tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80621659663151396752024-02-07T04:59:30.875-08:00Jan Larsen's Peace Corps AdventureThe contents of this Web site are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. Government or the Peace Corps.Jan Larsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15410126460616145198noreply@blogger.comBlogger104125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8062165966315139675.post-38490362520115094062012-08-30T12:18:00.000-07:002012-10-10T15:40:32.037-07:00My Last Blog Entry<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Leaving
my village</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In
this blog I want to tell you about leaving Burkina Faso.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After Camp GLOW I returned to my village for
a few days to pack up the things I would be taking home and to get the house
ready for my replacement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lindsay, the
woman who will be moving into my house and spending the next two years working
there is, amazingly, from the Cleveland area!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Here is another example of how common coincidences are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Peace Corps sends you to a small country in
West Africa, and the person you are replacing is practically a neighbor, not
only from the same state, but from another suburb of Cleveland. Here we are,
together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As you can see, she is much
younger than I am. </span></div>
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<br />
<b>Farewell Party </b><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">On
the day before I left my site I wanted to have a chance to say goodbye to
people I had worked with over the two years and to throw a party for the
neighborhood. I asked my community homologue if she would be willing to
organize it for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I started passing out invitations before I went to Camp GLOW. </span>We had the party in
the courtyard of my good friends and neighbors, the Taogo family. A group of
women started preparations on Thursday by baking "cake," small pieces of a sweet
dough that is deep fat fried.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOD_zYxpyUc5EwOJqWoH_sof_KRErdfFXQUe6gj-17vxhN-LEqF4ZqlNqZj0BNm1bIdbbFlm6jgI0wJ4mY3RxFPx1nHNQPOli1rDswA65SJL6z3Z4S3ANeJNl5tQpGKDUimMxCwL61x5E/s1600/gateau.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOD_zYxpyUc5EwOJqWoH_sof_KRErdfFXQUe6gj-17vxhN-LEqF4ZqlNqZj0BNm1bIdbbFlm6jgI0wJ4mY3RxFPx1nHNQPOli1rDswA65SJL6z3Z4S3ANeJNl5tQpGKDUimMxCwL61x5E/s400/gateau.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">On
Friday they made shrimp chips and the hot pepper sauce (to add to the sauce, as we
might add pepper) They also fried the fish for the sauce.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilcDjm_ne9CuhxW283n6w2VjsqnjDwQe8NjUjFK_eClLxjj9gPyWlBtSlhOPxnxMxc8WwSpLWW_c_4aVe8bpWGJojJ31i4UYTC-8c8YTZLTsm5JkS9u-2enWYNG-Pk1nHeIs5HgMM-mw8/s1600/fixing+greens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaZocIlWje9gCsQoktBl6oQFkdqcJSwdNoCMWWivlhTYh4bWTPXODBbxS98dx3T3rLqpmw_7lUgpxEbKNVExSy475Tm39Aq8znBEuBu1YivbxamYhkw8j5mREvz8YRgAv-FQiSPt6LcHI/s1600/making+shrimp+chips.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaZocIlWje9gCsQoktBl6oQFkdqcJSwdNoCMWWivlhTYh4bWTPXODBbxS98dx3T3rLqpmw_7lUgpxEbKNVExSy475Tm39Aq8znBEuBu1YivbxamYhkw8j5mREvz8YRgAv-FQiSPt6LcHI/s400/making+shrimp+chips.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> One
woman was occupied with cutting up the greens for the sauce.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilcDjm_ne9CuhxW283n6w2VjsqnjDwQe8NjUjFK_eClLxjj9gPyWlBtSlhOPxnxMxc8WwSpLWW_c_4aVe8bpWGJojJ31i4UYTC-8c8YTZLTsm5JkS9u-2enWYNG-Pk1nHeIs5HgMM-mw8/s1600/fixing+greens.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilcDjm_ne9CuhxW283n6w2VjsqnjDwQe8NjUjFK_eClLxjj9gPyWlBtSlhOPxnxMxc8WwSpLWW_c_4aVe8bpWGJojJ31i4UYTC-8c8YTZLTsm5JkS9u-2enWYNG-Pk1nHeIs5HgMM-mw8/s400/fixing+greens.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A
couple of young men got the job of killing and preparing the chickens for the
pot.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh48eFRkBXb5p4SLbhzZ7_kvKUhm7bUat6sPkLea8ML0SIY5eJmiuvM5_ogf-6vtQq-UgHwKuAXR14Q3jAjXXhuVJtIRvZrLGQtUyArTErT2Yi-q7H08_DuGOoaQMq48q1zzZ9WEl015OA/s1600/plucked+chickens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh48eFRkBXb5p4SLbhzZ7_kvKUhm7bUat6sPkLea8ML0SIY5eJmiuvM5_ogf-6vtQq-UgHwKuAXR14Q3jAjXXhuVJtIRvZrLGQtUyArTErT2Yi-q7H08_DuGOoaQMq48q1zzZ9WEl015OA/s320/plucked+chickens.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">On
Saturday there were about 10 women working all morning. They put a measure of each
of the kinds of drinks in small plastic sacks. You get a drink by biting off a
corner of the sack and sucking out the contents. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8hyphenhyphen_B0taaid2umJL18N934j1advU5lhLY32wOhJfCBFjrxt7IgXbwZPBWykyAeI2qj-edkb-KCWGzUtywRgW2c5PVp79qcoDHPmC_INIyYCRM82AgjHxky5fSzmfP6F-_nXs5RgSSaXo/s1600/drinks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8hyphenhyphen_B0taaid2umJL18N934j1advU5lhLY32wOhJfCBFjrxt7IgXbwZPBWykyAeI2qj-edkb-KCWGzUtywRgW2c5PVp79qcoDHPmC_INIyYCRM82AgjHxky5fSzmfP6F-_nXs5RgSSaXo/s400/drinks.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The
big task was to make the rice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the
end there were four big kettles of it.</span>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGUkxi8BbUbxs-hVSOYd8PmsUa0wzGXApEorPWFUYN1ERmIgvGoqQ_84pzvgxbjm9cLFmSMgN29vcRcLkGXyZhqAYpZd6JotPFVh2nIUge-HW6gIbfiof1pBxHmDesQUs71QSY1geULTg/s1600/riz+gras+with+Brigit+and+matrine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGUkxi8BbUbxs-hVSOYd8PmsUa0wzGXApEorPWFUYN1ERmIgvGoqQ_84pzvgxbjm9cLFmSMgN29vcRcLkGXyZhqAYpZd6JotPFVh2nIUge-HW6gIbfiof1pBxHmDesQUs71QSY1geULTg/s400/riz+gras+with+Brigit+and+matrine.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The
party was announced for 1:00 and I imagined it being rather like an open house
with people dropping in. My Burkinabè friends insisted there had to be a
ceremony, and I was to be the first speaker. After I thanked the folks for
coming, and for being so hospitable for the past two years, I was informed there was to be a toast,
and I was to lead it. When everybody had something to drink I said we should
drink to friendship between Burkina Faso and the United States.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ee8KrszlIbj1RCm4bohSvMQUQjYWAjNQQ6kShu-EXGH_1CiER5x4ei3luL36dalh2frJSWjAWIliGcNOBqMC-R3aNOXVy_PY956wI9YHMwh_ESrCs0JKuL7O1hGtxwaQkkPa8eTuxF8/s1600/a+toast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ee8KrszlIbj1RCm4bohSvMQUQjYWAjNQQ6kShu-EXGH_1CiER5x4ei3luL36dalh2frJSWjAWIliGcNOBqMC-R3aNOXVy_PY956wI9YHMwh_ESrCs0JKuL7O1hGtxwaQkkPa8eTuxF8/s400/a+toast.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Then
the inspector of the schools presented me with a certificate saying I had done
good work in the town. It can’t be a ceremony unless there are certificates… </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ZwQl7gkc6hfb19sn2CXCVg8n1m4TLEQQAnRMMaya4fu-bTAGyrvkrqL0ITYP57mdQYYbFvsqaBZXucROY325KZrpHY6rG8y-KbBSlp968yq0ZCf77unWYxGJVF4gfUrseLx4Oiz01n8/s1600/moussa+and+certificate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ZwQl7gkc6hfb19sn2CXCVg8n1m4TLEQQAnRMMaya4fu-bTAGyrvkrqL0ITYP57mdQYYbFvsqaBZXucROY325KZrpHY6rG8y-KbBSlp968yq0ZCf77unWYxGJVF4gfUrseLx4Oiz01n8/s400/moussa+and+certificate.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> I
received several small gifts which you will see if you come to one of my talks
about my experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then everybody was
served heaping plates of rice and sauce, or spaghetti, or couscous.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
functionaries such as teachers sat together</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2LXsIT9hSGj7trTLpBmFRgAKrazw1Vnkv28V9UYz1D7Uve6TW-bBVuw0aoC75CWAxYcdBY6lYylvcPMunXk5PLEGDhJiCzkuVng2wgDiPFXDrwaEYuxcvmJM5RZ-a0UqrUwH4MO968qk/s1600/lycee+teachers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2LXsIT9hSGj7trTLpBmFRgAKrazw1Vnkv28V9UYz1D7Uve6TW-bBVuw0aoC75CWAxYcdBY6lYylvcPMunXk5PLEGDhJiCzkuVng2wgDiPFXDrwaEYuxcvmJM5RZ-a0UqrUwH4MO968qk/s400/lycee+teachers.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">the men sat together, </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhALGcSZ_4gzgNxMwoZY3cE0WqvkPamu3j180m_kRtMYdTEZWIlNrdtSFe0q5jVgu8LTe9H6GfIGVlIguy5Eme734Vd_2exOhCqyIqNEEkZMQD8uQwgU-cq3cEWp-EYm4ZMlW_cH1KgXt0/s1600/men+eating.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhALGcSZ_4gzgNxMwoZY3cE0WqvkPamu3j180m_kRtMYdTEZWIlNrdtSFe0q5jVgu8LTe9H6GfIGVlIguy5Eme734Vd_2exOhCqyIqNEEkZMQD8uQwgU-cq3cEWp-EYm4ZMlW_cH1KgXt0/s400/men+eating.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> the women sat together, </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8A2SVL7ABfFHjhWc4ZwF8utBlTgBIIVzuBYy0GlgmJ_lKkiBO5_y5dAmaHAk3SGuUj1JuLvtm5qV7-MQAJdVTyOmr2zVRFQaffpfvgmDxDLi1T_D2Bn53PfA28MCkwRQm8G4QAq0XCDM/s1600/women+eating.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8A2SVL7ABfFHjhWc4ZwF8utBlTgBIIVzuBYy0GlgmJ_lKkiBO5_y5dAmaHAk3SGuUj1JuLvtm5qV7-MQAJdVTyOmr2zVRFQaffpfvgmDxDLi1T_D2Bn53PfA28MCkwRQm8G4QAq0XCDM/s400/women+eating.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">and
the children sat together.</span> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsq-esA33wlbT_Orq-7OX0-N-9Kijimsdl61nL-SBSu9WOhmceY3iKX2-fL3yQEuTQ73qIfEZnJpRVz2jQbFOZia6aoQn4776ENWnCuTxlckwqIdszdgV0-WQS8_o1AUlXAqSDEsPRcuM/s1600/kids+eating.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsq-esA33wlbT_Orq-7OX0-N-9Kijimsdl61nL-SBSu9WOhmceY3iKX2-fL3yQEuTQ73qIfEZnJpRVz2jQbFOZia6aoQn4776ENWnCuTxlckwqIdszdgV0-WQS8_o1AUlXAqSDEsPRcuM/s400/kids+eating.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I
was really pleased by the turnout and the chance to bid farewell to folks I
have known for the past two years.</span>
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Some
of the men who work at our one tourist site brought their drums.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thought all you musicians might get a kick
out of this photo of the drums sitting in the sun to “warm up.” In our band we
will do just about anything to keep our instruments out of the sun!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjug19U_co3M1cDvS8wXEDOt9cov34nLvQT5iz8J2StIhgLgWRKP7O2ayyVnKOzO6lpJ_FVjQBVI02Sw51T2x0Aygq9JP8oPtRKcfMhLgXhzYjYRM11uchtTGu5UsuTm4PDeYIkZknKyyY/s1600/DJ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYhquMbTPsBmB8Bkl0XnJHX9sRB1Q9JsgmxntAAcD4Ak4nUtNwHrgP-abfh75iMGmg9eWFkD6NSbzIrX7Kc27Jnd-M-ptYokflnBtxl2qLkFHkZcTZKfpTn7VRXwelzHQkwK8vm1krSfM/s1600/drums+in+the+sun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYhquMbTPsBmB8Bkl0XnJHX9sRB1Q9JsgmxntAAcD4Ak4nUtNwHrgP-abfh75iMGmg9eWFkD6NSbzIrX7Kc27Jnd-M-ptYokflnBtxl2qLkFHkZcTZKfpTn7VRXwelzHQkwK8vm1krSfM/s400/drums+in+the+sun.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">There
was also the man with the stereo system who played popular African music while
the drummers drummed along.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjug19U_co3M1cDvS8wXEDOt9cov34nLvQT5iz8J2StIhgLgWRKP7O2ayyVnKOzO6lpJ_FVjQBVI02Sw51T2x0Aygq9JP8oPtRKcfMhLgXhzYjYRM11uchtTGu5UsuTm4PDeYIkZknKyyY/s1600/DJ.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjug19U_co3M1cDvS8wXEDOt9cov34nLvQT5iz8J2StIhgLgWRKP7O2ayyVnKOzO6lpJ_FVjQBVI02Sw51T2x0Aygq9JP8oPtRKcfMhLgXhzYjYRM11uchtTGu5UsuTm4PDeYIkZknKyyY/s400/DJ.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
women and children danced to the music.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgThOzHv2ULV89zMHy-SGMzXIUiIBWfZOAu71QPtxkSMKHI8jLtgLe8hSUQLyw7MdGAgbCsG7kGmffckjmIV2oIv5QiR-HF4m9DtKLtoQjYkLSR-bHWPC8G2fQjb1RS2kCYcmUZ36CbXrU/s1600/kids+dancing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgThOzHv2ULV89zMHy-SGMzXIUiIBWfZOAu71QPtxkSMKHI8jLtgLe8hSUQLyw7MdGAgbCsG7kGmffckjmIV2oIv5QiR-HF4m9DtKLtoQjYkLSR-bHWPC8G2fQjb1RS2kCYcmUZ36CbXrU/s400/kids+dancing.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">One
of the ladies even got this old fellow up to dance.</span> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7qG48W9uOWTRuDwueSvVrhi8uaNKZuzOFlVf6ZkWRZ2_VIum_IVKXZDHch3nN2Neql3Djki2He8n_2H1-qvffH_4nJLBrlsfnCW9HXP81tCjQpNPAIjZAl1Ss6r8waMlUV2Lu4lwTMlE/s1600/dancing+with+dolo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7qG48W9uOWTRuDwueSvVrhi8uaNKZuzOFlVf6ZkWRZ2_VIum_IVKXZDHch3nN2Neql3Djki2He8n_2H1-qvffH_4nJLBrlsfnCW9HXP81tCjQpNPAIjZAl1Ss6r8waMlUV2Lu4lwTMlE/s400/dancing+with+dolo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
next morning I had planned to do some last minute packing, but people kept
stopping by.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My good friend, Nadine,
gave me two sets of clothes, a matching pair of pants and shirt in the Burkinabè
style and a dress made from hand woven strip cloth. Here I am wearing it when I
went out to dinner in Ouaga.</span>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAbLBbj4EMFHydtiUhmC4jdwC1gjp_uxaXJenkrGeDkayDWpxh7kIGzdXGoFv6ErVvPtJnshcjbe6DMb53mi7xrtrWwI_ZXrsR418wan2ympEIPmmAzLkX89kP-jvu6LdcBLG_29VjDr8/s1600/dinner+with+Honadias.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAbLBbj4EMFHydtiUhmC4jdwC1gjp_uxaXJenkrGeDkayDWpxh7kIGzdXGoFv6ErVvPtJnshcjbe6DMb53mi7xrtrWwI_ZXrsR418wan2ympEIPmmAzLkX89kP-jvu6LdcBLG_29VjDr8/s400/dinner+with+Honadias.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> I
had arranged for a taxi from Ouaga to come pick me up with all the things I had
to return.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The taxi man arrived a half
hour early, and my friends and neighbors came even earlier, so I was not
finished with my packing. I ended up throwing things in a couple of suit cases
to deal with in Ouaga. The taxi-man <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>took
this picture of me with my <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Burkinabè
family just as I was about to leave.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh9CBTrGJfgMOBoulfSaIj-Nb30OMOrrd0UPwozpuRP9_ZAIPwd42rwU_eU7XXd-_EnaQ5nyLzv6G0kKC_4pJZ5hmJ7sOAOpVRZPpE40PwTOLdAT8IjT-_RlyqQJ67m28b_FMyW-HmAhc/s1600/by+the+taxi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh9CBTrGJfgMOBoulfSaIj-Nb30OMOrrd0UPwozpuRP9_ZAIPwd42rwU_eU7XXd-_EnaQ5nyLzv6G0kKC_4pJZ5hmJ7sOAOpVRZPpE40PwTOLdAT8IjT-_RlyqQJ67m28b_FMyW-HmAhc/s400/by+the+taxi.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> In
Ouaga I went out to dinner with the friends in the picture above.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These are the folks who had been so hospitable
to me, taking me to Tabaski and out to see the wet lands around the reservoir
for Ouaga.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They gave me this stunning
dress that I wore to the swearing in of the new volunteers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here I am with the woman who will replace me at my site, Lindsay.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> I
had lunch with another friend who gave me this very comfortable dress. This is
the woman who is one of the script writers for the soap operas to change behavior,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I
also wore it for the final Peace Corps event for volunteers who are finishing their
service. There were eight of us finishing our service that week. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">After the staff reminisced about us, and we were
given Peace Corps pins and badges.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The main thing people had to say about me were related to my age. Let me tell you, retirees, Peace Corps is a great thing to do if you still have your health!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The
very last thing before going to the airport was having dinner at the fancy restaurant
near the transit house. There were six volunteers enjoying the meal, but I did not
get everybody in the shot. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">FYI
