Last Saturday, April 14th, ATTA, the associationI work with, hosted their biannual “Kermesse;”roughly translated, it’s a fair. Visitors came from far and wide, and overall, the event was a hugesuccess. Fair games and a fashion showwere the highlights of the day for me, while the huge tombala (raffle) for bikes and cell phones, among other prizes,were what young Toussians looked forward to the most. President of ATTA

ATTA apprentices

The work preparing for the Kermesse started many weeksbefore the event. Tickets had to be soldin advance for chances for the raffle, so we created booklets of twenty ticketsto sell. Each chance was sold at 250 cfa(roughly 50 cents), and we sold over a fifteen hundred! Then, the market day before the Kermesse, weplayed music and periodically advertised the event. Having the three bikes to be raffled offreally got market-goers excited! Ofcourse, the apprentice tailors had the most work to do. With Easter falling the week before our fair,the young adults and the trainers worked the night shift for up to three weeksbefore the event, trying to get all the outfits done in time! For Burkinabe tailors, there is a definitelya seasonality to their business, and I don’t envy their workload before bigholidays, parties, and weddings.

Sita, an ATTA apprentice

Selling raffle ticketsFinally, the big day arrived, and everyone worked hardgetting the carnival games, tents, and chairs in place. By mid-morning, we were ready with “Pêche des Bouteilles,” “Resistance,” “LeMirroir,” “Trouvez-moi ma queue” and other games. Tickets were 25 cfa apiece, and soon theplace was full with kids, trying their luck at fishing for Coke bottles andwalking a path using a mirror held above their head. Others enjoyed trying to draw on a pig’s tailblindfolded (variation of pin the tail on the donkey) or test their strengthholding out a bottle filled with sand for a minute, without touching the ropebelow.

Games area

Draw the tail on the pig!

"Resistance"At 14:00, the grand ceremony started, complete with visitorsfrom Ouaga representing all our donors. Guests of honor took their place in chairs under a large tent while thevillagers and children circled around them. The president of our association opened the ceremony, and he wasfollowed by speeches from the mayor and various donors. The highlight was the fashion show, with bothBurkinabe and American models! We hadinvited my neighbors, Chad, Tana, and Lindsy to participate, along with mysitemate Evan. The models showcasedtraditional complets and boubous as well as modernensembles. The outfits were created byboth the current ATTA workshop and many of ATTA’s former apprentices, spreadout throughout the southwest (Gaoua, Bobo, Orodara, etc.) The models made quite the impression with ourexaggerated poses!

Chad's brushin' it offEvan strutting his stuff

Deborah waving to the adoring crowd!Lindsy's hot pink ensemble!

Tana was made to model!My interesting complet

Macheta and Chantal in traditional pagneReally pretty modern dress!

Moussa in his hand-tailored suit!By the end of the day, we were all pretty tired from theevents, so I didn’t stick around to see if I won one of the bikes, cell phones,bags, 50 kg bags of rice, or the computer (I didn’t). Instead, after the theatre group performedtheir skit, the commemorative poems were recited, and the reception was over, myfriends and I headed home. Overall, the ATTAKermesse was a great event, for both the association’s publicity in thecommunity and networking with donors and supporters, but I’m glad it’s abiannual event!

A big thanks to a fellow PCV, Scott, for his great picturesthroughout the Kermesse!

Once again, hot season is upon us here in Burkina Faso, butthankfully, it hasn’t been too bad! Thissecond year around, I think my body has acclimated to the temperatures a bit,though my midday bike rides can still be pretty miserable. Also, I have been busy with my projects, andthere’s not much time to complain about the heat when there’s work to do!

Over the school spring break, I completed a second world mapat a primary school in another neighborhood. This time around, many things went smoother, and a more accurate 6meters X 3 meters map was completed at the end of the week:Drawing the grid

Labeling countries

Finished product!

ATTA apprenticesI have also been busy teaching French and business classesto the ATTA apprentices. This is theapprentices’ second year with me, and at the end of the training year in July,most will be finished with the program and open their own workshops. I have been trying to give them concreteexamples of how to use basic accounting and budgeting in their futureprojects. So far, so good!

An accounting game!

Centre Kaleniso apprenticesI have also been maintaining some projects at the localprimary schools. I continue with mybi-monthly art class with a class of CP2 students (approximately 1st-2ndgraders). Recently, I shared thegreatness of Crayola watercolors with them, and they had a wonderful time! I have also participated in an internationalart exchange with another class, but more on that in May.

I am still finding time to just enjoy being in village andspending time with my friends and neighbors. Mango season is upon us, and I love finding time for mango pie, mangojam, mango salsa, basically mango anything! I even taught all my favorite neighbor kids how to make mango jam the otherday! I also spent a HOT, relaxing Easterhere in Toussiana, and I loved seeing everyone dressed up in their holidaybest!

Cooking with Mai

Making mango jam on my porchEaster complets!Finally, it’s definitely been PC trainings time. Several weeks ago, I attended a tree plantingtraining in Banfora, with one of my ATTA apprentices along as acounterpart. We learned all about how tosuccessfully start a nursery, and we are going to use this information tocreate a garden and tree nursery at our apprentices’ training center. It was a really great training to get bothvolunteers and community counterparts motivated to combat Burkina’s problem ofdesertification. In addition, I amlooking forward to hosting another regional training on modern agriculture inmy village in the coming months. Should keepme busy!Jacobe planting a cashew tree

It’s been a long time since I blogged about my life here inBurkina Faso, but I have been busy with some exciting projects. My classes with the ATTA apprentices haverecommenced for the year. Together withmy Burkinabe counterpart, we are teaching them basic French grammar (most ofthe apprentices’ understanding of French is very low; most have not passedthrough primary school). In addition, Iam continuing with my entrepreneurship classes, covering topics such asbudgeting, personal finance, accounting/book-keeping, and long-termplanning. My girls’ club, primary schoolart class, and terminale English sessions (terminale students are theequivalent of seniors in high school) have been going great too. However, the most important project I've been working on has beenwith in collaboration with the president of ATTA, my host organization (readhis bio here or my Ashoka article of our work together here).

Together, we have decided to build a new boutique for ourassociation, to be located on the busy road between Bobo-Dioulasso and Banforathat bisects my village of Toussiana. The ATTA boutique will be used to sell products created by our 63apprentices, both those products made during their training sessions and thoseproduced from our workshop’s fabric scraps. Our boutique will cater not only to local and regional Burkinabe, butbecause of its advantageous location on the main Burkina Faso-Cote d’Ivoirethoroughfare, also be able to tap into the burgeoning tourist market.

Some ATTA products

Apprentices in trainingThe new boutique is a crucial addition to ATTA. Currently, our association depends almostentirely on outside funding (from both Burkinabe and international NGOs) tosupport the existing 63 apprentices and to provide resources to the 1,000+ plusformer apprentices/ATTA partners working in the southwest region. Unfortunately, this pattern of aid is notsustainable in the long-term, but with the creation of our new store, ATTA willbe able to generate a consistent source of income, greatly aiding the association's long-term goals. In addition, in conjunction with myentrepreneurship classes, the ATTA apprentices will learn about the boutiquemanagement, and our sessions will have a focus on product design, qualitycontrol, and marketing.

Our tailoring workshop

Working on embroideryHowever, our plan will not be realized without your help! Our itemized budget has put the total projectcost at $1,745.89, including the land, construction materials, and labor fees. ATTA is paying 25% of the total cost,covering both the land and some material purchases. After ATTA’s contribution, there is still anoutstanding sum of $1,385.89, and that’s where you come in! We are asking for the support of my familyand friends back in the States to help us reach our goal of constructing ourboutique. A donation in the name of ATTAthrough the Peace Corps Partnership Program is a tax-deductible gift;consider your gift to ATTA as a jumpstart on your 2012 charitable contributions! Your grant to ATTA will contribute to theassociation’s long-term sustainability, a donation that will aid thegenerations of vulnerable apprentices for years to come.

To help out with our boutique construction,please click here: ATTA Boutique PCPPAfter you click on the link, you will be directed to the PeaceCorps Partnership Program page devoted to the ATTA boutique (this page can alsobe accessed directly from peacecorps.gov too, under “Donate to VolunteerProjects"). At this page, you can find more information about the project and donate any dollar amount you chose!

In addition, for more information on our association, check out our new website (still a bit of a work in progress): www.attaburkina.org Make sure to click on the English translation!

Some of the ATTA apprentices

Thank you for all your consideration of our project. Not only I, but all the current and future members of the Association des Tailleurs, Tisserands et Assimilés appreciate all the support from friends and family back home. Merci beaucoup!

The day after Christmas, I started a really big project with a local 5th grade class here in my village. We decided to paint a big world map on their school wall. Most of the kids at the school don’t have textbooks, and definitely don’t have access to maps, so drawing a big map is a good way to teach local people about geography. Most Burkinabe villagers can’t even find Burkina Faso on a map, much less France or America (most people think they are the same country actually)! The project was a huge success and everyone involved had a great time!

Students working on drawing exercises

The day after Christmas day, more than 60 students showed up at school at 7:30 in the morning, bundled up against the chilly winter wind (even I wore four layers)! We started with drawing exercises, and the students learned how to look at a small, gridded picture and draw the same larger image. After the exercises, we moved to the wall to start the actual world map:

Moving to the wall...using school benches as scaffolding!

Students drawing their square

Though the students' drawing wasn't particularly accurate, several visiting PCVs and I spent the afternoon, redrawing parts of the world map. Tuesday morning, all the students showed up again and we starting tackling the paint job. Easier said than done!

First, I mixed the paint, and the students were fairly tranquil. However, when the paint was mixed and students were ready to paint, the students got pretty rowdy, all excited to do their share. We painted the map in eight different colors, countries coded in a Peace Corps-affiliated World Map Project handbook.

With this handbook, the grid and the corresponding drawing of the world was easy to draw. However, I made an executive decision to cut out some of the islands....whoever made the book decided to include every single place in the entire world. There were also some little painting mishaps by over zealous painters, like when Chile grew four times its size and Russia took over most of Eastern Europe (perhaps the student was cognizant of objectives of the Soviet Union?).

