Faso is an independent republicPopulation: approx. 11 millionCapital: Ouagadougou60+ ethnic groupsOfficial language is French50% Islamic, 20% Chrisitian, 30% Indigenous BeliefsLand locked country on the edge of the SahelTopography is mostly flat with undulating plains2 Seasons: Rainy June-Oct. (60-95deg. F), Dry Nov-May (100+deg F)Life expectancy: 47.5Ranks 174 out of 177 countries in  UNDP's development index86% of the population lives on less than $2 a dayLiteracy rate: 32%Over 300,000 people living with HIV/AIDSMy Duties

As a community education and development outreach agent in the Girls Education and Empowerment Program, I will be working with primary and secondary school aged girls and their parents to promote female enrollment in school. I will assist school girls informally, collaborate with school directors/teachers, and cooperate with parent associations and community opinion leaders to serve as an educational resource to the community. Specific duties may include tutoring sessions, girls clubs, sports clubs, reading circles, mentoring/big sister activities, educational counseling, and remedial classes. Secondary projects with the local health centers, libraries, and schools are also suggested.

Packing

You are allowed to take 80lbs of check on luggage. After researching various packing lists provided by the Peace Corps and current volunteers I have decided that I will check on 1 large rolling duffle and carry on a smaller dufflebag and backpack.. and here is my current list of things to pack (if it all fits and is under 80lbs)..

Clothing1 dress2 skirts3 nice shirts/blouses3 tshirts1 pair of jeans1 pair of dark khakis1 pair of yoga/sleep pants2 bermuda shorts/capris1 pair of long workout shorts1 light hoodie1 swimsuit6 bras (3 sports bras)15 pairs of underwear1 pair of light socksAccesoriesbeltbaseball capbandana2 pairs of sunglasseswatchShoesAthletic sandalsFlip flopsDressier shoesHygiene/Health Products3 mo. supply of shampoo/conditioner3 bars of soap2 tubes of toothpaste2 toothbrusheshair brushsmall mirrorlip balmsunscreentamponsdeodorantrazors w/ extra bladesantibacterial santitizervitaminsElectronicsIpod w/ portable speakersDigital camera AA/AAA batteries w/ chargerheadlampflashlight (crank and solar)flash driveSolio ChargerLaptopHousehold ItemsInsect repellant w/ DeetShout stain removerSwiss Army Knife/toolSharp KnifeBug tentDuct tapeZiplock bagsTupperware2 WaterbottlesTowelCan openerVeggie PeelerEar plugsSeedsPillowLuggage locksSpicesFlavored water packetsMatches/lighterEntertainment/Leisurea bookJournalPens/pencilsPaperAddress bookImportant paperworkAdditional passport picsPhotosMapsFrench dictionaryPostcardsStickersCalendarStampsScissorsflag