I made it back to the USA with a minimum of problems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>sat
on the runway at JFK in New York for nearly an hour, waiting for there to be a
gate where we could disembark.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fortunately
I had lots of time between flights so I did not panic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is good to be home!</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Need a Program for your organization?</b> </span></div>
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">One
final note.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will be giving talks to
various groups over the next few months and if you know of a group who would
like to hear something about Burkina Faso and serving in the Peace Corps, I
would be happy to arrange a talk and slide show (no speaker’s fee) for you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Drop me an e-mail and we can make
arrangements. Thanks for your encouragement and for reading this blog.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Janet</span></div>
Jan Larsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01071152180888508161noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8062165966315139675.post-84255427157337192022012-08-26T06:22:00.001-07:002012-10-10T15:50:18.846-07:00Camp GLOWFor the past three weeks I have been in a town called Léo preparing for and helping run a camp for Junior High aged young people. A number of you made contributions so that we could hold this camp, and I thought you might like to hear a bit about it. I will, of course, be doing an in-person report to the two churches that gave such generous support to the camp.<br />
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The camp took place on the campus of the Provincial Lycée. It has a fairly large campus, with about 10 classroom buildings with 2 classrooms in each one. They look like they have been here for quite a while.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg0U_JiPrC97EbfKlBiSqPPyBgF1GagKdAcanfwTa_YXV-Hsa4bWZ-tv5E2WyqLb16Fnu8cPl25MG5tsy3O4TEZ5M-SyEoRqHUsWMAedGbnW08jkiQ-QxQKF2xCDtpLV5LTKftdWie1EQ/s1600/campus.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg0U_JiPrC97EbfKlBiSqPPyBgF1GagKdAcanfwTa_YXV-Hsa4bWZ-tv5E2WyqLb16Fnu8cPl25MG5tsy3O4TEZ5M-SyEoRqHUsWMAedGbnW08jkiQ-QxQKF2xCDtpLV5LTKftdWie1EQ/s400/campus.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
It is clear that a German gymnasium (high school) provided a lot of financial help for the school at sometime in the past because various buildings and furniture have labels in German showing they were provided by the gymnasium.<br />
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Those things sitting on the desk are water filters. One of the things we talked about with the students was the importance of drinking clean water.<br />
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Our first task was to move all of the bench/desks out of a number of the classrooms. Here are some of the volunteers hauling them to the room where we stacked them.<br />
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We stuffed it full! We thought that, at the end of the camp we would have to put it all back, but another camp started the day we left, so we were off the hook on that one!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib4KXOTYsHKM-zlwS67JrWQUzbzY3qPYm_14UxmpOlTjyYSPJNNt5wMOLill98MQfmeUeciWf6t4_aqJ5m2AZtt5jB8yZWQ1PzKwh09VByo1VPl_A8KPrKGeoiKd9w8ShyUUoRbZvBfSY/s1600/room+with+desks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib4KXOTYsHKM-zlwS67JrWQUzbzY3qPYm_14UxmpOlTjyYSPJNNt5wMOLill98MQfmeUeciWf6t4_aqJ5m2AZtt5jB8yZWQ1PzKwh09VByo1VPl_A8KPrKGeoiKd9w8ShyUUoRbZvBfSY/s400/room+with+desks.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
We set up three of the rooms as sleeping quarters for 20 students each. One of the things Peace Corps is involved in here is to try to reduce the number of cases of malaria in the country. Léo has a lot of mosquitoes, because it gets more rain than much of the rest of the country. In Africa, mosquitoes = malaria, so mosquito nets were needed, two campers per net. At the end of the camp, each camper was given a mosquito net to take home.<br />
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There was electricity in most of the rooms. Usually there were four fluorescent light bars, one on each wall, but usually only a couple were working. Here is an example of the kind of electrical wiring you see here. <br />
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In each block of buildings usually there was only one room with an electrical outlet. The room where all the women slept in did not have any lights or electrical outlets. Most of the women had brought "bug huts," aka screen tents, to sleep in.<br />
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After setting up we did a three day "Training of Trainers" session during which we tried to demonstrate to the Burkinabè who were helping as camp leaders the methods we wanted to use in the camp. Peace Corps favors teaching methods that have lots of participant involvement. This is quite different from the approach our counterparts are used to using in the classroom. Here we are doing the "Human Knot" activity. People stand in an circle and join hands with two other people who are NOT next to them. The task is to untangle the knot created by doing this. <br />
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After two days of that, we looked at all the sessions we would be doing with the students and divided them among ourselves. We spent the third day planning what we would do in each session with the other people working on that session. We tried to have a Burkinabè facilitator paired with a Peace Corps volunteer for most sessions. That was a really good idea because the campers could understand the Burkinabè better than the Peace Corps volunteers, and the Burkinabè could understand what the campers were saying when we Americans sometimes could not. The first week was for girls and the second week for guys, thus camp G2LOW, Girls and Guys Leading Our World. Here is the sign that welcomed them.<br />
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Sessions were held in a classroom and topics covered gender equality, sex education, understanding of violence, decision making, tree planting, and health topics like good nutrition, avoiding malaria, good hygiene, and treating diarrhea. The group was divided into five teams and in many sessions the teams met separately to discuss issues of come up with ideas on a topic.<br />
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After these discussions, each team presented what they had talked about to the rest of the group.<br />
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The first week we have 60 enthusiastic girls. Here you can see them in the classroom, with may wanting to participate. Here, you not only raise your hand when you want to answer a question, you snap your fingers to get the teacher's attention, and sometimes even call out "me, me!"<br />
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One of the activities the students particularly like is putting on skits to show an idea. If they can act out the parts of people doing things wrong and others doing things right, or showing the consequences of such behavior, it means they did get the idea. Most of them were interesting and some were down-right funny. Some of the students had clearly seen some over-acting on soap operas and really hammed it up.<br />
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While many of the sessions were the same for the girls and the boys, the girls got to put on the camp t-shirts and march into town singing a song (in French) that you may know in English, Everywhere we go, People want to know, Who we are, So we tell them, We are the girls, The mighty, mighty girls!<br />
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The march ended at the mayor's compound where each of the five teams planted a tree.<br />
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During the boys' week we did not go into town but the boys learned how to prepare what they call peppiners, that is how to plant seeds and get them started in individual plastic bags that you buy safe drinking water in. Here are some of the boys filling their little plastic bags with compost enriched dirt.<br />
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Students took a pre-test when they first arrived at the camp and took the same test on their last day. It was clear from our statistics that the campers had, indeed, learned something at the camp. Combining the data from the girls and boys, overall they got 42% of the answers right and on the post test they got 68% right. I did scoring and data entry and I know that this may not reflect the whole story because there were several questions where they had to list three or four things to get credit for the question. A lot of students had nothing to say on a question on the pretest and listed several things on the post test, but just not enough. It was also clear that there were still things they needed to learn, but we only had them for a week (five days, really, because the first and last day were opening and closing ceremonies and travel). In any case, I enjoyed the time with the students, and it was a great way to end my service here in Burkina Faso.<br />
<br />Jan Larsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15410126460616145198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8062165966315139675.post-25503509726247045152012-08-09T10:41:00.002-07:002012-08-10T23:56:56.356-07:00Cops and Robbers<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Gendarmes
and Police</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">When
I arrived in my town, my community homologue took me around and introduced me
to the important people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two of our
stops were at the Gendarmerie and the Police Station.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At each place I was introduced and they wrote
my name and other information from my identity card in a log book. I wondered
about this two level system of law enforcement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Here are a Policeman and and Gendarme in uniform. The policeman is in white and tan, and the gendarme is in blue</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Last
year the man who is the assistant to the head of the police here stopped by my
house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had been talking with friends
in Ouagadougou who mentioned that people for the American Peace Corps could be
helpful to someone who was interested in farming. I told him I was not a
volunteer in the agriculture section, but I would be happy to see if I could
get some information for him. He invited me to see his farm the next day and
offered to take me there on his motorcycle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He had arrived just at dusk, when he was getting off from work. He was
not in a uniform and I really did not know whether or not to trust him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I told him I was not supposed to ride on
motorcycles (which is only about half true) because it did not seem like a good
idea to jump on a motorcycle with a strange man claiming to be a policeman. I
told him I would meet him at the radio station in the morning and ride to his
farm on my bicycle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The radio station is
the one run by the association with which I do some work, and also the place I
went every couple of days to get my computer battery recharged and to work
using electricity. When I got to the station the next morning, the first thing
I did was to ask Isadore, the program manager, if Vincent really was a
policeman. Isadore assured me he was what he claimed to be and greeted him when
he arrived, so I felt reassured and agreed to go see his farm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">His
farm was about a 15 minute bike ride further down the road. He had a cow and
several sheep tied up under a hangar, those structures made of tree branches
with a woven mat on top to provide shade.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is also the place where farmers store feed, as we might store hay in
a barn. Inside a courtyard he had constructed several round chicken houses made
of mud brick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Inside there were nesting
boxes all around the wall. He showed me his well, which was only about 15 feet
deep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He said he had hit the granite
layer and could not get through it to dig the well deeper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What he was hoping I could do through Peace
Corps was to give him some financial aid to drill a deep well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had to tell him that this kind of project
was not something Peace Corps could help with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I did agree to see what I could find in the way of printed material
about farming in Burkina Faso. Peace Corps did have a number of resources
electronically that I was able to get for him. Eventually I printed the big
book about chicken farming for him. He was also interested in doing some tree
farming and I got some free tree seeds for him through our program to encourage
Burkinabè to plant trees. He has been a policeman for 25 years and was thinking
of farming as what he would do when he retired. Here is a picture of Vincent, again in uniform.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">When
my bicycle was stolen, I reported it to the police and the gendarmes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the police station they made an entry in
their log book. They also assigned a number to the report and gave me a piece
of paper with the case number on it, with the official stamp of the police
department. I also reported the theft to the gendarmes, who went through the
same routine, except that they did not give me a paper to show I had reported
it. Because the bicycle was recovered by the gendarmes in another town, they
checked around with other gendarmeries and the folks in my town called me and
told me where to go to recover it.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Why
two police forces?</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">When
I asked why there were two different law enforcement groups in town I was told
that the police were for the town and the gendarmes dealt with problems in the
outlying villages. When I went to report that my cameras had been stolen, I met
a new gendarme, Omar, who had recently been assigned here from a posting in
Ouaga.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Omar
stopped by the house to visit on his day off. He knows a little English, but we
spoke mostly in French.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I asked him to
explain the difference between gendarmes and police.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He said that the gendarmes are really part of
the army. Their task is security.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That
means that if there is threat to the country from outside, they become part of the
army.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The rest of the time they are
concerned with internal security, which means keeping the peace and offering
protection to the population. Their training begins, like any soldier, at a
boot camp where they are put through rigorous physical training and so on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After that, they learn about the law and law
enforcement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I asked him if they ever
did things like look for finger prints at a crime scene.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He said they did not have the technology to
do that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They do not have a data base of
fingerprints or a way to match prints they might find with known criminals.