Needless to say, I was relieved when another PCV, Brianna, took most of the kids over to play geography-based games! The rest of us were able to complete the painting in relative peace.

At the end of the week, the students, PCVs, and I have officially completed the painting and rough world map on the wall. It took several more weekends of work by me and sometimes other PCVs to officially complete the project.

Painting done!

Map is completely finished!

The World Map Project was a huge success, and it was great talking with all the people that came by to see what we were painting. Many discussions were spurred about world geography, and the students had a real sense of pride afterwards too. I am looking forward to doing a second map in another neighborhood here in my village, though after the two, I think I'm done painting forever!

It's that time again, time of eggnog, Christmas carols, gift-wrapping, and tree-hunting, though here in Burkina, actually none of those things are true. Nevertheless, I am in the mood for the holiday season, even if Nat King Cole and John and Yoko have to serenade me alone in my African dirt hut. Alas... Christmas in Burkina is a special time, like in the States, and the schoolkids are happily on vacation until early January. However, as half the population is Muslim, Christmas is seen in the same light as Ramadan and Tabaski. Just another holiday to greet eat rice and chicken and greet all the neighbors and friends. So I have been trying to share a bit of the American Christmas spirit with my Burkinabe friends:

Members of my girls' club, decorating Christmas cookies at my houseThey had absolutely no concept of Christmas cookies, but they dove right in and created some masterpieces...

They used alot of frosting.

Don't worry, I haven't been too upset this holiday season; there definitely been no sulking around for me these days. I have been too busy enjoying my free time in village and down the road, in Chad and Tana's village. This year, I witnessed the annual sugarcane field burning...it was insane:

Chad, Tana, and I in front of the fiery infernoScary, eh? I wonder what the passing cars on the road thought?

I have also started the preparations for my big Christmas vacation world map project. It's been alot of work thus far, but on Monday, with all the 4th grade students, things are going to get wild. I can't wait till it's done!Empty wall, on the side of the grade school...

Wall being cemented...

Just the usual, strapping things to the bikesMore help from my lovely PCV neighbors!

Finished gridded wall

That's all for now...heading back to Toussiana for Christmas! Happy holiday season to everyone back home...I'll be thinking of you all :)

First off, an apology for those waiting for the last two months for an update from Burkina. I have been very busy (re: lazy) and have failed to send any interesting information back to the States. Everything is going really well in this forgotten corner of West Africa these days, and I'll give you all a concise summary of my current life...enjoy!

To start off with, I left off with September's entry talking about our 50th anniversary fair. I am not going to go into details (as it was three months ago) but overall, it was a roaring success. If anyone is interested in seeing a bit of the festivities, head over to www.pcburkina.org/fair for great videos (also found on Youtube under "Burkina Faso Peace Corps 50th Anniversary Fair" for all those struggling Youtube users). On the home page, scroll down, and you will see a box titled "PC Burkina Videos." Bingo. In fact, this PC volunteer-maintained website is the best place to find out what all 160ish volunteers in country are up to. Other amusing, but also educational videos include "So you want to use a latrine" and "Language is your friend." All volunteer created...quite the intimate and honest glimpse into the challenges that come with life as a volunteer in Burkina. As a sidenote, for another realistic account of the life of a PCV, check out this article :http://www.huffingtonpost.com/maya-lau/what-the-peace-corp-taugh_b_1099202.html (all of us volunteers can relate ALOT to her experience).

Anyways, from September on, my life has been absolutely crazy. I have been back and forth from Ouaga countless times (not an easy trip). I spent a week teaching the new trainees that arrived in country in October, spent a wild and wonderful week with my parents touring Burkina, caught up with my own training group at our Mid-service Conference (YES, I have been here for OVER A YEAR), and am currently planning a Leadership Conference with my PC committee (Youth Development) in Ouaga this weekend. Thankfully, after this weekend is over, I am going to get back to Toussiana, stay in Toussiana, and get some legitimate site work done.

Things on the plate at site currently:

The World Map Project that I keep mentioning has yet to happen, but we are getting close to starting. I am trying to finalize funding and then Toussiamba's primary school A will have a big bright new geography resource to use. Plus, a world map is a great way for me to foster cultural exchange with the students.My business classes with the apprentices are going to starting up again in early January. Half of ATTA's apprentices went home for the vacation and just got back to Toussiana in mid-November. We just had a great entrepreneurship training last week with a Burkinabe Ministry of Youth and Employment director, and afterwards, all the apprentices were really motivated and excited to think about their future businesses. It was amazing to see their enthusiasm for business basics, and I am feeling pretty pumped up for our upcoming sessions too. Building on my business sessions with the apprentices, I am hoping to start giving entrepreneurship trainings for other young adults in the Toussiana area. The specifics haven't been decided yet, but I am currently compiling a business manual to use with this demographic. I am also continuing with my 2nd grade weekly art sessions (we had a great Halloween, mask-creating session two weeks ago with guest helpers, Mom and Dad) and my 6th grade girls club. Both activities have been pretty successful and fulfilling, whether it's watching (and encouraging) the little kids vivid and imaginative coloring projects (while their teacher chatises them for the unrealistic color choices) or facilitating sessions on the stereotypes of girls in Burkina with my fifteen blossoming young women. Lesson planning can be a pain sometime, but I love the satisfaction after another great experience with the youth.Other ideas in the back of my head include: tree planting at the large community garden, collaborating with a compost association in the area, forming a health topic club (based on the "Pay It Forward" concept, using the power of exponentials), organizing game and movie nights with ATTA's apprentices, continuing individual computer and internet tutoring but trying to expand to a larger scale, and giving more English cultural lectures at the high schools in town.Between all my projects and our committee's upcoming events, studying for the GRE, reading as much as I can in my spare time (I have literally read fifty books in 2011), brushing up on my statistics, planning a potential Ghana-Togo-Benin vacation, and spending time with my PCV and Burkinabe friends, I think the next couple months will fly by. Not to mention, holiday season is coming up, and with that has come vivid (probably due to my malaria meds) dreams of snow and Christmas. Leaving the frigid South Bend two yearrs ago, I never thought I would miss those cold days...

That's about all my news thus far. Definitely catch up with my parents and hear how their trip to Burkina went (see Facebook for pictures). Maybe if you're lucky, they will model their new traditional Burkinabe clothes????!!!!???? I hope all is well back at home for everyone and know that during this holiday season, thoughts of family and friends are always in my mind. Enjoy holiday season and those snuggly nights next to fireplace. You can think of me biking away in the dusty desert :) A bientot!

Life is quite interesting in Burkina Faso these days; events and work have kept me busy over the past several weeks, and it doesn't look to slow down until at least December. Over the past month, I biked until I was dizzy with dehydration, attended a wedding that put Prince William's to shame, and adapted my association's logo so much that I started dreaming of ATTA graphics! With the Peace Corps' 50th Anniversary Fair in Ouaga starting in two days, Burkina is the place to be.

In my last blog entry, I wrote about the Tour du Faso, PC Burkina's annual bike ride around the country. As I mentioned, a couple of friends and I were planning on starting with the tour in Karfiguela, a small tourist village about 10 km west of Banfora. However, because the big fete celebrating the end of Ramandan happened to fall on the day before the bike tour (no one knows what day Ramandan ends until there is some sort of sign in the night sky), we couldn't get a bush taxi to the starting point. Instead, my friends and I started the bike tour early, and we biked the 45 km to the starting location. The following day, we had a gorgeous ride from Karfiguela to Orodara, deep in southwest Burkina. Those 65 km, with the constant, gradual inclines, made the trip a challenge. The following day, Orodara to Bobo, was another grueling 80 km, with several very large hills adding to the strenuous course. By the end, rolling into Bobo under the hot midday sun, I started battling a bit of dehydration, despite the power bars, my ORS (oral rehydration salts, usually for diarrhea but works for biking too), and liters of water. Thankfully I made it into Bobo, alive and kicking, but I decided to end my tour there and not continue on Dedougou. The bike tour was alot of fun though; I definitely want to join up for at least a week next year. If you want to read and see pictures from the bike tour (which is finishing up on Thursday here in Ouaga at the fair), check out: http://burkinabiketour.blogspot.com/

The weekend after I returned from the bike tour, my homologue, Omar, got married in one of the biggest fetes that Toussiana has seen for awhile. Saturday morning, bright and early, I biked over to the mayor's office for the 8 am civil ceremony (in Burkina, all marriages are done first at the mayor's office and then at the respective church/mosque). To my surprise, 8 am passed without a member of the wedding present. At first I was nervous that I had gotten some information wrong, but eventually at around 8:30, some guests started to arrive. Finally, just before nine, Omar and his wife-to-be arrived in style in their decorated car. Only in Burkina Faso would a marriage ceremony start close to an hour late!

As official photographer, I was on-duty at the ceremony, which was chock-full with guests all wearing the matching pagne that Omar and Mai picked out for their big day (see my pictures, if the internet ever is fast enough to upload them). After the civil ceremony, all the guests got on their motos or in their cars and headed the 2km up the road to the church, honking their horns in a ceremonial procession. I jumped on my bike, hooked up my helmet, and suavely joined the beeping procession, pedaling as fast I could. Yea, I am that cool. When we arrived at the church, it was already full of more guests, admiring the paper decorations that had been added for the ceremony. All the guests enjoyed listening to the local village chorales before the service took place, but we were all excited for the big entrance.

A couple minutes past ten, the ceremony began with the twin flower girls leading in the couple of honor. After a long and musical service, after noon, we were finally able to cheer on the new Mr. and Mrs. The ceremony was followed by pictures and then a big lunch of riz gras, poulet, and salade. Everyone ate well, which was necessary considering the hours and hours of dancing that were to follow. That night in Omar's family courtyard, most of the village came to listen and dance to the balafon band. Even though I resisted for a while, eventually my friends dragged me out to do the "Toussian shuffle", our local dance. To do this traditional dance, I basically spend half of my time trying to find the beat in the balafon music (I am pretty sure there is none) and the other half trying not to look absolutely ridiculous swinging my arms back and forth and attempting to shake my backside. Ha. All in all, the marriage was a huge success, and we all had a great time. I can't wait for the next village wedding!