They certainly know about the idea from European and American movies and TV
programs that are popular here. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
police are more responsible for local problems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While I was reporting my stolen cameras at the police station a number
people came in to get various papers recorded or stamped to make them
official.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you want to apply for a job
or to be admitted to a college or Lycée you have to show you have the
educational qualifications. You get a copy made of your certificate, buy an
official stamp from the mayor's office, and take the original and the copy to
the police who check you ID, the original and the copy and stamp the copy to
show that it is valid. In that sense they are like the notary public in the
US.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">One
of the popular action TV shows here is the series 24, known here as Jack
Bower.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has been dubbed in French and
people pass around the episodes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have
not watched it, but I understand that they show a lot of high tech intelligence
methods on the show. My cameras were stolen while I was watching the finals of
the Lycée soccer tournament.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the
teachers was using his new camera to record the event.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He used the video recording function to
record a couple of the speeches that were made before the game. While the
speech was going on, he panned across the audience and of I was easy to pick
out of the crowd. He thought maybe we could figure out who had been sitting
behind me during the game and thus catch the thief.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We loaded his video onto my computer and we
used the freeze frame function to get "snapshots" of the people in
the crowd.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then I zoomed in on the faces
of the people sitting behind me and he thought the police might be able to
recognize the people from what we could see.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The images were very poor and all you really could see was a blur.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He thought the images could be enhanced, like
they do on TV, but of course I don’t have the technology to do that and neither
do the Burkina Faso law enforcement people here in my little town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I doubt they could do it in Ouaga either. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Could YOU recognize these men?</span></div>
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<br /></div>Jan Larsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01071152180888508161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8062165966315139675.post-64032934554793354942012-08-06T10:54:00.002-07:002012-08-06T10:54:51.151-07:00A Few Odds and Ends<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Dentists</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">At
our mid service medical check-up and at our close of service checkup we get a
routine dental exam, including tooth cleaning and x-rays.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was surprised by the modern equipment in
the office I visited.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">One
time last year I was having pain in my teeth and I was not sure if it was because
I had a sinus infection or if there was a dental problem, so they sent me to
see the dentist. The kind of x-ray equipment that they used was different from
what I have seen in the US, although some volunteers said they have dentists
that use the same kind of equipment. Instead of the bite-wing x-rays with the
film in them that you hold between your teeth, here they put a plastic covered
square, about 2 cm on a side, in your mouth and snap x-rays that are sent to a
computer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here is the dentist looking at
my x-rays.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYw5wNa1F2W7iAvj4xki3RcYAivOmU2pl5Yp_DRhhv3iMwtcZBW_IwX9uQ_AiE_MGwKPx2sAsWdfo5lkcLrw0SSvEmI28mXIRarE1eieFyxveWIABKqVhcFgRt1hoTWxJunFmx4qGJl1k/s1600/dental+x-rays.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYw5wNa1F2W7iAvj4xki3RcYAivOmU2pl5Yp_DRhhv3iMwtcZBW_IwX9uQ_AiE_MGwKPx2sAsWdfo5lkcLrw0SSvEmI28mXIRarE1eieFyxveWIABKqVhcFgRt1hoTWxJunFmx4qGJl1k/s400/dental+x-rays.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Apparently
they do not have full confidence in this technique (or maybe it is the Peace
Corps that does not trust them) because when they did not see any problem on
the computer images, they sent me to the place where they do the kind of x-ray
where the machine moves around your head and you get a view of all the teeth on
the same piece of film.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In any case, the
teeth were not really the problem so I just got drugs to fight off the sinus
infection, after which the dental pain disappeared.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
tooth cleaning technique here is also different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead of scraping with the little metal
pick, like my dental hygienist uses in the states, they use a tool attached to
the drill-rig that spins and sprays water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The first time I had my teeth cleaned that way I thought I would
drown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have heard people describe it
as feeling something like water-boarding torture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will be glad to get back to the American
way of doing things, or at least to having I person doing the job with whom I
can communicate so I can complain clearly!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Security in the City </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In
an earlier blog I showed you that, on residential streets in the big cities,
you do not see much of the houses because the courtyard is surrounded by a wall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here you can see a typical street. Notice
that there are several double doors that can be opened to admit a car.</span> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb8vqGlUpFuIYXrK6pkP2RtPSItvyEgFxy8VDi41W0DvzLYq3XuNKZU_m7gCVHTXKYJC5AIXvO-yFJ37lLlrfP6FMNKP5pxpayk3WDsxYr5Ew46OnUsnyhNLmDDTbDmhGF7ttYRctcLVI/s1600/street+showing+walls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb8vqGlUpFuIYXrK6pkP2RtPSItvyEgFxy8VDi41W0DvzLYq3XuNKZU_m7gCVHTXKYJC5AIXvO-yFJ37lLlrfP6FMNKP5pxpayk3WDsxYr5Ew46OnUsnyhNLmDDTbDmhGF7ttYRctcLVI/s400/street+showing+walls.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">What
I did not show you was the things on top of the wall intended to keep burglars
from climbing over them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the top
of the wall around the place where volunteers can stay in Ouaga.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCGIYDl3vrAvygGBzdIyO3udmcoLPNqXUYEddjx6UiQ8sdKNLzhc4lS5tVoian7voEVy7WlWHmugOmOmonmLuvwPtzAFHxPbqXcfKa87UrEBwxND24PJFPtIIhbBTD3ut8iG0NOtP69tE/s1600/wall+with+arrowheads.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCGIYDl3vrAvygGBzdIyO3udmcoLPNqXUYEddjx6UiQ8sdKNLzhc4lS5tVoian7voEVy7WlWHmugOmOmonmLuvwPtzAFHxPbqXcfKa87UrEBwxND24PJFPtIIhbBTD3ut8iG0NOtP69tE/s400/wall+with+arrowheads.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Here
is a wall around a nearby house that is topped with barbed wire (which may not
be too clear in the photo. Others are topped with broken glass, but I have not
taken a picture of one here.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirpnZnU4s5i1EL64I-f3OOHjNezq2pekhLlRRDJuFjS_1S5IGYWByjPiAxdghLClPHQfGN_fq_zPVaHp89I-csWUJ_QYFIixZUPdhOUyAEZ1VFfE5movyAXL_k6Z6ki7b8OVcsTpYr7KU/s1600/barbed+wire.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirpnZnU4s5i1EL64I-f3OOHjNezq2pekhLlRRDJuFjS_1S5IGYWByjPiAxdghLClPHQfGN_fq_zPVaHp89I-csWUJ_QYFIixZUPdhOUyAEZ1VFfE5movyAXL_k6Z6ki7b8OVcsTpYr7KU/s400/barbed+wire.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Hair care</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">When
I was coming to Africa someone told me they had heard there was a beauty parlor
on every corner in most African towns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The person wondered how poor people could afford beauty parlors,
implying that people did not have their priorities in order.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here is an example of what might count as a
beauty parlor, a woman sitting on the ground, braiding a little girl's hair in
front of her house.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlNJDdcPrBtnNWHIJlm0euPCz0-NYUFmtrUjFS8LkBi23Ozj9AJxoNxjRL6aelMYJiym0H7Uy8FYiKhjM3P2a4NyGOGA9JZ-pfaakFZuvOCgVgEC9yTMifxWv6Tv94MXmM2W7HbwMI9H8/s1600/braiding+little+girl%27s+hair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlNJDdcPrBtnNWHIJlm0euPCz0-NYUFmtrUjFS8LkBi23Ozj9AJxoNxjRL6aelMYJiym0H7Uy8FYiKhjM3P2a4NyGOGA9JZ-pfaakFZuvOCgVgEC9yTMifxWv6Tv94MXmM2W7HbwMI9H8/s400/braiding+little+girl%27s+hair.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">People
are willing to pay someone to do this because it would be very difficult, or
maybe impossible, to braid your own hair and, compared to what it would cost in
America, the services are relatively cheap. One common hair dos that took me a
while to get used to involves using a plastic string to gather the hair into
little puffs. The string goes from one puff to another to another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLofepnRFbtcFp1wSY5Wf6mOs5hqXF8w15e6TTVP2UYukZxBHV0vjCC02l_DRXcysV2-AZ_XBaiiwO4t6Usc1G4Bnk5KzAHjlw8Yrr9RaOphPaxTMpgG4j5wUGCTYRPY4gVAXBYENm48c/s1600/hair+puffs+with+wire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLofepnRFbtcFp1wSY5Wf6mOs5hqXF8w15e6TTVP2UYukZxBHV0vjCC02l_DRXcysV2-AZ_XBaiiwO4t6Usc1G4Bnk5KzAHjlw8Yrr9RaOphPaxTMpgG4j5wUGCTYRPY4gVAXBYENm48c/s400/hair+puffs+with+wire.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span id="goog_2050029600"></span><span id="goog_2050029601"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In
another the tufts of hair are wrapped with the sting and the finished bits may
stick up all over the head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyFzP1vMPDZJdl-yfif1VKfMV7DnEN2BVgHqNSdPTrGS0uZutLDwu6-02vVsftkgJrzjBP81yZjc1eY6gP_j8l-OQEB070PMZR-FOnfP6HO-Kg_9tU6tUt2a2o9JR2gjLQYjIeNEIcskQ/s1600/wire+in+hair,+random.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyFzP1vMPDZJdl-yfif1VKfMV7DnEN2BVgHqNSdPTrGS0uZutLDwu6-02vVsftkgJrzjBP81yZjc1eY6gP_j8l-OQEB070PMZR-FOnfP6HO-Kg_9tU6tUt2a2o9JR2gjLQYjIeNEIcskQ/s400/wire+in+hair,+random.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In
another version, the sections of hair are wrapped in plastic which are continued
until the sections of hair look like little curls hanging down all over the
head.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs4DKE0HC7ehOivr70qTFuRX2_1ZIzKkuJoFNnLjesUDmhixTqvVlT-74-F0oMdlSAd9NTOP5Jj9enYSJ5UqDy4bPTS8Rwwpm66pGYzRWk8YjjG72r5KY4Mr7JA7KMs6SEmSTC3ekQhw4/s1600/curls.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs4DKE0HC7ehOivr70qTFuRX2_1ZIzKkuJoFNnLjesUDmhixTqvVlT-74-F0oMdlSAd9NTOP5Jj9enYSJ5UqDy4bPTS8Rwwpm66pGYzRWk8YjjG72r5KY4Mr7JA7KMs6SEmSTC3ekQhw4/s400/curls.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Sometimes
rather than little curls there a longer ones, like these.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_dZoF8kdZCSBmg7H9FvfyBV1h1gW5PsW2eJTMd_VTEc-T_jbly1KuEhAggY9B1xKqVspIbs8Ggfi9qa1sEU8yFDf1a_kYBewtUNIJj17ft04XgmIuOfwehGdDRVeBx0kXNdjINK5SAsc/s1600/hair+worms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_dZoF8kdZCSBmg7H9FvfyBV1h1gW5PsW2eJTMd_VTEc-T_jbly1KuEhAggY9B1xKqVspIbs8Ggfi9qa1sEU8yFDf1a_kYBewtUNIJj17ft04XgmIuOfwehGdDRVeBx0kXNdjINK5SAsc/s400/hair+worms.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<span id="goog_849021108"></span><span id="goog_849021109"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A
more common kind of style involves braiding, including some extra false hair or
other fiber to make it hold up longer and to add to the style.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRJttQPXvMvM-uHJH9WISZjpPITtLs3WENQa7LtkMQwUxpvoXw0jKa47ykls7ft2fs9eowYl6M6XS4iNWpcESRriBYizLLUn57QDyLwKqyQjK18H5eoIMQM9gCsgcKyHd205pkQeQkDdQ/s1600/brains+and+false+hair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRJttQPXvMvM-uHJH9WISZjpPITtLs3WENQa7LtkMQwUxpvoXw0jKa47ykls7ft2fs9eowYl6M6XS4iNWpcESRriBYizLLUn57QDyLwKqyQjK18H5eoIMQM9gCsgcKyHd205pkQeQkDdQ/s400/brains+and+false+hair.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Both
boys and girls get their heads shaved from time to time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am always surprised when one of the
neighbor girls gets her head shaved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Those of you who know me will not be surprised to hear that when this
happens I have trouble recognizing them!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When a young person has a shaved head I can't tell if I am seeing a boy
or a girl, unless she is wearing earrings.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuMfo2W0XGXy5-ciUDah8wl8qrRqm9wWfXAO9QRIT3MRcv1OBHiUMmabOjc1_B8T6PdW6nhWj3JUM8pHOAihvfzCdut-NdPST7NrJKd1ngbxdYU4F-Nil7ZejkTsC02czeycPtKyM6DMY/s1600/shaved+heads.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuMfo2W0XGXy5-ciUDah8wl8qrRqm9wWfXAO9QRIT3MRcv1OBHiUMmabOjc1_B8T6PdW6nhWj3JUM8pHOAihvfzCdut-NdPST7NrJKd1ngbxdYU4F-Nil7ZejkTsC02czeycPtKyM6DMY/s400/shaved+heads.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I
have seen no one with an Afro and I have seen very few Africans with dread
locks, although some of the African-American volunteers wear them and reggae
singers wear them.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Most
of the time women cover their hair with scarves, often made of the same
material as the dress they are wearing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Here are the mothers of the bride and groom at a wedding.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9cgQoo0wClLj25ZTPCT5iOMVcYa0HICZsrSecEcpULle92AxSFh_-1VCZARpweLBAB-Izco7GXhcSgd0UwWeAMFHX7pRAIqjFg-Jvc-2676hdHMuZkM-1cQtElzWYqQhWoAdUfXVuMBY/s1600/head+scarves.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9cgQoo0wClLj25ZTPCT5iOMVcYa0HICZsrSecEcpULle92AxSFh_-1VCZARpweLBAB-Izco7GXhcSgd0UwWeAMFHX7pRAIqjFg-Jvc-2676hdHMuZkM-1cQtElzWYqQhWoAdUfXVuMBY/s400/head+scarves.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Temporary
Tattoos</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A
lot of the volunteers, like many young people in America, have tattoos of
various sorts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here in Burkina Faso
there is a tradition of decorating feet and the left hand with henna
"temporary" tattoos. During Camp GLOW set-up, a group of volunteers
had a local woman do some on their arms.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWargNdmtYOiFS0efy3rw3SdWN13MPrOmllkMaWnHWSx390VSf6EpHl9zQwURaDwHP_M95cdWc0uj112mK9JHaE2ds5nWEy5hDxNmbJaT6vg07UoJIeyxw46OhDOuQx5OM9IkS3om_0Ns/s1600/tattooed+girls.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWargNdmtYOiFS0efy3rw3SdWN13MPrOmllkMaWnHWSx390VSf6EpHl9zQwURaDwHP_M95cdWc0uj112mK9JHaE2ds5nWEy5hDxNmbJaT6vg07UoJIeyxw46OhDOuQx5OM9IkS3om_0Ns/s400/tattooed+girls.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> When
the decorating is being done, the "paint" forms a bead on the
skin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuCBZ8ByzPtxQ1MMkXppx1PFHD2SVTEe_btInc4rix5cfOlMfGuFdyzcedhleoHqhKMsl0gOuBK6amFOvDuCWpf0t8aMUyn35ALcdRD8kbS4QLOPuJKZIW_G_B5XderuRQnTZ4MypjBw8/s1600/peeling+henna.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7tkt__LxcBJriYdAfp2jVNCJ47jqmFE10LU4Ae7OE5uaJtGX3UYjV_InYj_ucrarz64OfmWuR7hXrmU1pcglTL6-bIWsiLGzP2dh9wrIxn29QsAU9-0GnaQ5SaxGWWMF_zLOXsn7-17A/s1600/arm+tattoo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7tkt__LxcBJriYdAfp2jVNCJ47jqmFE10LU4Ae7OE5uaJtGX3UYjV_InYj_ucrarz64OfmWuR7hXrmU1pcglTL6-bIWsiLGzP2dh9wrIxn29QsAU9-0GnaQ5SaxGWWMF_zLOXsn7-17A/s400/arm+tattoo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> When it dries, you peal it off,
and what is left is the color on your skin.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuCBZ8ByzPtxQ1MMkXppx1PFHD2SVTEe_btInc4rix5cfOlMfGuFdyzcedhleoHqhKMsl0gOuBK6amFOvDuCWpf0t8aMUyn35ALcdRD8kbS4QLOPuJKZIW_G_B5XderuRQnTZ4MypjBw8/s1600/peeling+henna.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuCBZ8ByzPtxQ1MMkXppx1PFHD2SVTEe_btInc4rix5cfOlMfGuFdyzcedhleoHqhKMsl0gOuBK6amFOvDuCWpf0t8aMUyn35ALcdRD8kbS4QLOPuJKZIW_G_B5XderuRQnTZ4MypjBw8/s400/peeling+henna.jpg" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWhz6FJ9K9EcOUjVMTR1DxlTHxiCGA2hbjQv6A0t-QdyxY-CmXfZbaiLvNI165pAT5mZXV15dmMGl3J7mprKiQwqq2zYYL88hRYpCC1q50Gu-uKPdwioJ85S6CKdjjX8ixO_LFD2RMdiE/s1600/arm+tattoo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><br /><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
</div>Jan Larsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01071152180888508161noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8062165966315139675.post-78129295995929952012012-07-28T07:29:00.000-07:002012-07-28T07:29:49.399-07:00More about Finding Food<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Pork</b><br />
<br />
I have shown you the wide variety of things you can buy at the marché, but I
did not show you how they make baked pork. There are several men who bake a pig every market day. First you have to buy a pig and take it to the veterinarian to have it
inspected. Here you see one of the men
who makes baked pork with the pig he is about to cook. Notice the round purple
stamp on the pig, showing that it has been inspected. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoo7YaSbn6toS5jrCbe7I8fwKt1x4aQN9jT7EwQHaSN9SqGMmCaVIn7y81e2sDIUSwyhp0xmeNcy3np_16ujXx3jmaDEywflYbMKyB04m5tihuMMfD0beCxlKHTV1zaN5Pdiqw951TRiY/s1600/pig+ready+to+cut+up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoo7YaSbn6toS5jrCbe7I8fwKt1x4aQN9jT7EwQHaSN9SqGMmCaVIn7y81e2sDIUSwyhp0xmeNcy3np_16ujXx3jmaDEywflYbMKyB04m5tihuMMfD0beCxlKHTV1zaN5Pdiqw951TRiY/s320/pig+ready+to+cut+up.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Here is the mud brick oven in which the pig will be roasted. You can see the fire burning to get the oven
hot. Next to it is the big metal pan in
which they put the pork pieces to cook.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifGpl3LgvG69W9oVgplGQVI1NiIrBZcjduDvT3zzM6p7VgBHBki1uPjIbZz4HnKOKPVzLGjuOqp6WSJT1Fk9x1gNCCJ-XfJFFKOVt8YVYTNok24hK_HLq-XP1M7u-TPd_1n6OjYtIGTnI/s1600/pork+oven.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifGpl3LgvG69W9oVgplGQVI1NiIrBZcjduDvT3zzM6p7VgBHBki1uPjIbZz4HnKOKPVzLGjuOqp6WSJT1Fk9x1gNCCJ-XfJFFKOVt8YVYTNok24hK_HLq-XP1M7u-TPd_1n6OjYtIGTnI/s400/pork+oven.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
On the subject of men who make roast pork, here is an interesting story. I
may have told you that the village chief died suddenly this spring. He was relatively young, probably in his
early forties. His younger brother, who is a student at the Lycée, told me that
he died of a stroke. His doctor had told
him he had high blood pressure and that he should stop drinking. He did not, and probably that was the thing
that precipitated the stroke. However I
also heard that one of the pork vendors had a dispute with the chief only a few
days before he died. I am not sure what
happened, but it may have been that the vendor did not think that the chief had
paid for some pork that someone picked up for him. In any case, it is not a good thing to insult
the chief. The vendor was to appear before the chief for a hearing on the day
after the chief died. Some folks made
the association between the argument and the chief's death and blamed the
vendor. They decided the vendor should
be punished and destroyed his oven. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfDNlzItF8Fs3-Vlr2mdHsTgQS-Ty3TB96TceJjy-qSTs8flW9a0U0DihY9aHCxVvNZ6trDQwFOMBS34GIUZ-SVL3M_tDu4ApVEl9wY68ZabSjTzH-6pE9JHHQ3Fd0MsrywCX_nvznPx8/s1600/broken+pork+oven.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfDNlzItF8Fs3-Vlr2mdHsTgQS-Ty3TB96TceJjy-qSTs8flW9a0U0DihY9aHCxVvNZ6trDQwFOMBS34GIUZ-SVL3M_tDu4ApVEl9wY68ZabSjTzH-6pE9JHHQ3Fd0MsrywCX_nvznPx8/s400/broken+pork+oven.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Not surprisingly, the vendor has now left town and I hear he is working in
the provincial capital. <br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">But what is the marché looks like
this?</b><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY2X_TMOGSw9ct_jInLMB693XfOgj0eNtOW_RwuT8pr6vnxUaMs93ObQuTWkU50iJxuTP8QcLDqUwF7s7cEQWhtY8tFG1Yomi0kwQbTz5NBohegaHCqijIovhl4mebqnluYERL0SbhJ0M/s1600/Empty+marche.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY2X_TMOGSw9ct_jInLMB693XfOgj0eNtOW_RwuT8pr6vnxUaMs93ObQuTWkU50iJxuTP8QcLDqUwF7s7cEQWhtY8tFG1Yomi0kwQbTz5NBohegaHCqijIovhl4mebqnluYERL0SbhJ0M/s400/Empty+marche.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Chicken and Pentards</b><br />
<br />
If you want meat any day of the week, you can go to this corner where a
couple of different groups of guys grill chickens and guinea fowl. They grill
them with the heads on so you can be sure which kind of bird you are getting. They
get them about half cooked and set them to the side of the grill to keep
warm. When you order one, they put it over the hot part of the fire and
finish cooking it. They give it to you with onions and tomatoes, if they
have them, and other seasonings and it is quite tasty. The only problem is
that, unless you tell them not to, they will chop it up into small pieces,
complete with the bone, and you get bone chips mixed in with everything else.
It is also possible to get a half -cooked one to take home and finish cooking
yourself.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX_nhYTnlV7r5_OMl1ef0gF8w9K1Ds9W2E2eVgLLXH9-PCILASzTlP7YunJbNR-XWQiXoXekXcWocfgLn1F7vxss8EaJ3cFF8toEI2p0IfQX-gKddONUV5jzw6IG5j1q38NntzvmixymM/s1600/grilling+chicken.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX_nhYTnlV7r5_OMl1ef0gF8w9K1Ds9W2E2eVgLLXH9-PCILASzTlP7YunJbNR-XWQiXoXekXcWocfgLn1F7vxss8EaJ3cFF8toEI2p0IfQX-gKddONUV5jzw6IG5j1q38NntzvmixymM/s320/grilling+chicken.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sort of a grocery store</b><br />
<br />
There are no super markets as you know them in the USA, but there are small
places, in between a super market and a 7-11 type of place, in the big cities
like Ouaga and Bobo. As with all stores in this country, you can never be sure
that the product you are looking for will be there. Maybe they had it the last time you visited,
but they are all sold out now and you may never find that product again.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQQlOaxHua6pAntVEZgf67Dl73e-LecR8FxmVgSDX5-QnyMuhuNVnqLZCsFJFJk4PkJ3JXnrtUQ9AkDobFv8rHyT6iLCo_GQXY6Wh27kR-UBQNR2i6b6pR82zPZm0pqiZLFJRH6VV0D5k/s1600/Bobo+Marina+Market.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQQlOaxHua6pAntVEZgf67Dl73e-LecR8FxmVgSDX5-QnyMuhuNVnqLZCsFJFJk4PkJ3JXnrtUQ9AkDobFv8rHyT6iLCo_GQXY6Wh27kR-UBQNR2i6b6pR82zPZm0pqiZLFJRH6VV0D5k/s320/Bobo+Marina+Market.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
In smaller towns there are places that sell canned goods, like you see here.
There are very few choices of brands.
Usually there is one type of couscous, one or two brands of pasta, one
brand of tomato paste, and so on. They
probably have some beauty products and school supplies. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjDndu4g-TE0tBxFDVfhsrOQSuQRSFiOiEz0hnnfPzDMmjlxXXQC2F2cOZtThqpJYsYmEnZ7lKiUDTFM4QE5k0TvvWvzMwb60MdUN8xlhsCRGETIR8CdMIa0UIAIGtneYEERc2-PBOYdY/s1600/Grocery+store+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjDndu4g-TE0tBxFDVfhsrOQSuQRSFiOiEz0hnnfPzDMmjlxXXQC2F2cOZtThqpJYsYmEnZ7lKiUDTFM4QE5k0TvvWvzMwb60MdUN8xlhsCRGETIR8CdMIa0UIAIGtneYEERc2-PBOYdY/s320/Grocery+store+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
If they have a freezer you may be able to get a cold bottle of soda or juice.
They also have big bags of things like sugar, corn flour, wheat flour, and rock
salt, which they will weigh and package
up for you in a plastic bag.<br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Restaurants</b><br />
<br />
In small towns there are ways to get food that is already cooked for
you. Many of the volunteers here like
what they refer to as benga. It is a
combination of beans and rice that is usually flavored a bit. When you buy it the person selling it to you
may ask if you want oil added, which most Burkinabè do like, and what they call
pemont, ground up hot pepper. Enough for a hardy meal costs about a quarter.<br />
<br />
There are also small restaurants, like this one. They usually have cold drinks, including
sodas and beer. The menu might be
posted, but you usually have to ask what they have today. In the picture you
can see the pleasant seating area under a hangar. On the far right is the back of the building
where the cooking takes place.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEAYkB2YtScEo6OgFBI-RTT2N1Yn2Cl7mPO56-i39Ihm6y-Lxtk9YOml6bfZLN3R0JHWwwPsOQKTdxtQE7b_yjPldLMdzsgFQvEQkFSQrvVs8qhCpCpDuEXjc1U12_zj9MriE7_8tVz0Q/s1600/resturant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEAYkB2YtScEo6OgFBI-RTT2N1Yn2Cl7mPO56-i39Ihm6y-Lxtk9YOml6bfZLN3R0JHWwwPsOQKTdxtQE7b_yjPldLMdzsgFQvEQkFSQrvVs8qhCpCpDuEXjc1U12_zj9MriE7_8tVz0Q/s400/resturant.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Jan Larsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01071152180888508161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8062165966315139675.post-12944987471931393722012-07-21T04:40:00.001-07:002012-07-22T00:22:29.821-07:00A Ceremony for a New Nun<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">This
week I was invited to go with a group from my village to a ceremony in a town
near Ouaga where the daughter of my community homologue was to take her final
vow to become a member of the Sisters of the Immaculate Conception of Ouagadougou. I
have some pictures of the event and I will try to describe it as I understood
it. I expect all you good Catholics who
read this will be able to correct my errors about what I think I was seeing. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">As with a wedding here, there was a special
pagne that had been selected for those going to see Lucy make her commitment,
which you are expected to buy and have made into something to wear. Here is a
picture of Prosper and his son in their clothes for the event.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2y06nwiaOgG2vUp06tU1EmJP6sAs7y_IJSqWdr5PtQGS1dpovGQjCMYI32Fj9gFC3qEd7NpqdSkAeGDBkxU8OOIXMI6nJQYgEskOBfTWQPG58yXk4caCyzcF1ebWUe697EtH7a5bevZs/s1600/prosper+and+crisos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2y06nwiaOgG2vUp06tU1EmJP6sAs7y_IJSqWdr5PtQGS1dpovGQjCMYI32Fj9gFC3qEd7NpqdSkAeGDBkxU8OOIXMI6nJQYgEskOBfTWQPG58yXk4caCyzcF1ebWUe697EtH7a5bevZs/s320/prosper+and+crisos.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">We
were told that we would all travel together from the church, and were asked to
be there at 5:30 AM. I knew that did not
mean 5:30, but I did not know how much later the actually time would be, so I
left the house at 5:15, in the dark. Unfortunately, because I could not see
clearly, I fell when my bicycle hit a place near my house where the water had
washed out part of the path. By the time I went back to the house to wash off
my scrapes and bandage them, it was light enough to see. I should have waited the extra 15 minutes and
I would have been fine. Ah. that American
compulsion to be on time!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">When
I arrived at the church there were only a few people standing around.