Finally, I am currently in Ouaga preparing for the big Peace Corps 50th Anniversary Fair starting this Thursday. This year, the PC is celebrating our global 50th anniversary, though we have only been Burkina for 37 years. To celebrate, a dedicated group of PCVs in country have spent hours and hours planning a three day extravaganza, highlighting the work of volunteers past and present as well as Burkinabe projects too. The newest stage will be sworn-in as volunteers to kick-off the fair on Thursday and we are having an exclusive concert by the uber-famous Burkinabe artist, Floby (he even wrote a PC-themed song for us). Another special event will be the fashion show on Friday night, where I will be making an appearance in aladdin pants and a tank top made by my association. I am more excited for my ATTA booth, as members of my association are making the six hour trip from Toussiana to Ouaga to sell bags, dresses, pants, shirts, computer covers, and other products. This will be our first opportunity to start selling products to help support our association, and I am hoping we have a lot of customers. However, like all big events, there is alot of planning and prep work that are going into the fair, and these last couple days in Ouaga have been insanely busy. For more information on the fair, check out our website at: http://pcburkina.org/fair

Other than that, I will be heading back to site in about a week, where I will be joined by my new site mate, an education volunteer. Having two of us in village is a great opportunity to get more projects done, and I am looking forward to painting a world map together at the primary school in November. Other events I am hoping to get rolling are planning a Service Day at the local middle/high school on Int'l Volunteer Day (Dec. 5th), starting a girls club at the primary school, and teaching computer classes at our new secretariat/cyber in town.

Check out my new pictures of the wedding and my trip to Morocco on the left side. Also I want to give a huge thanks to all the packages sent by my wondeful family and friends recently. I should be updating again soon with fair and swear-in pictures. An be ke kofe!

There is less than one week until the 2011 Tour du Faso begins, and I am getting really excited to participate in the southwest leg of the ride. The Tour du Faso is a three week-long bike ride around Burkina Faso to raise money for the GAD (Gender and Development) committee. With the funds that are raised, volunteers in country hold summer camps, do sensibilizations and awareness campaigns, and various other activities that promote gender equality in our villages. The ride, which starts in Karfiguela on August 30th (where I will start), ends in Ouaga on September 22nd, the same day that PC Burkina kicks off our three-day 50th Anniversary Fair! September is a busy month for the volunteers here in Burkina, and with the Tour's fundraising, it will be good for the Burkinabe too. I am planning on riding on the Tour from Karfiguela to Dedougou, a distance of almost 400 km. We'll see if I make it! For more information about the Tour du Faso and to make a contribution to our cause, visit http://burkinabiketour.blogspot.com/. Thanks for all your support!

With the fair coming up, I am currently helping ATTA professionalize their image. We have picked a logo and are in the process of designing marketing materials. The fair will be a great chance for us to find new partners and advertise our association. In addition, we are hoping to highlight some of our work in the big fashion show and by selling bags at our stand. Before all these preparations start, however, our tailors are all busy sewing day and night for next week's big fete, Ramadan.

I got back to site last Sunday night, after a two-week vacation in country and in Morocco. It was absolutely wonderful spending a week with my sister in Morocco and was also a nice break from Burkina (especially visiting the local harrams/spas). I ate as much pizza and tangines as I could but now I am reenergized and ready to get some work done here in Toussiana. Between the bike tour, the fair, and my counterpart's upcoming marriage, I will be staying quite busy!

Just a quick update from Burkina Faso:

The post office in my town is officially back open after a nine-month long closure, and I have changed my PO box a third, and hopefully last, time. You can reach me at: BP 421 Toussiana, Burkina Faso.

These days, I am really busy with work at site. Between teaching three classes a week, designing a new accounting system for my association's middle/high school before the new school year, professionalizing ATTA's image, working with a young man trying to open an internet cafe, visiting surrounding villages and doing homemade mosquito repellent demonstrations, studying Jula and French, and just the day-to-day village life, I haven't had a lot of downtime. I am looking forward to a two-week vacation in August however! I will spend several days in Koudougou visiting my host family and then head onto Morocco to meet my sister for a week. It should be a nice break from Burkina Faso!

Miss and love everyone back at home!

As the summer months fly by, I find myself busy working with my association in Toussiana and enjoying the gorgeous overcast skies of southwestern Burkina Faso. It's hard to believe I've been at site for almost eight months now; some days I feel like I am still a newbie. However, I have found out I am getting a site-mate in a couple of months ( a PCV teacher), and I guess I will have to be the pro then!

Looking back on my blog, I realized I have not done a great job of explaining my wonderful association in village. I am working primarily with ATTA, Association des Tailleurs et Tisserands Assimiles, an association that runs an apprenticeship program for around fifty young adults. Most of these teenagers and young adults are Burkinabe who either never went to school or dropped out early due to a variety of reasons (money, motivation, logistics, etc.). ATTA, with its two training centers and a tailoring workshop, has several trainers that teach the art of couture; in total, the program runs for three to four years (however, we have received funding to develop a faster training program for the future). At one of the training centers, around twenty apprentices, who come from the great southwestern region, live in dormitories, and the other twenty-five or so stay with their families in the Toussiana area. After the years of ATTA's formations, the apprentices will disperse throughout the region, and eventually, open their own tailoring workshops. The mission of ATTA is very pertinent in a country where only subsistence agriculture is the primary means of income generation. For the young adults who did not have the chance to finish their studies, ATTA offers the kids an alternative to the family farming work.

Throughout the past eight months or so, most of my time and work has been devoted to ATTA. ATTA is run by a local man, who has been recognized for his work by the international fellowship program, Ashoka. The president, Ouattara, is very motivated, and he is always coming up with new and interesting ideas. It's been great to collaborate with him. Specifically, I have been working with ATTA's accountant (my counterpart) to improve the association's accounting and management. I also teach weekly English and entrepreneurship classes, which has been a challenge, to say the least. Many of the apprentices don't speak French well, and as my Dioula isn't the strongest, much of the class time is consumed with translations. However, I was pleasantly surprised last week by the apprentices' comprehension of "market studies;" it gives me hope for this week's marketing lesson!

Last Thursday, ATTA took its annual field trip, marking the end of the training year for the twenty apprentices who come from the greater region. We hired a "car," though the term car isn't particularly accurate. Imagine a cattle truck, rusty and dilapidated. I luckily got to sit in the cab (though I was a bit concerned when the driver had to jam the dash back into place), and the forty apprentices piled in the open back. We all took off for SN SOSUCO, the big sugar processing plant in Beregadougou. At the plant, we had the chance to take a tour throughout the factory, though the machines were not in operation. Right now, the sugarcane is in the fields, and SOSUCO won't start manufacturing again until fall. Even so, the machinery was quite impressive, especially to the Burkinabe kids:

ATTA apprentices at SN SOSUCOFor an actually interesting, informative description of the factory, you should read my fellow PCVs' blog, http://mccoull.blogspot.com/2011/03/roll-up-for-magical-factory-tour.html. I am hoping to get back for another tour when the plant is in operation, but even sans activity, we were still able to sample the sugar cubes!

Listening to the guide explaining the vats used to heat and extract sugar After the tour, we took a group picture under the overcast sky, and then we set up for the Toussiana-Takelidougou Cascades. As we set off down the road, I watched the speedometer with trepidation. The car seemed incapable of going faster than 10km an hour, and I was petrified that some speeding BMW would smash into us from behind. I am 99.99% sure I could have biked faster. Alas, we made to the Cascades in one piece, though more than once, I thought the truck would trip on its trip up the rocky mountain!

All the ATTA apprentices and me (can you find me?)The Cascades (waterfalls, in French) are situated between my village and Takelidougou, off the Bobo-Banfora road. During dry season, the falls dry up and all you can see from the road are the rocky cliffs. However, in the midst of rainy season, the falls gently tumble down the rocks, and it's visible from the road. From the top, the view is gorgeous! SN SOSUCO's sugarcane fields are all around, and the Falaises de Bobo make their descent into the Banfora region. Sometimes I think I live in the middle of a leafy Eden!

Gorgeous, eh? I live about 5km up the road to the left...At the Cascades, we ate well, riz gras with fish and soft drinks. I also had received a request to make chocolate chip cookies, to which I gladly obliged. I had spent five hours on Wednesday baking cookies in my slow but effective Dutch oven atop my gas stove, and everyone was grateful for the American addition. After eating, we took many pictures in the water (Burkinabe take the strangest pictures sometimes!) and spent some time hiking up and down the rocks. Unfortunately, a storm was heading towards us, quite common in rainy season, and we needed to make our way down the cliff before the rain. Once again, my spot in the cab proved fortuitous, as the rain beat us home and pelted the apprentices in the back. All in all, we made it back to village in one piece, happy with the ATTA outing (I have added several other pictures to a folder in my online Picasa album; check it out)!

After the trip, I have realized how much I enjoy working with and getting to know the members of my association. Not only is everyone incredibly motivated and hardworking, but with their help, I have been welcomed into my community. My setup here in Burkina couldn't be better, and I am looking forward to starting many projects with ATTA in the following year (website coming soon)!

Life has been quite pleasant recently, and I find myself très occupée (very busy) most days. Between hosting other PCV's, learning Diula, starting a garden and adapting the accounting cahiers (notebooks), visiting the high school, making mango jam, and eating tô with my hands, the days fly by. Life in village could not be better, and Anny Yabile, Toussiana'a resident American tubabumuso is quite well known around the quartier (neighborhood)!

One of the most awkwardly awesome experiences I had recently brought me back to the days of high school, when the most important social event was a Saturday night school dance, a local football game or something equally pedestrian. However, in Burkinabe style, the nuit clôture was a bit different from the average high school weekend in small-town Iowa. La nuit clôture (literally translated as closing night) is an annual event held at the lycée (high school) to celebrate the end of the school year. When I was invited by my two 3me neighbors, I understood the night to be a cultural night, but in reality, it was basically an outdoor talent show outside the school. Acts ranged from theatre, chock-full of inside jokes and French I did not understand, to lip syncing, Akon-inspired dance routines. It was hilarious and really LONG. We walked to the school around 8 pm or so, and we stayed until 1 am! Even with electricity (other PCVs without power go to bed at 8pm), I am quite lame in village and turn in at 10 pm, so around that time, I was ready to call it a night. However, the path to the lycee goes through the dark bush for about twenty minutes, so I was at the mercy of my socially-charged high school friends. Throughout the night, the acts did improve, and there was more than one display of dancing prowess, break-dance style. As I sleepily walked my way back to my maison after the show, I decided that despite my satisfaction with the nuit clôture, I may stick to outings with my own age group after that :)

When not attending rowdy high school gatherings, I have found time to faire du sport ("do the sport") around village, and my nightly runs are quite easily becoming my favorite time of day. The running itself does not really excite me, but the ritual of greeting all my neighbors and stretching with the gang of small children who follow me is quite exhilarating. In fact, my favorite neighbor kids join me on my mat on my patio for my post-run stretching, and we do crunches while my dog runs around like crazy, trying to grab my hair. In addition, it really is the cutest thing watching my little Burkinabe kids attempt to mimic my downward dog! As a culmination to a fitness-packed week in village, bright and early on Saturday morning, I decided to attempt the hilly 55km bike ride to Bobo, carrying my two full weekend bags as well as my computer strapped to the back (of my bike, that is). I was determined to make it all the way to the city, especially as all the villagers were convinced it was impossible to bike the distance. Happily, I made it to Bobo after three hours or so, hot and tired, but also with a major feeling of accomplishment. Félicitations à moi!

Finally, my new village project has been daily typing classes with several of my association's apprentices. I lied when I mentioned Mavis Beacon; I actually use a freeware typing software program I found online, and we use that together. Watching Jacobe type "ddff, ddff, ddf" does tend to get a bit long, but my students are making pretty quick progress. Soon, we will start learning Microsoft Office and the internet. Petit a petit!

If it hasn't been apparent by the pictures I take in village (I promise to take better pictures soon), I spend alot of time with my neighborhood kids. My parents have sent me a lot of toys for them, so every day at least five little ones make their way over to my house (sometimes before six in the morning; I am never very happy, and I sleepily scream Jula commands at them: I be bo!) and demand puzzles, coloring books, or Matchbox kids. However, not only do the American toys provide endless entertainment, but the U.S. Post boxes the toys come in are also quite popular. For example:

San with his USA shirt and my care package box

San and Lionel, happy with their new toy!

Yes, my two favorite two-year-olds are in my box

Also, housing update: I have officially changed my Pepto-pink kitchen into a bright magenta-red. I am pretty happy about the results:

Anyways, that's all the news from Burkina Faso. We are all looking forward to July 4th festivites; maybe we can hunt down some hotdogs????!!!???

I looked at my calendar today and was shocked to see that May is already over! Where has the time gone? Have I actually been in Burkina Faso for over eight months? What do I have to show for my time here? But more importantly, is hot season almost over?

Yes, with the start of June, hot season is on its way out, though I imagine I will have to live through some more brutally warm days in the future. Yes, I have been here in Burkina for over half a year, and fortunately, I do have some things to show for my service (language ability, village integration, small community projects, etc.) But along with the change of seasons following my in-service training, the most important question I have been asking is: What do I want to accomplish in the nineteen months that I have left?

Thankfully, after our mid-May in-service training, when all my stagemates reconvened for a two-week long technical session, I feel very equipped with resources and ideas to hit the ground running at site. At our training in Bobo and Ouaga (see Scott’s blog for pictures, etc…he’s a much more proficient blogger than I am…you’re welcome, Scott, for the increased blog hits!), we learned the specifics on how to design and manage a community project, run a girls camp, apply for grants and funding, and work with our local health clinics. With this information and the input from the community members I interact with on a daily basis, I am developed a general plan of action for the next couple of years.

My primary project continues to be the collaboration with ATTA, the Association de Tailleurs and Tisserands Assimiles (Association of Tailors). ATTA trains young adults that have dropped out of the formal education system for various reasons (lack of money, familial support, etc.) and trains them to be tailors, through an apprenticeship program. ATTA was founded to provide opportunities, other than agriculture, for these young adults to have a source of income. The apprentices spend about four or five years in Toussiana, learning the art of cutting, tracing, sewing, and embroidery. After the formation is complete, ATTA helps place the young tailors throughout the southwest, setting them up to be small business owners. Throughout the last five months, I have spent most of my time working and sharing with these young kids, aged 16-25. In a couple of weeks, I am going to start teaching English and business classes to the apprentices. In addition, I work closely with ATTA’s accountant (my counterpoint, Omar) and the president of the association, improving their accounting system and business records, searching for partners and funding, and searching for projects that can help generate income for the association. Soon, we should have a website up and running too, so I will send the link on when it’s up!

In addition to my primary project, I am hoping to work with our CSPS (health clinic) and local schools, as well as local small business owners and groups of women. I have started visiting the health clinic once a week, hoping to get acclimated with the processes that go on there. Thus far, my contribution has been zero, but with time, I should be able to feel more comfortable and get some sensibilizations (awareness campaigns) started. Slowly but surely… I also have been making several presentations about American culture to English students at the high school. I am also going to have weekly English help “office hours” this summer at the school. Ideally, any students who want to informally work on their English skills can come and converse with me in this time, and I am going to prepare games and other activities too. These sessions should keep me busy.

Other than that, Burkina has been quite wild the past few months. In late April, the country broke down into civil unrest, and for one week, all of us PCVs were consolidated in different points throughout the country. All the southwest volunteers were consolidated together, and we had a great time relaxing at a hotel, eating ice cream, playing daily pickup sports games, and dancing a lot. We even pulled together a really nice Easter dinner. Between consolidation and in-service training, I painted my house, which was QUITE the chore (especially after a mouse incident). Omar and I, with a little help from my next door neighbors, spent 20 hours painting my living room and bedroom a lovely sunshine yellow, and unfortunately, my kitchen was pepto-pink (I was hoping for a bright red…fail). I shall be repainting my kitchen VERY soon.

My favorite thing about site right now is the feeling of summer coming. Even though Burkina is always hot, there is definitely a different summerish vibe in the air these days. Kids are almost done with school, beautiful rainy afternoons turn into warm evenings, little fields and garden plots have sprung up everywhere, and the paradisiacal countryside is ALL green. After coming back from Ouaga for training and seeing the SW landscape, I realized how beautiful my neck of the woods really is. In this case, the grass is not greener on the other side, that’s for sure!

Sorry for the delay in blog updates; with training, consolidation, and very spastic internet access recently, I have been a bit slow J Be sure to check out my new pictures on the left…in a couple of weeks, I should be updating again! Kofe!

It’s official.  Hot season is here in Burkina Faso to stay, and day by day, more of me just melts away.  In two years, I will probably just be one big pool of sweat, lying on the side of road, somewhere on the route of my daily commute to work.  Every day, when I arrive at the atelier and greet all the tailors and apprentices, I can only gasp out “Il fait chaud”  (it’s hot) as I stagger off to sit and drink as much water as I possibly can.  In fact, I comment on the heat after my bike rides so much that I am beginning to think that my colleagues think that “Il fait chaud” is the extent of my French-speaking ability (which honestly isn’t particularly far from the truth)!  I am really starting to take “small-talk about the weather” to a new level!  However, besides the blanket of upper 90’s to 100’s degree heat that has settled over Burkina, I really cannot complain about anything here.  I love being at site and meeting people, and I am also starting to get an idea of some projects I want to do throughout my sojourn in the Southwest. In the past weeks, after my time in Banfora for language training, I have been practicing my Jula as much as possible.  Even though many people here speak French too, Jula is a more natural language for the locals.  The more I can use Jula, the more intégrée I will feel, though I do study my French grammar a lot too.  In addition to language learning, I have also had several very productive meetings with local leaders and business owners, and hopefully these gatherings will lead to future collaboration on projects.  Slowly but surely, I am starting to get to know more people in town and explain why I am in village.  Eventually, within these varied relationships, I can work with the Burkinabe to improve their businesses and also give trainings and sensibilizations on nutrition, hygiene, disease prevention, management, gardening, and composting.  In addition, soon I will start tutoring local high school students in English, before their final exams in June.  But as for now, I am enjoying the free time that comes with the process of integration: visiting neighbors, discussing cultural differences with friends, and having apprentices over for dinner.  I do find time to read, watch movies, and play with my growing puppy too, so most days, I am quite busy! However, I have had to adapt my schedule a bit with the advent of April, because now I have to find enough time to… EAT MANGOS!  Mango season has arrived here in the Southwest, and the roadsides are full of women selling them.  Also, I have to be careful when passing other bikers these days, because often they are dragging 15 foot poles, used to reach mangos high in trees behind their bikes.  I do get a bit stressed out though, as day by day, my pile of mangos in my kitchen grows larger, and I must find ways to eat as many as I can before they go bad.  As of now, I am averaging about eight a day, but unfortunately, my pile is still growing!  Take yesterday for example:  I set out for work yesterday morning and was stopped on the side of the road by a young woman I know, who was, of course, gathering mangos.  She gave me four.  Then, at work, I received two others from one the apprentices, which I attempted to eat.  By the end, I was covered in slimy and delicious mango goo.  It is physically impossible to eat mangos in a ladylike, polite, not completely messy way!  Then, last night, I received five mangos from a neighbor kid and then another neighbor brought over a sack of about fifteen for me too!  Even though I tried to give some away and eat as many as I could, I still had about 12 this morning.  Then my homologue came over with a gift; guess what?  Ha, mangos, of course.  Mango season is quite the never-ending battle, I have learned, but it is pretty satisfying…the mangos are DELICIOUS! That’s the news in my life in Burkina these days.  Other than that, if anyone has been following the news, you might have noticed that there’s been some issues here in country.  No worries… I am safe, but I am just hoping that everything cools down here soon!