Eventually more folks arrived, and a number of them went into the church for
the morning mass. At 7:00 our transportation finally arrived and I was
appalled. It was a truck, usually used for hauling goods and animals.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhxdvIne60TRxld7NjLhLbydUnGlpEsHCRFO0BbmdsL9lv2sHWuAFrbbnAzM6-2W2DrRHWrQGM8gsALBrMyTU1gmP51rvcbNwsA-NMIkMraESBTm3a_929Ob5QUISW_kP_BtpwUmUcxHw/s1600/truck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhxdvIne60TRxld7NjLhLbydUnGlpEsHCRFO0BbmdsL9lv2sHWuAFrbbnAzM6-2W2DrRHWrQGM8gsALBrMyTU1gmP51rvcbNwsA-NMIkMraESBTm3a_929Ob5QUISW_kP_BtpwUmUcxHw/s400/truck.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The
way they made it possible for over 60 people to ride in it all the way to
Ouagadougou was to take benches out of the church and put them in rows along
the sides and down the middle of the cargo area. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfsfZ0jdcYiYvKhMgFdToJDLDXjgOND84nKtTA4aVQ69P9H9cev2O3vUL1X4WwieOdnbRWzIvtPR5_svBZpFY6R3Nx5i564S-JGFr6bktbDoKvAYUUTd0Gi25WyRLsLwst0Hn4mpkTnNo/s1600/benches+to+truck.jpg"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfsfZ0jdcYiYvKhMgFdToJDLDXjgOND84nKtTA4aVQ69P9H9cev2O3vUL1X4WwieOdnbRWzIvtPR5_svBZpFY6R3Nx5i564S-JGFr6bktbDoKvAYUUTd0Gi25WyRLsLwst0Hn4mpkTnNo/s320/benches+to+truck.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Peace
Corps volunteers are not supposed to ride in such places and I was debating
about what I should do when the mother of the Sister-to-be grabbed me by the
hand and lead me to the cab of the truck where I was to ride. Four of us shared the bench behind the driver
and his helpers: a nun, the mother the woman taking her final vow, the mother's
best friend, and me. I felt a bit guilty taking the comfortable place when all
the other folks climbed into the back, but I don't know if I could have ridden
back there without getting car sick, so I was glad to be riding in the cab. I
gave my camera to Prosper and asked him to get a picture of the back when
everyone was seated.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi90MQb8ykKIz5hkItsr2qVlukvIorwbyHtZ1-D98-mPhhomi3k-_FZYxGZH0BBxcWCUsLa6ywKTWhf1VzjQPJ9xi9CscgfjM5p1HLtigDYnV2aTtW37vkJWMSE8fekm2JxFP32JahTihQ/s1600/in+the+back+of+the+truck.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi90MQb8ykKIz5hkItsr2qVlukvIorwbyHtZ1-D98-mPhhomi3k-_FZYxGZH0BBxcWCUsLa6ywKTWhf1VzjQPJ9xi9CscgfjM5p1HLtigDYnV2aTtW37vkJWMSE8fekm2JxFP32JahTihQ/s400/in+the+back+of+the+truck.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Along
the way the truck was stopped four times for various police checks. Everyone in
the cab was speaking Moore and I did not always know what was going on. The only important thing was that we started
late because the truck arrived late, and the police checks just made us
later. When we arrived at 9:15, the
ceremony had already started. Because I
was with a Sister and the mother of one of those making her perpetual vow (and
also, maybe, because I was a foreigner), I was admitted to the seating area
near the platform where all the priests were seated. I shared a low stool with
a man who was taking a lot of pictures.
A choir was singing and a group of 14 women who were becoming novices
were introduced. They were dressed in
matching blue tops and pagnes. After saying they wished to join the order, they
each received their white head-covering from the cardinal</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> and entered a building. Prosper managed to get the ushers to let him
in to hand my camera back to me, so I have a few photos of the rest of the day.
In a short while the novices reappeared, dressed in the white habit of the
order. Here are some of the novices kneeling and reciting their vows. There were
14 all together, so they did this in groups of 3 or 4. The little boy held a microphone in front of each woman as she said her name, so all could hear. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7IspJofnIIV4GCmj7CJw6ly5KXaWlVom1U-pdrlpOC7HqHy8s7PyDlEdC3ohsX1fwyY5xoe7KmO9I3h3tzl9u5zuCXFnAgBAmItsz2z9MN0svwZ8Xnjio0DehLm9PUiFR5zlD9LGOu_M/s1600/novices+take+vow.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7IspJofnIIV4GCmj7CJw6ly5KXaWlVom1U-pdrlpOC7HqHy8s7PyDlEdC3ohsX1fwyY5xoe7KmO9I3h3tzl9u5zuCXFnAgBAmItsz2z9MN0svwZ8Xnjio0DehLm9PUiFR5zlD9LGOu_M/s1600/novices+take+vow.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">After
they signed a paper on a table behind the officiating clergy, they were each
given a crucifix by the Cardinal.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBB5gcvSSqbO75T1BDl67JajF9Yw44UkD8vEcsjKMM2GXcJyanWkU9eIsOF0en0Siv2pCnorZonLhU1ao7C6UVFahLpFkkbgHLKjxNMPxejiPfVilx4Ea2GTY41n5psJB6B7ltfIaqQ2A/s1600/bishop+gives+cross+to+novices.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBB5gcvSSqbO75T1BDl67JajF9Yw44UkD8vEcsjKMM2GXcJyanWkU9eIsOF0en0Siv2pCnorZonLhU1ao7C6UVFahLpFkkbgHLKjxNMPxejiPfVilx4Ea2GTY41n5psJB6B7ltfIaqQ2A/s400/bishop+gives+cross+to+novices.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Then the cardinal gave a homily in very slow, clear French and I followed most of what he
said. It was, of course, all directed at
the women who were joining the religious order, as it should have been. He
summarized his remarks in Moore and made some further comments that drew laughs
from the assembled group.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_pNc2gBJCDs-rUaRQ2rBPhNydMz8hQrTEro7k_tz8iJ_uT0769BgOT-cXoSjyh1BM3L_PjD7Ct5UAbvx9tbczr7T0q4BziWfrMiCGsWz7ktkscSIwEw3BIwtpgyzShUUV9nkL0M5ZTk0/s1600/bishop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_pNc2gBJCDs-rUaRQ2rBPhNydMz8hQrTEro7k_tz8iJ_uT0769BgOT-cXoSjyh1BM3L_PjD7Ct5UAbvx9tbczr7T0q4BziWfrMiCGsWz7ktkscSIwEw3BIwtpgyzShUUV9nkL0M5ZTk0/s400/bishop.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The
women taking their perpetual vow were introduced by the choir singing something
which included the name of the woman and the woman named sang a response. Here is
Lucy, singing her response.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEyPCUev6TYGPfA2q911GPP0FGKhEPuRlrq7Z9xG2H7Q0LOF2O_ELllZhK4ujV3JoHbsFM058LHonzmd6yDJESeLvwpRAmIaLgW7tTsl9p92-Ij43x5HhiSyuKtbjgcXF21mY1JRzl_WM/s1600/lucy+sings+response.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEyPCUev6TYGPfA2q911GPP0FGKhEPuRlrq7Z9xG2H7Q0LOF2O_ELllZhK4ujV3JoHbsFM058LHonzmd6yDJESeLvwpRAmIaLgW7tTsl9p92-Ij43x5HhiSyuKtbjgcXF21mY1JRzl_WM/s400/lucy+sings+response.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">There
were 15 women in this group, so they knelt in groups of three to recite their
vows.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKPvtuVluYTSxnap-o33wWJEoPiL5Qye7fao12P8AVIY7tv4xx4Mm4EJUssb5gwVLFuJ8668ZCmWW-sEc0PAK6keYViBDxmR65ydWNciF5imeFWgT8zSmrjEzMIi_m_VtVdDQIlEzfrp4/s1600/final+vow+kneeling.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKPvtuVluYTSxnap-o33wWJEoPiL5Qye7fao12P8AVIY7tv4xx4Mm4EJUssb5gwVLFuJ8668ZCmWW-sEc0PAK6keYViBDxmR65ydWNciF5imeFWgT8zSmrjEzMIi_m_VtVdDQIlEzfrp4/s400/final+vow+kneeling.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Another
part of the ceremony was when the 15 women prostrated themselves. I had heard that this was a part of the
ceremony, but had never seen it. Perhaps
it is irreverent to mention it, but I did notice that they all had on new shoes
of the same style. You can see how clean
the soles are. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitjP_uXHzuFgwms4QyvT51rtO4LR-4o8dVvtRMUsF_z8-z6SWgs5CVzaxcVIxphKlEYZGCPFBPXKLW7C5azZd0imCyx7GpHuKBCYNdW7vZqaneRx-_s409aTTR5w2rmy1HZWVL9g9vziE/s1600/prostration.jpg"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitjP_uXHzuFgwms4QyvT51rtO4LR-4o8dVvtRMUsF_z8-z6SWgs5CVzaxcVIxphKlEYZGCPFBPXKLW7C5azZd0imCyx7GpHuKBCYNdW7vZqaneRx-_s409aTTR5w2rmy1HZWVL9g9vziE/s1600/prostration.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">After
the mass, the people who had come to see each new sister gathered under various
awnings. You figured out where your
group was assembling by looking for others in clothes made from the same pagne.
Here you can see some of the folks assembled to share refreshments with Sister
Lucy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHxIVoGWNToLVhyphenhypheniRoJj0qV-AUZH_W4Jo5S1p0ORB-dQuqLziQ1k3xNbC1nDgDWrP25o6IY86thDSPI8fP3BO_AlBAvNOuJ13YeXzuBcybFcnnPDb8qN9GUmGIqLpQrskVALwFxplA7aI/s1600/waiting+for+lunch.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHxIVoGWNToLVhyphenhypheniRoJj0qV-AUZH_W4Jo5S1p0ORB-dQuqLziQ1k3xNbC1nDgDWrP25o6IY86thDSPI8fP3BO_AlBAvNOuJ13YeXzuBcybFcnnPDb8qN9GUmGIqLpQrskVALwFxplA7aI/s400/waiting+for+lunch.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Here
is a picture of the proud mother and the new full member of the order.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc_Hfh1Dko6XPYmHfgeINo_mtLNjKqtA4N6-ViC6rm83Jp1Sr5o-Ck4DIbW59RLIxk3HHVAqJl23R4GMGzbp3AHwXkvKbD-OX5hqKEDa8XQSZC0CXD1MZqmC9XQQIklG8nfmZPU5gthtE/s1600/new+nun+and+mom.jpg"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc_Hfh1Dko6XPYmHfgeINo_mtLNjKqtA4N6-ViC6rm83Jp1Sr5o-Ck4DIbW59RLIxk3HHVAqJl23R4GMGzbp3AHwXkvKbD-OX5hqKEDa8XQSZC0CXD1MZqmC9XQQIklG8nfmZPU5gthtE/s400/new+nun+and+mom.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">As
we were leaving, I realized that packing a group of people in the back of a
truck is the standard way to get folks to an event like this. Here is another
example, and they don't even have sides on their truck.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Ezo5hle2F4D5nuc-xJK4eLaLZrT6Jfwlzde-y_hOIWYGiILcmevmhfSRSFDscnFcujyMWEVeOQbMscQup4z-0NwAtTOiA9_KsyMZZuELVVG4YnXkGGVbw-k5c9wjromlzVM_RRRuLn8/s1600/another+truck.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Ezo5hle2F4D5nuc-xJK4eLaLZrT6Jfwlzde-y_hOIWYGiILcmevmhfSRSFDscnFcujyMWEVeOQbMscQup4z-0NwAtTOiA9_KsyMZZuELVVG4YnXkGGVbw-k5c9wjromlzVM_RRRuLn8/s400/another+truck.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">On
the way home we were stopped five more times for various police checks. At each
of the stops the driver took a set of documents to be checked by the
police. On one of the stops on the way
home the driver had to produce his fire extinguisher and reflective emergency
triangle. He had them, but I have never
seen the triangle warning signs displayed when a truck was stopped for repairs
along the road. Usually the driver and
his helpers cut some brush along the side of the road and put 6 or 7 pieces of
it at about 10 foot intervals behind and in front of the vehicle as a warning
to oncoming traffic.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">A
second stop lasted over a half hour. The
police wanted to fine the driver for transporting people rather than goods in
his truck. They wanted him to pay a fine
of about $50 but he thought that was excessive.
He offered to pay $25 and the negotiations went on and on. I don't know what really happened, but some
folks thought the police eventually let him go with no fine because of the
event we had gone to. Between the police stops, stopping for gas, and waiting while
the driver ate a meal, it took 3½ hours to make the trip that took less than 2
hours in the morning.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Lucy
is now at home for a month's vacation with her family before she leaves again
for more training with the Order in Italy.</span></div>Jan Larsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01071152180888508161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8062165966315139675.post-21850087997723459932012-07-15T02:44:00.002-07:002012-07-15T02:44:55.755-07:00Some More Differences<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">In
America, if I notice a movement of something scampering up a tree, I assume it
was a squirrel. Here, the thing
scampering up a tree trunk would be a lizard. I have referred to them as
geckos, but I am not sure that is accurate. I think of geckos as not only
climbing up the wall but also as scampering across the ceiling. These critters
do not do the ceiling walking Checking that source of all wisdom, Wikipedia, I
learned that there are over 1500 species of geckos and probably many yet to be
identified. There are two main types I have noticed around my part of the
country, brown ones with stripes to give a bit of camouflage, and black and
yellow ones. They have yellow heads and
a yellow band where the tail joins the body. I wish I could capture one on video
because when they stop to look around they look like they are doing push-ups.