It's been quite a while since I've blogged, both because I am a bit lazy with sharing the seemingly mundane details of my life here (i.e. fetching water on the back of my bike, swatting preying mantises off my door, and eating acheke out of plastic sachets) and because I live in West Africa, where WIFI is not exactly the region's selling point. As a result, this post is a mélange of many interesting (in my opinion anyways) anecdotes from my time here in Burkina Faso. Enjoy!

March 8th, International Women's Day, is a really big holiday here in Burkina. Kids get the day off for school, and most villages have celebrations to commemorate the women. I never miss a big party, so March 8th seemed right up my alley. In addition, my association was invited to be the guests of honor of a celebration in a small village, Sideradougou, so I was extra excited for the holiday. On March 7th, I traveled with three members of my association on an unpaved road for over two hours to the hopping metropolis of Sidera. Sidera, though it doesn't have electricity, did have a nice, friendly vibe in its city center. I was very curious as to where I would be staying during my sojourn in Sidera, and shortly after my arrival in the town, I found out. Turns out, all four of us would stay with the sister of the president of ATTA, in her Burkinabe courtyard. For the next three days, I slept outside on a mattress next to the two young women of ATTA, "helped" fetch water at 6 a.m. from the pump (by help I mean accompanied but didn't actually fetch any water), and bucket bathed under the stars (which is actually the same as my house at site)!

On the day of March 8th, we all dressed up in our matching March 8th pagne dresses/shirts and made our way down to the festival location. I got the front and center sofa, right next to the mayor. The rest of my association had to sit in the row behind me, in the plastic chairs. One of the perks of being a stranger, a tubobumaso, an American... A grand ceremony started much later than its 10 a.m. projected commencement, and a parade of colorful dressed women and girls marched by, dancing in the traditional style. After the ceremony, the small group of distinguished guests walked through the masses of villagers to the CSPS, the local health clinic, to plant a symbolic tree. Then we ate. We distinguished guests were seated in the most comfortable chairs and placed in the center of the maquis. I looked around, and I realized that about 75% of the guests were men. The women were the ones serving the food; Burkinabe men are incapable of doing so. Without a femme around, they just simply stare at the plates of food with a look of helplessness, until the nearest woman comes to aid them. It was quite ironic that on the day when women are supposed to be celebrated, the men were the ones who were the primary recipents of the celebration. I guess it does take some time to change the patriarchal culture here. All I know is that the Burkinabe men should appreciate the women here; without them to raise the children, make and serve the food, clean the courtyard, and wash the clothes, men here would be lost!

Shortly after my return to site after Sidera, I had language training for a week in my regional capital of Banfora. It was great to see a group of my stage-mates, especially as (in between hours and hours of Jula class), we were able to find time to get to the pool. It was a lovely break from the 90's-100's degree weather we have been having here in hot season. Eating out in Banfora all week was a treat (rice and peanut sauce is my favorite food here), and we also took some time to explore the local marche. However, the highlight of the week was our trip to Tengela, the site of the sacred hippos. A group of us pedaled the 10k out to Tengela on Sunday morning and bargained down the price for entry to the lake. It was as touristy as it gets here, which is really not touristy at all. A couple of Burkinabe manned a little station on the outskirts of the lake, and guide took the ten of us across the lake on two canoes (see my pictures). The hippos live in this lake, one of the biggest lakes I have seen in Burkina Faso (probably about the size of Swan Lake, for those of you from Carroll). We were told, that despite the fact that hippos kill more humans than any other animal a year (apparently?), the hippos at Tengela have never attacked humans. How come, you may ask? Well, simply put, the hippos have an agreement with the Burkinabe villagers nearby that neither one will kill the others. Yes, I thought it seemed a bit far-fetched too, but when I was in a roughly-hewn canoe with six other people, rowing towards the hippos fighting in the water, I believed it, if only to diminish my fear! However, when a very old chief of the village dies, apparently it is acceptable to kill a hippo for the grand funeral. When I asked why the hippos don't get mad that the Burkinabe kill them when a chief dies, the response I got was that the hippos "just know" that the chief died. Yeah...right...

My friend and I came back to my site from Banfora last night and continued to Bobo-Dioulasso today to run a few errands. It was nice being back at site, after I removed the dead mouse from the trap in my living room. For an hour or two, the smell was absolutely terrible! The best part was getting Belle back from my homologue; she was SO excited to see me. This morning, my friend and I took a bush taxi into Bobo, and as usual, the local Burkinabe transport was quite the adventure! I had to climb through the back doors of the oversized van, while my friend sat up near the front. I was surrounded by young guys, one holding a chicken, one an over-eager Rasta guy, and two (the mates for the taxi) hanging on the back of the van, outside. About twenty minutes into the trip, I felt a tap on my shoulder, and one of the mates gave me his cell phone. It had a message typed out that said, "je veux q on pu etre amis sil est possible." Roughly translated, he asked if we could be friends. I smiled and said yes, but when he asked for my number, I regretfully had to turn him down. Instead, I took his number, so if someday, I want to chat with this Siaka, I can give him a ring. I don't think that's going to happen... But it was just another adventure on a bush taxi in Burkina Faso, just like all the other daily happenings that can be both frustrating and extremely hilarious. I guess these are the things that really make living in West Africa quite the experience...

Before I close, I want to give a big THANKS to my friends and family that have been sending me packages and letters! They really make my day, and home never seems so far away. Besides, the neighborhood kids LOVE to fight over who gets to keep the boxes :)

I changed my post office box from Banfora to Bobo (check the address section on the left)...I would really prefer if any letters, etc. go to the new address! Thanks!

It’s been a long since I updated from here at site, and many things have been going on here in the Southwest.  I have been busy meeting people and exploring my village.  A lot of days, I feel like I do not have much to do, but yet, the days fly by!  The little things, like hauling water, cleaning my house, and biking to and from all the places around town, take a lot of time.  Many people have been curious as to what I actually do every day, so I have a bit of description of my every day life here in Burkina, for your reading pleasure! Each day, I get up pretty early and get myself (and my NEW puppy, Belle) ready for the day.  Before 8 a.m., I am usually ready to start working on my Etude de Mileu, my study of the area I have to work on for the first three months here at site, or other tasks, usually on my computer (translating my resume, writing emails, writing notes for English class preparations).  Then, by 10 a.m. or so, I usually head into the atelier, where all the tailor apprentices of my association work.  There, I sit and practice French and Jula with the apprentices, ask accounting questions with the accountant who works there, and talk with various vendors around the town area.  All the time, I try to get a sense of life in my village and what needs people have.  Around noon, I usually have my favorite lunch, rice with peanut butter sauce (it’s AMAZING) from the woman next door.  Then around, 1 or 2 p.m., when the repose (French word for siesta) starts, I set off for my house.  On my bike ride home (like all my bike rides), I am constantly shouting greetings like Bonjour, A nisogma, Sedayougou to all the Burkinabé I meet.  It’s incredible how important these daily greetings are! During the repose time, I usually read a bit (I’m currently halfway through War & Peace!) or study my languages.  Then around three or so, I usually strap my large bidon to the back of my bike, and I pedal down to the water fountain to haul water.  Other afternoons, I head to the president of my association’s house, who has a computer, to teach him or the accountant how to use Microsoft Word and Excel.  I am hoping eventually to get my association to have an Excel-based accounting system.  However, neither person has ever used Excel before (actually neither is particularly comfortable with computers in general), so it will definitely take time.  They are both very enthusiastic to learn though, and I enjoy teaching. In the late afternoon, I usually head down to the boutiques along the road and buy bread, vegetables, eggs, and other condiments for my evening meal.  I usually make a salad or a stir-fry every night, so I am always buying tomatoes, onions, peppers, and rice!  When I return to my house, I soak my fresh condiments in bleach and water and heat water for my bucket bath.  Most days, during these evening preparations, I am interrupted by neighbors who stop by and say hi.  Many nights, I find myself eating and bucket-bathing after 8 or 9 p.m. when my visitors have finally gone.  I don’t mind, however, because these nights, I learn a lot about the Burkinabe and their culture.  Sometimes, I talk with high school students who want to practice their English, whereas other times, little kids come with their math homework.  A large incentive for them is that La Blanche usually has some candy to hand out J  Around 10 p.m., I usually head to bed, exhausted, as the heat, the bike-riding, and the constant French/Jula speaking really wears me out! So that’s my life here at site; much different from my American life!  Still, I am very content with my life here in Burkina, especially each day usually holds some sort of a little adventure.  I am looking forward to the time though when I am more comfortable speaking with the villagers, so I can start community-based projects and really get rolling with work.  However, I still have 23 months or so to go here at site, so I can definitely take a bit of time to integrate first! Other than that, I miss and think of everyone back at home often.  Thanks to everyone that have been sending packages and letters; you have been making my weeks here in Burkina!!!  I hope the winter storms aren’t too terrible back in the States; I will continue to enjoy my perfect mid-80 degree weather here! 

Check out my NEW address on the right...packages go there :)

Christmas has come and gone here in Burkina; though for me, it definitely did not feel like the holiday season! For one thing, there was NO snow here. Instead, the weather has been lovely; the temperature is usually around 80 degrees during the day, and it dips down each night to a cool 60 degrees or so. Needless to say, Christmas was a bit different than the celebrations I usually have in frozen Iowa! In addition, I did not get into the holiday cheer this year because I have just moved to my site, and I did not really have much time to settle in and prepare for the festivities. My Christmas ended up being wonderful however, as my host sister from training came to stay with me for a few days. Michelle arrived on Christmas Eve and stayed until the 27th. It was great having another person around in my big, empty house, even if she laughed at my feeble attempts at cooking a Christmas meal (I don’t blame her)! On Christmas Eve, Michelle and I went to the 9pm Christmas Mass at the Catholic Church in town. It was the first time I had been to the church, and it was very impressive. It was full even twenty minutes before Mass started, and more and more people kept poring in. I was amused by the sight of all the Burkinabé people, dressed in winter coats, scarves, and stocking caps in the 60 degree weather, especially as I was somewhat hot in my sleeveless dress in the church! With all the outdoor gear and the chorus of hacking coughs, I would have thought I was back in Midwest America for Christmas! It was a lovely service, though I did not understand much of it. Thank goodness, part of the homily was actually a skit performed by Burkinabé kids; it was really entertaining. Other than Mass, Christmas here was fairly low-key. On Christmas Day, Michelle and I visited another American who lives in my town, as she had prepared big pots of Burkinabé food. Afterwards, she and I hung out most of the evening in the courtyard of my counterpart, talking with all his friends and family that came throughout the night. Honestly, the best present I got this year was the time spent with Michelle, my host sister. Even if I have known my Burkinabé family for only a couple of months, there was something really nice about spending Christmas with my family! I hope everyone back at home had a lovely holiday season…I was thinking of you all a lot!

So I am getting more used to being here at site, away from my friends and my Burkinabé family in Koudougou. I have been kept busy each day, exploring the area and meeting many people in the community. Everyone here in town has been very friendly and accepting of me, which has made the transition much easier. Some of the town highlights thus far are: § The huge garden at the edge of town, where people in the community grow lettuce, peppers, piment, mangos, and spinach. I visited the garden one evening with my counterpart, and he bought me some lettuce, straight from the ground! After I soak vegetables in chlorine and filtered water for 15 minutes or so, I can eat fresh vegetables in salads, which is an amazing change from the peanuts, rice, and to I eat every day here. § All the fresh fruit and vegetables available everywhere here! Women sell papayas, mangos, tomatos, peppers, onions, and many other types of fresh food on the side of the road here every day, so even though our marche is only every five days, I can find all the produce that I want. Cooking has been a big change for me, now that I do not have domestiques to make my food for me. I have never enjoyed cooking anywhere, but West Africa has made this task even more cumbersome for me. Thank goodness for these fruits and vegetables! § The local, bustling marche. I have only seen two market days so far, but it is obvious that I can get anything I need every five days here at site. For sale are pagnes in every color and design, baskets, hardware supplies (necessary for my new house!), produce, rice, jewelry, and a myriad of other products. Over time (here and in Koudougou), I have also become more adept at bargaining with the vendors, though I still get a bit confused with the French and Jula prices once in a while! § The view from the goudron. Goudron is the French word for “paved road,” and there is one that runs straight through my town (in fact, the only paved road in town). My site is spread out along the goudron for about 5 km, so every day, I bike from my house to my association, the marche, a church, a school, or another village. The view from the goudron, and the views of the southwest in general, are absolutely breathtaking, as the landscape is covered with mango trees as far as the eye can see. There are also grand rolling hills and little cliffs that add more variety to the relatively flat scenery of Burkina. Not only am I getting a lot of exercise every day with my biking, but I get to have a beautiful “commute” too. The one little hiccup I have had here at site is my mouse problem. I have seen about three in my house as well as two in my outdoor latrine/shower at night. At first, I was pretty freaked out, and I took care to tuck in all the corners of my mosquito net for protection from the rodents, not the insects! I bought a trap, and each night, my counterpart helps me set it. I hear the snap of it when I lay in my bed, and the next morning, a mouse is confirmed dead. At first, I would not come within five feet of the trap, but now, I have become as brave as to carry the trap out to my courtyard, wait for a neighbor kid to remove the mouse for me, and delicately use a piece of cardboard to dispose of the animal outside in the bush. I brought up my concerns with my counterpart, and he thought the mice presence could be caused in part by the high brush that surrounds my house outside the courtyard. He had an idea in mind as to solve the problem, but I did not understand his French very well. I thought he planned to cut the grass a bit around me, but when he asked for matches, I was a bit confused. He disappeared for a while, and I continued doing chores around the house until he returned. We were talking, and I suddenly heard a loud crackling noise. Suddenly, I realized he had set all the brush on fire! I panicked a bit, as I pictured the whole neighborhood going up in flames because of my fear of mice! I did not believe him at first that the fire would burn out, especially not as I saw flames as high as my house. But he was right; the fire died down. Now, I have not had a mouse for a couple of days, so I think his idea, though not what I had in mind, was effective!

It’s official!  I am at my new site, here in the BEAUTIFUL southwest region of Burkina, and so far, I could not be happier.  I have only been here for about twelve days, but already I can see myself staying here for the next 710-ish days.  Africa, especially Burkina, is a bit of a “sink-or-swim” environment, and so far, I am staying afloat I think! Before I was affectated, we had our grand swear-in ceremony at the U.S. Ambassador’s house on Thursday afternoon.  Unfortunately, I had come down with a terrible cold, so I was feeling a bit down, but I pulled it together for the big day.  All 30 of us had outfits made out of the same pagne (African cloth) pattern, and we looked fabulous!  This, I might add, was quite important, as the ceremony was broadcast on the Burkinabe news channels that evening!  The ceremony itself was a bit long, especially as my French skills are still not sufficient to easily listen and comprehend long speeches.  Afterwards, there was a little reception with snacks and drinks, and all of us new VOLUNTEERS were able to mingle with many of the current volunteers that came to Ouaga for our day.  It was great to finally meet some of these other Americans that call Burkina home.  Another wonderful addition to the day was that my Burkinabe host parents made the trip from Koudougou for swear-in, so I was able to talk to them for a while too.  Overall, it was a great end to a fantastic Stage. Swear-in night, a lot of us went out dancing with some of the other volunteers; it was definitely a lot of fun.  However, Friday morning was not so great, especially as I had to get on public transport at 7 am for the 5 hour bus ride to Bobo-Dioulasso.  In addition, I tearfully said good-bye to all of my best friends in Burkina Faso, my fellow stagemates.  As of Friday morning, we all separated and headed to our new Burkinabé homes.  I spent Friday night in Bobo, the second largest city in Burkina after Ouaga.  I was very impressed by the atmosphere of Bobo; it is much better than Ouaga!  Then, Saturday morning, my Peace Corps driver, a Burkinabé, helped me negotiate at the marche (aka made the all vendors give me a good price, not the nassara/foreigner price) for all the things I needed to fill my empty house.  All of a sudden, we were done shopping, on the open road, and only a short distance from my new village!  The nerves hit me a bit, especially when we pulled up in front of my new courtyard and house.  My two professor neighbors, the driver, and my counterpart helped me unload my bags from the car into my three empty cement rooms of my house, and then the PC vehicle drove off.  I was home? My house was quite the sight (I will try to upload pictures asap):  It’s a mud brick/cement house with a tin roof.  I have three windows, one in each room, and a screen door in addition to my big metal door.  That is about all I had when I walked into the place!  I hooked up my gas stovetop on the floor, set my water filter on the floor, threw my couple of pots and pans into a couple of buckets, and that was/is my kitchen.  For my bedroom, I set my mattress on the floor, jerryrigged my mosquito net up, and propped my suitcase up like an armoire.  In my salon, I threw down a mat on the floor, and I was finished.  The second day I was at site, I went straight to the carpenter and commanded six or seven pieces of furniture.  Now, I finally have shelves for my clothes, hooks for my wall, and a little table for my water filter.  Soon, my kitchen counter, bed frame, chairs, and couch should be done.  Little by little, my new house will become a home! The first couple of days at site flew by, as I spent all day struggling to understand the Jula, French, and the local language that I heard all day long.  I met countless amounts of people, and I also tried to make sense of my belongings and my house.  The little adjustments, like fetching bidons of water from the pump down the dirt path, attaching the bidon to my bike, and then pedaling it back home, have been interesting.  In addition, the bucket bath/latrine situation took a couple of times to get used to; I was quite spoiled in Koudougou.  However, the biggest change has been my constant companions here…the mice in my house!  Check out my next blog entry to hear more about that…

I have officially left Koudougou, my Burkinabe home for the last two months, and now I am in Ouaga, getting ready for our big swear-in ceremony today! For the past two months, all of us stagieres have been taking language, technical, and culture classes to prepare for our two years working in Burkina Faso. We all had to reach certain benchmarks (language) and complete required assignments before we could officially be considered Peace Corps Volunteers. Happily, all 30 of our stage reached these levels, and this afternoon, we go from PC Trainees to Volunteers!

Before we left for Ouaga for the ceremony, we all needed to pack up all our things, which seem to have tripled in the two months that we have been in Stage. I spent Sunday and Monday jamming new clothes, pagnes, and care package goodies into my new, gigantic, third bag, as well as somehow finding a way to fit all my original possessions back into their bags. After struggling for hours, I finally had my room all packed up and ready to go. But the hardest part of leaving Koudougou was the goodbyes that followed. Over the past two months, I have grown very close with my host family, and I dreaded the day when I moved out.

Monday afternoon, we had a Farewell ceremony for all our host families at the Centre. After a few welcome speeches by the Peace Corps staff, each of us stagieres took the stage with our families, presented them with a certificate and invitations to swear-in, and recited a short thank-you. My speech consisted of: Merci beaucoup d'avoir si bien accuelli chez toi. Je m'y suis senti comme chez moi." Basically, I thanked my family for welcoming me into their family; I feel at home with them in Koudougou. It meant a lot to all the families to hear us each, in their language, tell them how much they meant to us. Afterwards, we had a short reception and then all headed home together.

On Monday night, my family had a small party for me. My mom, sister, and I all had matching pagne dresses made, so we put them on for our little fete. For dinner, we had a huge plate of rice au soumbala, my favorite dish, and a whole plate of chicken! I even gave in to my family's demands and ate the rice with my hands! Then, we had beers, sodas, and papaya; by the end, I was completely stuffed. After dinner, we took many pictures together, and I gave them all small gifts I had brought from the States. By midnight, I was dead tired, and as much as I wanted to keep spending time with my family, I had to go to bed.