Here is one of the brown ones Jessie photographed at Christmas.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit5ZEsjTv8HTuOjzChietR_394cg0Ax99c_vb9mAYBiCyEs9eYXI3V6yQdfSJHojtYkoDB6o_XpsIuON7QpAwG7nPlXiOydwVJke7lKlLCD3CdzIGARY_B8CeoLWCvmL6mMpkD987bl8M/s1600/jesse's+lizzard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit5ZEsjTv8HTuOjzChietR_394cg0Ax99c_vb9mAYBiCyEs9eYXI3V6yQdfSJHojtYkoDB6o_XpsIuON7QpAwG7nPlXiOydwVJke7lKlLCD3CdzIGARY_B8CeoLWCvmL6mMpkD987bl8M/s400/jesse's+lizzard.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">When
these lizards are small it is just about impossible to keep them out of your
house. In fact, I am happy to have a
couple of them living in my house with me because they eat insects. I do have
to sweep up their droppings, but they are dry and don't smell. Here is a long shot of one of them on the wall of my living room, up near the ceiling.</span> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9-1Bl_4aeBMGeDPAo_k8wm6-nrXuM_8ywp2FEgIzPuiXCD7E8wItoXyk1C1CEUAcm_FmIRVHXpF0CsmSACkjJcorM9shJXNgmq2g33iafetYh7S12GaChLsqVbGl5Pej4fYxBVGZMOfY/s1600/long+shot+of+lizard+on+the+wall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9-1Bl_4aeBMGeDPAo_k8wm6-nrXuM_8ywp2FEgIzPuiXCD7E8wItoXyk1C1CEUAcm_FmIRVHXpF0CsmSACkjJcorM9shJXNgmq2g33iafetYh7S12GaChLsqVbGl5Pej4fYxBVGZMOfY/s400/long+shot+of+lizard+on+the+wall.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> Here is a close-up, so you can see what that brown spot on the wall really looks like. </span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRhrZ8npboyCwMHnoOjJDIrHgsj8hDgoi23eetphaC8hKB0eAON-KtushMiR0pD_q-WMtYHiQSZxCM93nUP65WSPrLya1Sg-NHgfOkIrwG23pvW5aJqrjvP-JdBJ0UiOVGUbgzKDzdG74/s1600/close+up+of+lizard+on+wall.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRhrZ8npboyCwMHnoOjJDIrHgsj8hDgoi23eetphaC8hKB0eAON-KtushMiR0pD_q-WMtYHiQSZxCM93nUP65WSPrLya1Sg-NHgfOkIrwG23pvW5aJqrjvP-JdBJ0UiOVGUbgzKDzdG74/s400/close+up+of+lizard+on+wall.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> I think they live up inside of the hollow
doors, most of which have lost their bottom edge for some reason. Last year, when I heard scratching coming
from inside a door, I thought it might be a mouse, but I couldn't imagine how a
mouse would be able to live there. Now I know it is just a friendly
lizard. The lizards I see come in
various sizes. Usually the ones in the house range from the size of your little
finger up to six inches or so long. One you see outside tend to be larger, with
some being 9 inches to a foot or so long. I found this little one inside the
case holding bicycle tools that is meant to be carried on the back of the
bicycle. He was not very big.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1SHWfPtN_4ybwMBZxp1Z9AdQXEe52vxRQlITmlXpOQ4y6mN7iTkp0fIBJqcY6UxV-Ne8w_krzS7Ij3CzL_0-HSCh4XOenbCxyEH8W8orgLcKpsZjO921j6yRlQOKqRlsFBkJS4PYDfik/s1600/lizard+in+tool+kit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1SHWfPtN_4ybwMBZxp1Z9AdQXEe52vxRQlITmlXpOQ4y6mN7iTkp0fIBJqcY6UxV-Ne8w_krzS7Ij3CzL_0-HSCh4XOenbCxyEH8W8orgLcKpsZjO921j6yRlQOKqRlsFBkJS4PYDfik/s400/lizard+in+tool+kit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Bicycles in
Burkina Faso</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">In
America many boys and men wouldn't be caught dead on a pink woman's
bicycle. Here, the colors have no gender
implications and people ride whatever bicycle is available. In fact, women's bicycles allow people to
carry a jerry can of water or a sack of grain on the bicycle between their legs
as well as on the rack in the back, making them a bit more useful.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Bike Repairs</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Here
is the "workshop" of the guy I go to when I have a problem with my
bicycle. It is just a space between the
main road and some shops, with an old tire to sit on while he is working and
logs for customers to sit on while they wait for repairs.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNijCRhEfBhpUaK37e1CiTp0y8Lai3Ndh5MLSFKzEQPPMSz3gHyG4pUyyOI3r730m-vuTP3xG_Q6lw3ptwhJ4AoduIgzc9cKY_-3DdfSC1eDMmIGyCD-E_zpld12N_VHRiQD_i0Nw8aas/s1600/bike+work+shop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNijCRhEfBhpUaK37e1CiTp0y8Lai3Ndh5MLSFKzEQPPMSz3gHyG4pUyyOI3r730m-vuTP3xG_Q6lw3ptwhJ4AoduIgzc9cKY_-3DdfSC1eDMmIGyCD-E_zpld12N_VHRiQD_i0Nw8aas/s400/bike+work+shop.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNj6ygRmHe3J9zxFbyKGdDf1aDGqZ8RnXcQkRKX4sr1UKFwB8-qzGB5vl8Gj_d25E6LIAG8aTTS7en_haFUp0mKsEv6sPDSAhSszMXOhLsxWs9e7pOuhZ-tR4gVJU3BI01D01cOhSVOS0/s1600/mechanic+and+apprentices.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNj6ygRmHe3J9zxFbyKGdDf1aDGqZ8RnXcQkRKX4sr1UKFwB8-qzGB5vl8Gj_d25E6LIAG8aTTS7en_haFUp0mKsEv6sPDSAhSszMXOhLsxWs9e7pOuhZ-tR4gVJU3BI01D01cOhSVOS0/s400/mechanic+and+apprentices.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The
first thing he did for me was to put a basket on my bike. Other people I had asked said they could not
do it because the frame was too thick, but he got a blacksmith to enlarge the
ring that goes on the front post and put it on with little trouble. Here you
can see the basket he put on for me.</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX_iPlP5oHEqyl3MhwYvIlp9qoxP7joCbj2nBpPY-H7VCq_y4lDdGhIJS4IjHJgTILYXvRPpIike-1FAZayDlW17zih6pjx4tAlJq0Gtdlob4Esx1c6u15wsIbaH4M2ERCik4jquVvlhk/s1600/bike+in+house.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX_iPlP5oHEqyl3MhwYvIlp9qoxP7joCbj2nBpPY-H7VCq_y4lDdGhIJS4IjHJgTILYXvRPpIike-1FAZayDlW17zih6pjx4tAlJq0Gtdlob4Esx1c6u15wsIbaH4M2ERCik4jquVvlhk/s400/bike+in+house.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">"Why
is your bicycle in your living room?" you ask. It is the custom to put all bikes and motorcycles in the house at night to protect them from thieves. At first I
thought I could keep it in a storage shed with a padlock, but I was informed by
several people that would just be asking to have it stolen, so it lives in my
house. Fortunately I have plenty of
room. I feel sorry for volunteers and
Burkinabè who live in more normal sized places. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Reconditioning
Bicycles</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">In
addition to making repairs, my bike mechanic reconditions bicycles. He gets
frames from old bicycles somewhere. He
sands off the old paint, repaints them, puts on new handle bars, peddles,
brakes, and wheels and sells them from his "workshop'. It is in the center
of town so there are lots of people passing by all the time. Here you see a
selection of bikes he has for sale, a table with spare parts and tools, and some tires and inner tubes hanging up.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWuXa5FNiOFrSkCjFjlVw4C8S7zwKeM4Q327nxw-n3EnpOmMOr4yl72raCtPKWNksXXrDvPjJi1XFXmvnDtMT_F3EeHjmJTV-xfGnhQmiNSAI009S4PEqg2SgomIJakV8HtvOTKQCETmo/s1600/rehabed+bikes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWuXa5FNiOFrSkCjFjlVw4C8S7zwKeM4Q327nxw-n3EnpOmMOr4yl72raCtPKWNksXXrDvPjJi1XFXmvnDtMT_F3EeHjmJTV-xfGnhQmiNSAI009S4PEqg2SgomIJakV8HtvOTKQCETmo/s320/rehabed+bikes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">More About Church Here</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I
have been attending an Assembly of God church here because they have a service
in French at 7:30 on Sunday, before the 9:30 Moore service. When I arrive at 7:25, often there are only a
couple of motorcycles under the tree that serves as the parking lot. When I
walk in the door, one of the two or three men present goes up to the platform
where there are several chairs lined up for the minister and any visiting preachers
participating in the service and gets one for me. He puts it on the side of the hall where the
men sit. Rather like a Quaker Meeting in
the US, the men sit on one side of the church and the women in the center and
on the other side. I appreciate having a chair with a back to lean against
rather than spending an hour and a half or more on a bench. I also appreciate
that one of the men who site in the front row locates the hymns they sing for
me and hands me his song book so I can join in. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The
church has added a sound system, with two speakers and microphones at the
speaker's podium and on stands for the choir.
There are now two electric guitars that get plugged into the sound board,
too. It is good to be able to hear the
speaker better, but the guitars drive me crazy.
The music leader is used to picking his own key and does not work with
the guitarists to let them know what songs he is going to pick and what key we
will be singing in. He starts the song
and the guitarists try to figure out chords that might work with the key and
song he has picked. Unfortunately most of the time they are in a completely
different key than he and the congregation are singing in. Ouch! It is painful to listen to and I don't know
how the song leader can stay in his key when the guitars are blasting away in a
different one. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">When
the service begins, one of the laymen takes the podium and leads a Bible study
by reading, or asking someone else to read from a booklet that is published by
the church in Burkina Faso. Each lesson is divided into sections and after
reading what was written by the church leaders in Ouaga, he comments on what
was just read. Some of the leaders make
it more interesting than others who essentially repeat what was written in the
booklet. There are four or five men who are in this group of lay leaders, one
of whom I understand almost perfectly, one of whom I can't understand at all,
and the others who are in between on the clarity of their speech. When the lesson starts it is often just me,
the leader and one or two other people, always men. As the first half hour passes, others,
including the pastor, arrive. By the
time the lesson is ended there may be 30 or 40 people there. The choir members also come strolling in at
random times.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">After
the lesson the choir director/song leader takes the podium and, after calling
on one or two people to say a prayer, he leads the singing. He may sing a verse of a song which the
congregation then repeats, or he may identify one of the hymns in a small book
some people have bought. There are no hymnals in the pews. These songs are not
like American spirituals but more like old time gospel music, all with French
words, of course. Some of the tunes you might recognize, such as "Just as
I Am" and "The Old Rugged Cross."</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I
have also figured out what is going on when they say "unison"
prayers. It is not like other churches I
have attended where there is a prayer everybody knows or one that is written in
the bulletin and people read or recite it together. In the church, the leader
indicates a topic and each person says aloud whatever they want to say about
that subject. It sounds like the tower of
babble, but it makes people quite comfortable praying aloud.</span></div>
Jan Larsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01071152180888508161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8062165966315139675.post-40609255740924580232012-07-08T04:33:00.000-07:002012-07-08T07:55:29.610-07:00Where There Is No Mall<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Shopping </b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">It
should come as no surprise to you that there are no shopping malls in Burkina
Faso. You may be interested in the kinds
of place there are in my village to buy the things you may need. Along the main road and near the place where
there is a marché every three days, there are a number of small shops that sell
various things. I bought my 12 volt
battery and lights at this "electronics" store. They do have quite a variety of things in
this small space including TV sets, DVD players, movies on DVDs, stereo
systems, small radios, solar panels, and batteries of various kinds and sizes,
to name a few.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGGKoMYl7O3UoJTUT6EXb0hrydk2PshupP_e1jXHAGHxKupCCSJ8FRUsx16R_4lUIevHlYmpr4_3M5bFD643rI6dPZwLd_GW1sk5xOeAikUr3KM_7J-i5it9Kr9_T_RCivG5Ea_a5kkCM/s1600/electronics+store.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGGKoMYl7O3UoJTUT6EXb0hrydk2PshupP_e1jXHAGHxKupCCSJ8FRUsx16R_4lUIevHlYmpr4_3M5bFD643rI6dPZwLd_GW1sk5xOeAikUr3KM_7J-i5it9Kr9_T_RCivG5Ea_a5kkCM/s400/electronics+store.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">On
marché days you can find quite a selection of plastic products, including the