The next morning, I had a last breakfast with them, and afterwards, I rolled out my bike, ready to leave for the last time for the Centre. Then, my mom took my left hand in hers (a major faux pas here, as left hands are thought of as dirty and inappropriate to use most of the time). She explained that because she made a faux pas in bidding me farewell with her left hand, it was necessary for me to return sometime, to right the wrong. It was a touching, symbolic gesture, especially as she noted that I am welcome to return to my house anytime I want. Holding back tears, I jumped on my bike and pedaled away, trying to imagine how wonderful my new home in the southwest of Burkina will be. Unfortunately, all I could think of were all the evenings spent learning French and Moore around the dinner table...I will definitely be making a trip back to Koudougou soon!

But here I am in Ouaga, anxious and ready to be a Peace Corps Volunteer. The ceremony for this begins this afternoon, at the Ambassador's house. Several stagieres will give speeches in French and various local languages; the ceremony is also televised on national Burkinabe channels! Afterwards, we will all take the same oath that President Obama did for our new "office," and then, Volunteers we will be! One of the highlights of this afternoon is going to be our outfits; all of us stagieres bought the same pagnes for our swear-in outfits. It should be amazing to see us all in our uniform clothing, created in various traditional Burkinabe styles. I will try to get up pictures of all of it sometime soon!

I hope all is great at home, especially with the holiday season upon us. For me, it doesn't quite feel like Christmas time, especially as the weather is never cooler than about 65 degrees! I definitely don't miss those snowy winters yet... I am hoping I will have an exciting Christmas at my new village, but it will definitely be different. I really won't know anyone around my new town yet, as I only get to site on Dec.19th, but I do plan to find a Catholic church for Christmas Mass. It will definitely be a different Christmas from what I am used to...

Thanks for all your emails and comments too; once I settle in at site, I promise I will do a better job at responding!

Novembre was a wonderful month here in Burkina; I cannot believe how fast it flew by! All of the stagieres have settled into routines in Koudougou, and most everyone has enjoyed experiencing life as a Burkinabe with our host families. In addition, as of today, all of us have officially passed the required level for language (though I think some of the testers were a bit sympathetic), which means, unless drastic problems arise, all of us should swear-in as volunteers in LESS than three weeks! It is hard to believe that in less than a month, I will be living alone in a village in southwestern Burkina, speaking only in French and Jula. It is intimidating, but I think it will be a great experience also… One of the best days in stage though, thus far, was our Thanksgiving celebration. Weeks of planning went into the Thanksgiving fete, and several stagieres really did a great job with the logistics. We had class on Thanksgiving from 8am-1pm, but afterwards, we were free to prepare for our grand fete. We had invited all our LCFs (language teachers) and all the Training staff members to an American potluck in the evening, so we had a lot of food to prepare. It is a bit difficult to exactly replicate an American Thanksgiving dinner in Burkina Faso, but we sure gave our best efforts! There were different groups around Koudougou tasked with different food groups; I was in the pasta/potatoes group. However, we ran into a slight problem when we found out that potatoes could not be found now in the market; potato season is officially over. Instead, we made a pasta salad, pasta with a tomato sauce, fried plantains and patates (like a mix of potatoes, yams, and sweet potatoes), and apple crepes. Mind you, all of this food preparation was over a wood-burning stove in the courtyard of a friend’s host family. Luckily, a Peace Corps vehicle was able to come by and pick up all the prepared food to transport it to the Centre; it was an amazing spread. The staff was amazing by all the food we had prepared. There was guacamole, homemade salsa, stuffing, green beans, mashed patates, fried chicken, fruit salad, lettuce salad, chips, and, best of all, TWO BUTTERBALL TURKEYS imported from America (thank you, American taxpayers). We could not have been happier…nor more stuffed with food by the end of the night. After dinner, we turned the music up, and the Thanksgiving dancing commenced. This slight twist on a typical Thanksgiving Day celebration was fabulous, and most everyone broke it down a bit on the dance floor. As we were able to stay at the Centre overnight, the party continued late into the night. The next morning for class, we were all a bit tired… Other than our big Thanksgiving fete, things have been pretty normal here. I did have a great weekend with my family, especially as they took me out dancing on Saturday night. It was a bit daunting to be the only nassara (foreigner in Moore) on the dance floor, but I soon got over it and enjoyed my time out. This upcoming weekend, we are taking another weekend with a current PCV, like demyst, but this is a Tech Weekend. I am going to a town near Ouahigouya, which is going to be a big change of scenery. I cannot wait to go!

Last Monday was a very exciting day for all of the stagieres; we had site announcements in the afternoon! All of us had been waiting anxiously for the past month to find out our new homes for our next two years in Burkina Faso, and Monday was the official day. But before the afternoon announcement festivities, we had to suffer through morning classes, which was really anticlimactic. I did find out, however, that I officially passed out of my French classes too, as I passed to Intermediate-Mid on my Saturday language test! After lunch, our Country Director, the Assistant Country Directors, and other staff members came to the training centre for the site announcement afternoon. To begin, the staff pulled out a huge map of Burkina Faso and taped it to the wall. Then, two stagieres came to the front of the room, drew two site descriptions, and each read the description to all of us gathered in the conference room. After hearing the description, all of guessed whose site was announced, and then, when we guessed the correct person, the person came up and put their picture on the map. Slowly, descriptions of sites and projects were read, and each sounded exciting and exotic. I was trying to wait patiently, but my name had still not come up towards the end. Finally, after I listened to an intriguing and wonderful sounding site description, my name was called, and I had my new Burkinabe home! For security reasons, I am not able to disclose on this blog my actual site location (you can email for the actual location), but I am very very very pleased with my assignment. I will be living in the lush, cool, southwest corner of Burkina Faso, near Banfora. Banfora is supposedly one of the most beautiful places in Burkina Faso, known for its mangos and waterfalls, and I am thrilled to be in the area. As a result of my assignment, I will be learning the language Jula, in addition to French, so I am excited to start those classes soon. Also, I was thrilled to hear that my new home is wired for electricity, so I will be able to purchase a fan and have lights J In addition to living in the most beautiful part of Burkina, my site project sounds wonderful. I will be a first-time volunteer in my community, which is a great opportunity, but also a bit intimidating! I will be working with a highly motivated, intelligent supervisor, who I have only heard amazing things about. He started an association that teaches young people to be tailors, and apparently, the organization is extremely impressive. He has been asking for a Peace Corps Volunteer for a long time, and I have heard that he is extremely excited to meet and work with me. I will be working primarily to streamline their business practices, especially their accounting system. In addition to the association of tailors, I will also been working with a mango-drying organization, which is a great income-generating activity (IGA) opportunity. Though by the end of site announcements, the map of all our new homes was a bit intimidating (everyone is so spread out), all of us were energized by the news. Our country directors did a great job of matching us with specific programs and sites that complement our work experience and interests, and now all of us are counting down the days until swear-in! We still have four weeks left in stage though, and there is still a lot of things that we have to do before we finish. Until then, I am going to continue poring through my travel book, trying to imagine my new home as much as possible!

                Two weekends ago, all of the PCTs participated in demystification, an activity designed for trainees to better understand the life of a PC Volunteer in Burkina Faso.  Before the weekend, we were split into groups of three or four stagieres, and each group was assigned a current PCV living somewhere in the country.  Each demyst group also had a Language and Culture Facilitator (LCF), or in my group's case, we had two LCFs.  The goal of the weekend was to travel with our groups on local transport and then spend the weekend with the PCV, learning about his or her daily life in Burkina Faso.                  On Thursday morning, all oft the PCTs departed for Ouaga on a PC bus.  During the morning, we had a security session at a hotel in the capital city, and then in the afternoon, we had a PC Bureau tour.  It was very impressive to see the resources that are available to us once we swear-in as official volunteers.  Later in the afternoon, we also traveled to the local depots/gares with our LCFs to pre-purchase tickets for our demyst trip, as we were not setting off on our adventure until Friday morning.  That evening, in Ouaga, all of the SED (small-enterprise development) trainees, including myself,  were invited to have dinner at the Assistant PC Director –SED (APCD) Dan's house.  We were thrilled to find out that he had made burritos and chips for dinner; we even had chocolate brownies for dessert!  We have only been in country for about a month, but all of us already miss the variety of American cuisine.                  The following morning, my group of four stagieres and our two LCFs piled into a taxi with our bikes and bags crammed into the trunk, and we set off for the gare to catch our noon bus.  After my time spent in Ghana riding tro-tros, I was prepared for less-than-ideal transport conditions.  However, our bus was not too bad by West African standards, though I was a little annoyed by the woman eating rice and beans next to me during our trip to Po.  Thankfully, our voyage from Ouaga to Po, the site of our demyst weekend, was only about 2.5 hours, and we were there without many delays (for Africa).                  Kathy, a middle-aged, wonderful, Texan who was our assigned volunteer, met us at the Po gare, and immediately I saw how well integrated she was into the community.  Kathy is a new volunteer and has only been at site for three months; she was with the big June stage.  Nevertheless, as we hopped on our bikes and headed to her house, Kathy greeted many people and pointed out landmarks along the way.  When we arrived at Kathy's compound, which she shares with a family, our group was very impressed by her site.  She has a pretty nice kitchen, especially as she brought a lot of utensils with her from the States.  She also had electricity, as well as fans, and in her (outdoor) latrine, Kathy had a porcelain toilet and shower!  Quite luxurious for Burkina Faso PCVs.                 During our weekend in Po, we generally had a great time.  Kathy took us to the association with whom she works.  The association promotes sustainable agricultural and gardening techniques for many villages, and we learned the benefits of certain types to common trees and plants here in Burkina Faso.  In addition, during the weekend, we learned how to make liquid soap and bissap, a delicious drink here made with hibiscus leaves.  It was great for us to see what life is like in a small Burkinabe town for a PCV; it is very different than Stage here in Koudougou.