little plastic tea kettles that are used in place of a bidet, buckets, bowls,
plates, thermos containers, and so on. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA3GGPgX7kxbYiB8EF38BkwE0hx14th43Ged7Z5tXK3A-intLNHHws1wDY7kcnJxoZvnpimi4EqS9mVq2-3CU_GwBm62nt7RHmjNxFdw4OJt6oTTvgUeyCK_WfTMV6Ll1GHqFbD4cC6Lg/s1600/plastic+at+marche.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA3GGPgX7kxbYiB8EF38BkwE0hx14th43Ged7Z5tXK3A-intLNHHws1wDY7kcnJxoZvnpimi4EqS9mVq2-3CU_GwBm62nt7RHmjNxFdw4OJt6oTTvgUeyCK_WfTMV6Ll1GHqFbD4cC6Lg/s400/plastic+at+marche.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">At
this place that looks like it might be a boutique but is only open on market
days, you can buy the green 20 liter plastic jugs you carry water in. They begin life as containers for palm oil,
the most common kind of cooking oil. They also have the 200 liter blue barrels
that the dolo ladies use to transport their local beer to their hangers, or
that people use to carry water home from the pump or well. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7S5-Bs2blgQGlvNalUna8Lfk59KuE_N-hZ3nZ0j_Cgflu6cw7Yb_6IRttCrohN3n9pd7RXTYpi_e-PUQ-ilgtCvHR35ZBEur-vDIUVtcjFqIx7ZgeAkOkNybO5OAhqchn-Z5ZuiXu0r4/s1600/plastic+boutique.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7S5-Bs2blgQGlvNalUna8Lfk59KuE_N-hZ3nZ0j_Cgflu6cw7Yb_6IRttCrohN3n9pd7RXTYpi_e-PUQ-ilgtCvHR35ZBEur-vDIUVtcjFqIx7ZgeAkOkNybO5OAhqchn-Z5ZuiXu0r4/s400/plastic+boutique.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Need
a marmite to cook your food? There are
many sizes, but they all look about the same.</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxYJTVQjQa1-IiCyk4O9cRXh6cOvW7osJgrkf6HS1eY2xtW9XX8M609ZZbPLjpIJ-VAkf5PFQLXfc9OUUXcVIyhiMppfDIZwXftHE-I2HFZVjRXMnYCxS3vqYNX5R-h9MczQWHhavLRlA/s1600/marmites.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxYJTVQjQa1-IiCyk4O9cRXh6cOvW7osJgrkf6HS1eY2xtW9XX8M609ZZbPLjpIJ-VAkf5PFQLXfc9OUUXcVIyhiMppfDIZwXftHE-I2HFZVjRXMnYCxS3vqYNX5R-h9MczQWHhavLRlA/s400/marmites.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">One
of my favorite boutiques is run by Mathew, one of the polio victims who needs a
crutch to get around. He does a brisk
business selling tailors small pieces of the cloth that is used to line
garments, interfacing, zippers, bias tape (which is used as a decoration on
clothing), and buttons. Here you can see the materials and, behind him you see
his display of CDs and cassette tapes, machine oil for sewing machines and
bicycles, razor blades for shaving heads, and school supplies.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSUHsltIpVWuZvbPCLwk1GiuWqdRcUscFIwTdvGHH7I2P_7qIRT-EAxeNyXffOri7Tddw2vhe4MtKp9Edwof8xSxX5to4HsCl_IuqdxN5nzpO-A9hXbXZLsbIx-47yo8uS_XJLRxj-c1c/s1600/Zongo+Mathiew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSUHsltIpVWuZvbPCLwk1GiuWqdRcUscFIwTdvGHH7I2P_7qIRT-EAxeNyXffOri7Tddw2vhe4MtKp9Edwof8xSxX5to4HsCl_IuqdxN5nzpO-A9hXbXZLsbIx-47yo8uS_XJLRxj-c1c/s400/Zongo+Mathiew.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Mathew
also has some jewelry in this small display tray. Notice the variety of zippers for the tailors
next to the jewelry.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg__1ZTkXhSW1nbGlAAwDDHi6VXxI2sglxhlfMv7r-cSacRVadmiNmKky33jgfF2wPY0AD15UNg7WbwWf4URdNaHsgDm0N-AekzfKqNKz4iPpoE6yz5wjuWfLFzsno-uSYJMQNGuYYdNTE/s1600/jewlery+and+zippers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg__1ZTkXhSW1nbGlAAwDDHi6VXxI2sglxhlfMv7r-cSacRVadmiNmKky33jgfF2wPY0AD15UNg7WbwWf4URdNaHsgDm0N-AekzfKqNKz4iPpoE6yz5wjuWfLFzsno-uSYJMQNGuYYdNTE/s400/jewlery+and+zippers.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">He
has so many different kinds of things in his store that, when I am looking for
something other than food it is the first place I try. Here you can see his
yarn and the fishing line people use to make the bags they use to carry produce
home from the marché. There are also
door handles with locks, </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">floor brushes,
clothes pins, light bulbs, a few tools</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">, masking tape and tape for sealing boxes, soccer balls, and shoes.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinPLKpRyovLOkN3s7COLBVPNCH6iFvhuraSRErMJyWm44Y1ImimoDKIg_uIeKtasNEFeU4QIZQwlAlthpzGv4jszR5Hk7LYi4Rzwxw2yh4WfYmqeCeHw0RWutDWrNJrj2yZ2aen8au8so/s1600/Zongo+shoes+etc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinPLKpRyovLOkN3s7COLBVPNCH6iFvhuraSRErMJyWm44Y1ImimoDKIg_uIeKtasNEFeU4QIZQwlAlthpzGv4jszR5Hk7LYi4Rzwxw2yh4WfYmqeCeHw0RWutDWrNJrj2yZ2aen8au8so/s400/Zongo+shoes+etc.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I
learned to crochet these bags and I make them to keep my hands busy and to feel
like I am being productive for those times I know I am going to be waiting
around for a while. Here is a sample.</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJxz0FneqWxQRILn0Wp0Ou1jvlzG8vdMg5OFmk0I1sYUnG8YRGF5-15ajHKODM3VdcUkjn8yPmN5ySJPoUUYurbas63wrqj6ZtMlkycQsZOFMVcEMEit6-0m1LK_zBvSnfrT3JbxAGc-4/s1600/string+bag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJxz0FneqWxQRILn0Wp0Ou1jvlzG8vdMg5OFmk0I1sYUnG8YRGF5-15ajHKODM3VdcUkjn8yPmN5ySJPoUUYurbas63wrqj6ZtMlkycQsZOFMVcEMEit6-0m1LK_zBvSnfrT3JbxAGc-4/s400/string+bag.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">If
you want hardware, you might go to this shop that used to sell groceries but
now is specializing in paint, tools and other hardware. They do not have much variety. A far cry from
our DIY big-box stores!</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR1hHyVn0ripTo_KuFWnzFEhEGLEPj35umUHqnmTyqm75OJoiaueHpxwMIhhtsYN3qQJAEJIC8V-jmt-lR_p48mdiYtWQDmQce5BLUDogH1ihEc5vjuITLhyphenhyphenXQC5b1Zgb3EtdwYoPN71A/s1600/hardware+store.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR1hHyVn0ripTo_KuFWnzFEhEGLEPj35umUHqnmTyqm75OJoiaueHpxwMIhhtsYN3qQJAEJIC8V-jmt-lR_p48mdiYtWQDmQce5BLUDogH1ihEc5vjuITLhyphenhyphenXQC5b1Zgb3EtdwYoPN71A/s400/hardware+store.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">In
front of the hardware store is a place where you can usually buy wood. Now that
the rain has started, there is not much to chose from. People a busy cultivating and planting, so
there is not much demand for lumber right now.</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXsBhcB21iNKh0ZuQgev19trb_XYJBDP-954oz4Q2w51krs4PGWKFO0ESUOCOL1j7CO3BrdnkpfB0mZYM_vXsqFC8x_3ZODU-BcPygN_aBagdBeW4qPB4g0pIphE-0YfyL-0Ly8AlWHD4/s1600/lumber+storage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXsBhcB21iNKh0ZuQgev19trb_XYJBDP-954oz4Q2w51krs4PGWKFO0ESUOCOL1j7CO3BrdnkpfB0mZYM_vXsqFC8x_3ZODU-BcPygN_aBagdBeW4qPB4g0pIphE-0YfyL-0Ly8AlWHD4/s400/lumber+storage.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">If
you do want someone to build something for you, here is one of the
carpenter/furniture makers. He does it
all with this crosscut saw, a hammer and nails on the small work bench you see
beside him.</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt3tB5UHVxMehm0VuTCXG0uKm0mQJu7V5VwlXT-3v2psQ5YYbZlbZ2dq4_mBvTbR90_SWFnGEw1i_IrIlI_yKWb6eSJ7pF_CtZOuh_jkwLBBl5St1A9JJuTcD-2dfal_slzkr93xclyGk/s1600/carpenter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt3tB5UHVxMehm0VuTCXG0uKm0mQJu7V5VwlXT-3v2psQ5YYbZlbZ2dq4_mBvTbR90_SWFnGEw1i_IrIlI_yKWb6eSJ7pF_CtZOuh_jkwLBBl5St1A9JJuTcD-2dfal_slzkr93xclyGk/s400/carpenter.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Here
is a set of storage shelves he made for me.
They are pretty crude, but I like the space and the strength of the
shelves.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ge3zTSzOm4218abQiDmexAQEyH7JY_mErFJT8Z64FQJQoGT3PM7e31_H71BNEJJwOYB3egw24gH76enhU2ic_o5YrPEJx2BLKksiay7Yr6PhqAlcyd3nimZlieBVttGAI_4ccpQVx6Q/s1600/arpenter's+shelves.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ge3zTSzOm4218abQiDmexAQEyH7JY_mErFJT8Z64FQJQoGT3PM7e31_H71BNEJJwOYB3egw24gH76enhU2ic_o5YrPEJx2BLKksiay7Yr6PhqAlcyd3nimZlieBVttGAI_4ccpQVx6Q/s320/arpenter's+shelves.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Here
is a shop that sells things like suit cases, blankets mosquito nets, towels and
bed sheets.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3G20Ff1mnWRSRy_hsHN5PfmcMH_2TJS6bYkxoq7avQxLEoQa9fgi-_alCdCT43ZodL0q5Ckv9X7f38TA1y1CcO8WcbgX6s6q_RXTkqSNKm038TK0XQ-yRvn2PtkFGHydQpYjdCkvGLsQ/s1600/suitcase+trunk+shop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3G20Ff1mnWRSRy_hsHN5PfmcMH_2TJS6bYkxoq7avQxLEoQa9fgi-_alCdCT43ZodL0q5Ckv9X7f38TA1y1CcO8WcbgX6s6q_RXTkqSNKm038TK0XQ-yRvn2PtkFGHydQpYjdCkvGLsQ/s320/suitcase+trunk+shop.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
There is no mall, but you can find a lot of things in the town if you are persistent and keep looking.</div>
Jan Larsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01071152180888508161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8062165966315139675.post-81749755793346027732012-06-30T02:26:00.001-07:002012-06-30T02:26:31.872-07:00more about food here<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b>Fruits and Vegetables "In Season"</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Some
of you are old enough to remember when various fruits and vegetables were only
available at certain times during the year. When strawberries were "in
season" you ate lots of them, but after that, you really could not get
them. With modern transportation and
ways to keep food fresh, you can get strawberries any time of the year in
American supper markets. Here things are
like they were in the old days, unless you are in Ouaga or in one of the towns
along the railway. Even there you can get strawberries only about a month out
of the year. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Mangoes </b> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Right
now, it is mango season, which started in April with little yellow mangoes. They were so small you really could not get
much fruit off the pit. I liked to roll them on the counter under pressure,
then squeeze the pulp and juice out into a bowl. It was kind of like eating apple sauce,
except that you did not have to cook them and they did not need any sugar to
sweeten them. Next came the green
mangoes that are like those you might see in the grocery store in America. You can cut the fruit from around the pit,
score the fruit and bend the skin so you could eat it like Annie and Jay were
doing in my blog about light, or even cut it into slices, like these.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNIzjL6r53yKJB9ZsaOu2mI5q9bCMFrRxHPiP_WbaiXQ2P-4IFAMSSgtXPwrABp_QDoTQUwntYR7aIDjtR23IYXej-ZCjfSBvnaat0IzRaPL_BCK986RwaHDbEljYTsYV8k-pbasiYReQ/s1600/Mangoes.jpg"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNIzjL6r53yKJB9ZsaOu2mI5q9bCMFrRxHPiP_WbaiXQ2P-4IFAMSSgtXPwrABp_QDoTQUwntYR7aIDjtR23IYXej-ZCjfSBvnaat0IzRaPL_BCK986RwaHDbEljYTsYV8k-pbasiYReQ/s400/Mangoes.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">When
things as in season lots of people sit by the side of the road to sell what they
have harvested.</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1pRPyF4Q-ZjE17xO64V7n6O2s7X3VtM2riJxz6JQXL15aC7-M9SWQtzTTQ92BeUzjvV2p6lt5Pdeld0W-DD22PIGRaTOSh5LYCct7reYR6MwjieAMgp0DSlD2ned2ZQePfQpXR3DgG0M/s1600/mangos+by+road.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1pRPyF4Q-ZjE17xO64V7n6O2s7X3VtM2riJxz6JQXL15aC7-M9SWQtzTTQ92BeUzjvV2p6lt5Pdeld0W-DD22PIGRaTOSh5LYCct7reYR6MwjieAMgp0DSlD2ned2ZQePfQpXR3DgG0M/s400/mangos+by+road.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Mango
trees look like this when they are in bloom</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfzFnPwwcFExlmBzghChWEdFXjTIzhpFZzPQWct_2PCxu7z62Hyrs00agyOU7t7QZ3I4JJZ9Pc4Y1TMW9d0ZG-BSCU2wJXraP0aJf7LxGpfJU1vkSBsiEFkoqkQLMj1CJ45gkhmjeEATw/s1600/mango+tree+in+bloom.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfzFnPwwcFExlmBzghChWEdFXjTIzhpFZzPQWct_2PCxu7z62Hyrs00agyOU7t7QZ3I4JJZ9Pc4Y1TMW9d0ZG-BSCU2wJXraP0aJf7LxGpfJU1vkSBsiEFkoqkQLMj1CJ45gkhmjeEATw/s400/mango+tree+in+bloom.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">And
like this when the fruit is ripening.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOy6SdCUOQSx_MucvWYiBl_9WqB7Uc3qtmJZlrxwVYu7BhU-ctXlvPtSBWv7_dYBW2vjKuPzBU0M4Kp4CG-bQTN9mA5DqK4FfXHLsZmmbJO-4me_RYh3OXsfsbuxL6-WSzWO9XSle3Y_8/s1600/mangoes+on+tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOy6SdCUOQSx_MucvWYiBl_9WqB7Uc3qtmJZlrxwVYu7BhU-ctXlvPtSBWv7_dYBW2vjKuPzBU0M4Kp4CG-bQTN9mA5DqK4FfXHLsZmmbJO-4me_RYh3OXsfsbuxL6-WSzWO9XSle3Y_8/s400/mangoes+on+tree.jpg" width="285" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Other fruits</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Bananas
grow here if you have a good source of water.