The best part of the weekend by far was the activities we did with the local kids for Halloween.  The Burkinabe kids do not celebrate/know Halloween, so we wanted to give them a bit of a taste of American Halloween.  On Saturday night (Oct. 30), we invited over some of the neighborhood kids (who quickly multiplied into a group of about 30-40) and helped them decorate masks made of brown paper.  They LOVED the masks; the Zorro-style was a big hit!  The following night (Halloween), the kids returned with their masks, and we decided to demonstrate how Halloween worked.  So we set up a mattress as a door, Grace and I quickly threw on costumes (I was a "ghost" and she had a mask and cape), and we demonstrated how kids say "Trick or Treat" and receive candy.  The Burkinabe kids caught on immediately, and pretty soon, every little one was saying "Trick or Treat" in English and receiving candy  After we had our Halloween activity, an impromptu dance-off sprung up, and all the kids broke it down.  Check out my PIcasa site (link on this blog)….I have tried to upload pictures!  It was wonderful Halloween, distinctly Burkinabe, and great addition to my demyst weekend.                Ultimately, I actually was "demystified" on demyst weekend, but it also made me appreciate my posh living right now.  I am really excited to get to my site (we find out our sites on Monday), but I definitely want to enjoy the last month of stage too!  The best part of demyst for me was that I felt pretty confident getting around with my improving French.  I definitely speak broken, convaluated French/Franglais, but I can get my point across.  Day by day, my French improves…I think in two years, I will sound just like a Burkinabe J

After our Tuesday classes, we had our adoption ceremony for our host

families on Tuesday afternoon. Previously we had discussed what to

expect from our host family, especially in terms of cultural

differences, so despite our excitement, we were also extremely nervous

to meet them. Tuesday afternoon, all of the stagieres went to a

conference room, where the representatives of the Burkinabe families

had gathered. There were two short speeches (in French) and then our

director introduced the family and the volunteer, one by one. I sat

nervously, waiting to hear my name and meet the people I would live

with for the next two months. About halfway through, I heard my

name…and saw my new host dad, Michael. We shook hands, took a quick

picture, and we were off! I had my PC-issued bike, so I figured we

would walk/bike to my house together, but my family had brought their

car. When I got to the car, I met my host mother, Antoinette, who

could not come inside because her ankle is broken. After loading my

bike into the car, we headed for home.

When we arrived at our house, which was a good ten minutes away by

car, I was shocked by how nice it was! For training, I have been

living VERY nicely, especially as compared to some other of the PCTs.

I have my own bedroom (which is a requirement for all host family

placements) in a house with electricity, which means, most

importantly, I have a FAN in my room. I also have running water for

my shower as well as a toilet, whereas most of the other PCTs have

only a latrine and a one-roomed hut.

I get along very well with my family; they are very similar to an

American family. I requested a Catholic family before I was assigned

a placement, and I am glad I did for multiple reasons. First of all,

it is very easy to understand both the names of the members of the

family as well as the family structure. For some of the other PCTs,

distinguishing the different wives and children in Muslim families

with very Muslim names, has been a challenge. For me, I have a

father, Michael, and one mother, Antoinette. Maman Burkinabe ("Mama")

works at a hotel doing something related to communications, if I

understood correctly, but she has not been working now because of her

broken ankle. She also is the president of an association that

promotes the causes of women. She a very impressive women; she even

traveled to Washington in 2000 to participate in a march for women's

rights. I have no idea what my father does; I have not seen him since

the night of the adoption ceremony. I think he may work in

Ouagadougou during the week or something. They have four children,

two of whom still live at home, Michelle and Jean. The other two

sons, Frank and Marcel, live elsewhere in the country. I have talked

(or tried to) to Frank several times over the phone, and I met his

wife and son when they visited. My host sister Michelle and my

brother Jean in Koudougou are GREAT. They are both around my age, and

we hang out all the time together. In fact, the other night I went

out for drinks with them and some friends. They also offered to take

me dancing next weekend!

In addition to being fun to hang out with, my host siblings are very

smart and have a great comprehension of English. Every night, Jean

helps me with my French for hours, patiently correcting my errors and

explaining concepts to me. His assistance has been the most

beneficial for my language acquisition. The first night when I

arrived, I could not understand a single thing that my family said to

me, but now, only a week later, I understand a lot of what they say.

We watch together a specific TV program every night, and I learn a lot

by listening to that also.

In our house, we also have four domestiques, which roughly translates

as servants. The concept of domestiques is not uncommon in West

African cultures, as many times the children who serve families are

often relatives that serve their extended family in return for room

and board/school. I am not sure if that is the case with my four

young domestique girls, as well as the teenage boy who also lives with

us, but I hope to find out sensitively sometime soon. They are also

wonderful, though I do not interact with the girls as much. The

oldest, Elise, did show me how to do my laundry, and she even gave me

a manicure! I offered to reciprocate, but she would not let me. As a

whole, the whole family must think I am an idiot, as I do not know how

to do the very basic things!

I have loved my experience with my host family thus far; and after

this past weekend, when I returned from a weekend trip, going back to

my house in Koudougou felt a little bit like home. Already, I feel a

bit integrated into my new Burkinabe life!

Note: Sorry for the delayed updates about my arrival in Burkina Faso.

For the first several days, our group was not able to access the

internet, and now that we have started our intensive classes, we have

had little free time. In addition, excuse my poor English grammar; my

days are spent entirely thinking/reading/trying to understand French,

and Franglish is my new language of choice!!!

I officially arrived in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso on Thursday, October

14th, in the mid-afternoon. The hot, dry African air we stagieres

(French word for Peace Corps Trainees) felt when we disembarked from

the plane was a sure sign that we were no longer in the midst of a

temperate American autumn! Instead, a desolate looking airport

greeted us, as did several of the Peace Corps Burkina Faso staff.

Eventually, we all got our bags sorted out, and the Peace Corps took

them off to Koudougou, where we are living for the two months of

training. However, for the first two nights, we PCTs stayed in

Ouagadougou, at a hostel that had the distinctive vibe of a summer

camp. While we were there, we had our language test, medical and

technical interviews, and many introductions to staff and directors.

For the language test, I placed at the Novice High level in French.

In order to officially swear in as a PC Volunteer in mid-December,

after training, we must reach the Intermediate Mid level. I am only

two levels away, and I am confident that I should be able to surpass

the benchmark. After only a week in country, I feel like my French

has increased exponentially; in addition, the Burkinabe are extremely

understanding and patient with our language difficulties!

Ouagadougou was a nice two day introduction to Burkina Faso, but we

were all excited to move to Koudougou on Saturday morning. With our

ever-increasing baggage (we received a medical kit, as well as MANY

papers), the stagieres loaded onto the Peace Corps bus and set out for

Koudougou, a large town about two hours away. Along the way, we were

able to truly see Burkina; the countryside is very beautiful! At

Koudougou, our bus was greeted by the Burkinabe Peace Corps staff, who

offered us all a symbolic drink of the welcome water (filtered water

for us, of course)! Our first several nights in Kougoudou we stayed

at the Centre Abipierre. The Centre Abipierre is a sort of "hotel"

(in a VERY loose sense), with lodging as well as separate buildings

with conference rooms (also a very loose term; very different from

conference centers in the U.S.) We stayed in shared rooms, but we did

have to use the latrine and the basic shower for the first time in

country! Thankfully, there is actually a Western style bathroom on

the premises too; however, we did nota discover it for a couple of

days! Our first night at the Centre, there was a welcome ceremony of

sorts, and traditional Burkinabe dancers performed to a distinctly

African band comprised mainly of drums and flutes. It was fantastic

to see, and by the end, all of us had joined in too!

On Sunday morning, we received our detailed schedules for the

following nine weeks, and our intense training officially began. The

first several days flew by, and every night, we all retired dead-tired

to our bug tents in the courtyard, as we soon realized that the rooms

were way too stuffy to sleep in. Every morning we awoke to begin our

class sessions again, but soon we all were all ready to move in with

our host family and develop a daily routine.In order to explain clearly my different experiences (and because I

have not been very good with keeping daily entries of my days here in

Burkina), I am going write separate entries about my family, my

training, etc. Enjoy!

My bags are packed, and I am ready to go. Tomorrow I officially begin my adventure with the Peace Corps; I could not be more excited! Most of this upcoming week will be spent traveling, so the next time I update this blog, I should be settled in Burkina Faso. C'est incroyable!

I fly to Philadelphia tomorrow evening for Staging, where I meet up with the other 30 PCTs (Peace Corps Trainees) and have a brief, intense pre-departure session with the PC staff. On Wednesday morning, a bus takes all the PCTs to JFK Airport in New York City, and we fly to Brussels, Belgium. From Belgium we connect to Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, and our official ETA in Burkina is Thursday mid-afternoon!

After my arrival in Burkina, I will spend two days in Ouaga, and then our class of PCTs will relocate to Koudougou, a regional capital about 75 km from the capital. In or near Koudougou, we will be assigned Burkinabè host families, with whom we will live for about two months. During these two months, I will be in Training, where PCTs have intense language, medical, and technical lessons for about 6-8 hours a day. I will continue my French studies during this time, as well as learn a local Burkinabè language, probably Moore (with all this class, it might even be like being back at Notre Dame!) In December, I hopefully will have met the required language level, and then I can officially be sworn in as a Peace Corps Volunteer. At this time, I will move to my site placement (TBD), where I will spend a full two years working and living in a Burkinabè community.

Ever since I applied for the Peace Corps last October, I have been imagining what my life with the PC would be like. Now I officially start my service on Tuesday, and I could not be more excited for what the future holds. I am thrilled to be returning to West Africa, especially as I will be working within the business sector for my project. Above all, however, I am looking forward to meeting the Burkinabè people and learning about their culture and lifestyle. Burkina Faso is the fifth poorest country in the world, so I know I will learn many lessons in ingenuity and generosity in the Land of Upright People. Hopefully, I will be able to reciprocate, even if my contribution is small, during my service with the Peace Corps.

After being back at home since graduation, my appreciation and love for my family, friends, and my hometown has grown, which makes my departure somewhat harder. I am very blessed, though, to have a wonderful and supportive network behind me. Thank you to all that have helped me prepare for my journey; you all will be missed!