Here are some growing on a plantation next to a river in the south west.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGyFDkj6pBRFKR91WNK390_ypb9bOffesZoXCbJ5tYgbKfz9brcvxgaQLkSB5osRc64i54opcXf8MqoFnTM4NVxF-vVNu5wznPcYoIKVZ3phN-UbP32QY_xXR0pt-niJN0P7lMqIrsBbI/s1600/bananas+on+tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGyFDkj6pBRFKR91WNK390_ypb9bOffesZoXCbJ5tYgbKfz9brcvxgaQLkSB5osRc64i54opcXf8MqoFnTM4NVxF-vVNu5wznPcYoIKVZ3phN-UbP32QY_xXR0pt-niJN0P7lMqIrsBbI/s400/bananas+on+tree.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">They
are also imported throughout the year from Ivory Coast and other neighboring
countries that get more rain. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Another
fruit that grows well here are papayas. They look like this on a tree. When you cut them open they are yellow-orange
and have black seeds in the center that remind me of fish eggs. Maybe you know the fruit, but I had never eaten it as a fresh fruit before I came here.</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlUfVy8RS1f1R8gcY26TnunweSH1ottTE2YHHuUxIhtgnt4z1KW5fzp118m1FjMyikg8BvokhpjaA5ItNPs5AbEnWFRCLF1GZhFuz0WOqK__rODOxIy2-BHg0chkQbNcEhFqDyl_uCXBM/s1600/papayas+on+tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlUfVy8RS1f1R8gcY26TnunweSH1ottTE2YHHuUxIhtgnt4z1KW5fzp118m1FjMyikg8BvokhpjaA5ItNPs5AbEnWFRCLF1GZhFuz0WOqK__rODOxIy2-BHg0chkQbNcEhFqDyl_uCXBM/s400/papayas+on+tree.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">In
the bigger cities you can find pineapples, oranges, apples, plantains and
coconuts all year round. A seasonal fruit that is somewhat different from what
we have is what they call grapes. They
grow on a tree, not a vine, and have large pits with very little fruit. On the other hand, in a country where there
is not much to eat right now, people are enjoying them. These are not really ripe. When they turn reddish-purple they are said to be sweet.</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI_PdcJHEPsRXiO49WV1821A5Cs1DIXCEXR7l6eQt1NETK0hderPKi4qbZs2eUCvcsNf8ZecowjF3BaVqlCZLG2N6QHYPxy8eUBz7Gu_UjNQmILSOvi0Y5vat1Cz5DntpPrr9psyKPHoQ/s1600/rasins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI_PdcJHEPsRXiO49WV1821A5Cs1DIXCEXR7l6eQt1NETK0hderPKi4qbZs2eUCvcsNf8ZecowjF3BaVqlCZLG2N6QHYPxy8eUBz7Gu_UjNQmILSOvi0Y5vat1Cz5DntpPrr9psyKPHoQ/s400/rasins.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Vegetables</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">In
the villages, vegetables are also seasonal.
People are busy in their fields during the rainy season, but after the
harvest they start doing gardening. From
November through February or so you can find lettuce, tomatoes, green beans,
green peppers, and carrots at the marché.
Even now I can find cucumbers, onions, cabbages, and egg plant. Here you see some squash, cabbages and egg plants.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUC0qYUWSWFDDl_dpv_o4HnMjNgS5301I9edC3KtFG0pWHyE87euxXLLO4KKYMWMKjfQ9TcyDIo96xZFAdVrhK_XZH0B_zJkNi_SpiPVr0jEBHf4J6ZFZlOtmrG_hHVfqQZsUpZnAGZxY/s1600/cabage+sqush+and+egg+plant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUC0qYUWSWFDDl_dpv_o4HnMjNgS5301I9edC3KtFG0pWHyE87euxXLLO4KKYMWMKjfQ9TcyDIo96xZFAdVrhK_XZH0B_zJkNi_SpiPVr0jEBHf4J6ZFZlOtmrG_hHVfqQZsUpZnAGZxY/s400/cabage+sqush+and+egg+plant.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
here some lettuce and potatoes<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix1VwyYCoMcJnrTX-6MEb7KsHdmrabonvopD55BAE_LpGrb9aYOCDIraUby5sL1AK4yTPFcQkS_MWfbE3-uuqf1Ftl3na-Z1kZJ5y1KHPmU7OC3DfKvdnx556U8DelF9Pr9z5zRoAj9gY/s1600/lettuce+potatoes+and+beets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix1VwyYCoMcJnrTX-6MEb7KsHdmrabonvopD55BAE_LpGrb9aYOCDIraUby5sL1AK4yTPFcQkS_MWfbE3-uuqf1Ftl3na-Z1kZJ5y1KHPmU7OC3DfKvdnx556U8DelF9Pr9z5zRoAj9gY/s400/lettuce+potatoes+and+beets.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
tomatoes and green beans. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_yeC9mPZH09mArlDm5vkrRPi8qGh1SxzP1IgU9F3oTwP-P_u0c4ypatfGsUJCBLaVFrdRsh6cw-KClTyYP5jmd2bW4edqIiLSpU3sf23Yvy3xiEYEnCwaxbINNb6qRWQssfLb-MHBLFw/s1600/tomatoes+and+beans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_yeC9mPZH09mArlDm5vkrRPi8qGh1SxzP1IgU9F3oTwP-P_u0c4ypatfGsUJCBLaVFrdRsh6cw-KClTyYP5jmd2bW4edqIiLSpU3sf23Yvy3xiEYEnCwaxbINNb6qRWQssfLb-MHBLFw/s400/tomatoes+and+beans.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Stuff for sauces</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">One
of the more popular kinds of sauce, which I mentioned in the last blog, is
referred to as gumbo sauce. It is made
from okra, like this man is holding. You can see the field of gumbo growing behind him. I
do not care for the sauce because of the slimy texture, but you can cut the
okra into little round wheels, dip them
in some kind of breading and fry them, just to cook then a bit, and they are
not slimy.</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB54hrvUWzBaAr2quSyVGZWEwHbYOWOwO6xoab3_2ewbv-qs5yy5vHDUqWoG1HULta9b1M1QJZALnNUkmGwPU4rmIJZkkFFfQwH8tvLe03fkk1FFb4tPNOXguL0a8sTbLJbiHn-F0RlQU/s1600/ocra.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB54hrvUWzBaAr2quSyVGZWEwHbYOWOwO6xoab3_2ewbv-qs5yy5vHDUqWoG1HULta9b1M1QJZALnNUkmGwPU4rmIJZkkFFfQwH8tvLe03fkk1FFb4tPNOXguL0a8sTbLJbiHn-F0RlQU/s400/ocra.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Most
sauces are made from greens of some kind.
Tops of plants are often used, but the thing that surprised me was the
number of trees that have leaves that are edible and nutritious. I suspect that people figured out what could
be eaten in hard times like we are having right now because of the lack of
rain. People experimented with anything
that was growing and found some that could be eaten. When I visited a garden with a friend she saw
a man pulling weeds. One of the plants
he was about to throw away was one the people of her ethnic group had found was
good to eat and she bought a bunch from him. </span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlaMFaAWj7oqK2HB6_Mu9H9RrTWGinL9m446h-F20yOSaGWnvi6RlnOrexaWl3WEdzHznM2OT6DopILRgW8hJNuWTFjHoISP4IBnVrcJfLFBZVHJtQFGXpWzg19ICqF6amxmRLc6u8WoQ/s1600/not-a-weed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlaMFaAWj7oqK2HB6_Mu9H9RrTWGinL9m446h-F20yOSaGWnvi6RlnOrexaWl3WEdzHznM2OT6DopILRgW8hJNuWTFjHoISP4IBnVrcJfLFBZVHJtQFGXpWzg19ICqF6amxmRLc6u8WoQ/s400/not-a-weed.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Selling food to
travelers</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">When
you are traveling on a bus, a bush taxi or car, if you stop near a bus station
(gare) or have to stop to pay a toll, your vehicle will be surrounded by women
and girls (and occasionally men) wanting to sell you something through the window that you can eat or drink
as you travel. Popular items are sachets of cold water, apples, hard boiled
eggs, and bread.</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiljWmmUnP8MCa71c651hTOTIX_guwH-ZY99KVIiQbochZkb8A3imUC-Dq2GESuI3PViBJWzdq4h6IeSWkZcuNTzfQUJfe5NvNNod0dtDmKjvJwjhIRFR3lKEvLtJqGHvbPmYTbmNcpIhY/s1600/selling+at+the+bus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiljWmmUnP8MCa71c651hTOTIX_guwH-ZY99KVIiQbochZkb8A3imUC-Dq2GESuI3PViBJWzdq4h6IeSWkZcuNTzfQUJfe5NvNNod0dtDmKjvJwjhIRFR3lKEvLtJqGHvbPmYTbmNcpIhY/s400/selling+at+the+bus.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">You
also might want to buy something to take to the person you are visiting, or to
take home with you, like onions or a live chicken. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Treats</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Desserts
are not a concept here, but there are treats you might serve at a
party. The most usual are popcorn and
the shrimp chips we find in Chinese restaurants. The shrimp chips come as small disks that puff up and get crispy when you drop them in hot oil. I
was a bit surprised to find them here, but a lot of Chinese things are exported to Burkina Faso.</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSzhBsHR_Uo5EAu75YnlneaKiRyB-bW2wK2OrYa6FutCwlWdL0RWFBT2QdSOeFwo2GIEYKRLX8kPCuXzPxzzSfThsSWJ2zUIjiEkX1dzFoO8OCOm7f9tmf5-xu0QGP_NvswKSk3K3lBYc/s1600/shrimp+chips.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSzhBsHR_Uo5EAu75YnlneaKiRyB-bW2wK2OrYa6FutCwlWdL0RWFBT2QdSOeFwo2GIEYKRLX8kPCuXzPxzzSfThsSWJ2zUIjiEkX1dzFoO8OCOm7f9tmf5-xu0QGP_NvswKSk3K3lBYc/s400/shrimp+chips.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Another
treat (no photos of these, sorry) is called gateau, that is, cake. It is really a kind of pretty stiff dough which is patted out to the thickness of about an inch and cut into 1 inch
by 1 inch cubes that are fried in oil.
The other thing is a dough that is dropped by spoonfuls into the hot oil. They come out something like glazed doughnut holes, but a bit bigger and
greasier, without the sugar coating.</span></div>Jan Larsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01071152180888508161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8062165966315139675.post-47576085811643786362012-06-23T04:05:00.002-07:002012-06-23T04:05:42.085-07:00Cooking in Burkina Faso<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoOEMhV3s6k4ssmtbmt5I3IbkjB_jqO3meCgEDYGTQC3lDixwiMurAYCacIWwt9ChpN29TRFYgJfnWqoMqEzQ0Ru0zDhiS1a9XZt8Y9Z3oTWQiyr5Nf0C0HJVZtJ7QLc1qvZ75isxs3cw/s1600/women+carrying+wood+on+heads.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Cooking in
villages (and in town)</span></b>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Most
cooking here is done in the courtyard of the home, over a wood fire. In order to cook, you have to go find wood,
and that, along with finding water, are major activities for many women each
day. Here are three women who have gone into the bush to gather wood, carrying
the branches home on their heads.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoOEMhV3s6k4ssmtbmt5I3IbkjB_jqO3meCgEDYGTQC3lDixwiMurAYCacIWwt9ChpN29TRFYgJfnWqoMqEzQ0Ru0zDhiS1a9XZt8Y9Z3oTWQiyr5Nf0C0HJVZtJ7QLc1qvZ75isxs3cw/s1600/women+carrying+wood+on+heads.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoOEMhV3s6k4ssmtbmt5I3IbkjB_jqO3meCgEDYGTQC3lDixwiMurAYCacIWwt9ChpN29TRFYgJfnWqoMqEzQ0Ru0zDhiS1a9XZt8Y9Z3oTWQiyr5Nf0C0HJVZtJ7QLc1qvZ75isxs3cw/s400/women+carrying+wood+on+heads.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> At
the marché you will find an area where people are selling wood and charcoal
they have made from the wood they have gathered.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmVK-1xePaJYAgm4P370UzX_lXyupYBJoxeb10NPC3xuFEXkRphjCe5FJxfHnmIQAP0MTRMnc38w2RjenPCgp62PfXOEQ-qEYhEqhuVylVriW_hZEE8kU_yHKnDPQEgZ5J0Gd1m-PKnhQ/s1600/wood+for+sale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmVK-1xePaJYAgm4P370UzX_lXyupYBJoxeb10NPC3xuFEXkRphjCe5FJxfHnmIQAP0MTRMnc38w2RjenPCgp62PfXOEQ-qEYhEqhuVylVriW_hZEE8kU_yHKnDPQEgZ5J0Gd1m-PKnhQ/s400/wood+for+sale.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9SV4clhBfllBtCA73jmyIz3iVhPDnAmbTk7KpHZzZkGPUZKQq6B8uLq4CZk5uhnvUtQ9CKQ4cc4pbHvf7MTTbhlTGlQveuMCBOsvfO2QyAB6skGkDBghiO2L5ab8ydoUcPao-UnQHoIo/s1600/cooking+in+old+city+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The
traditional way to set up your kitchen is with three rocks holding up your
marmite (pot). You build the fire
underneath the pot. The problem is that
much of the heat escapes around the pot, and the fire may even extend outside
the rocks, wasting your precious wood.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9SV4clhBfllBtCA73jmyIz3iVhPDnAmbTk7KpHZzZkGPUZKQq6B8uLq4CZk5uhnvUtQ9CKQ4cc4pbHvf7MTTbhlTGlQveuMCBOsvfO2QyAB6skGkDBghiO2L5ab8ydoUcPao-UnQHoIo/s1600/cooking+in+old+city+2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9SV4clhBfllBtCA73jmyIz3iVhPDnAmbTk7KpHZzZkGPUZKQq6B8uLq4CZk5uhnvUtQ9CKQ4cc4pbHvf7MTTbhlTGlQveuMCBOsvfO2QyAB6skGkDBghiO2L5ab8ydoUcPao-UnQHoIo/s400/cooking+in+old+city+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The
help with this problem, people may build improved wood stoves by surrounding
the rocks with the mud they use to make bricks here. This not only restricts
the fire to the place under the pot, it also holds some of the heat. You need a
lot less wood to accomplish the same amount of cooking with a stove like this.
Teaching people how to make this improved wood stoves was one of Janet's projects
when she was in the Peace Corps in Mali 28 years ago. Here is an example of an
improved wood stove with space for two pots. Dolo, the local beer, is being
boiled in both of the pots.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKGdFNzaEDZdn-6OIMtNgdpXTRnG2D-kFSaAZ6ZZskLS-_Gv9HteEppOZpwCHjKiVD4ISpb3amAId9bgHHp0NMHVjb9UUFmQmMTt01iiBQK8BykyiOH5NfUOw86D2T-yAgwvHaX_kwQeU/s1600/improved+wood+stove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKGdFNzaEDZdn-6OIMtNgdpXTRnG2D-kFSaAZ6ZZskLS-_Gv9HteEppOZpwCHjKiVD4ISpb3amAId9bgHHp0NMHVjb9UUFmQmMTt01iiBQK8BykyiOH5NfUOw86D2T-yAgwvHaX_kwQeU/s400/improved+wood+stove.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> It
is against the law to cut down a tree without a special permit, but it is legal
to prune a tree, and that is the way much of the fire wood is produced. People
have wood lots where they plant trees that grow fast and will sprout new
branches when old ones are cut off. Here
is a truck, loaded with fire wood, on the way to Ouagadougou. When I take the
bush taxi or bus to Ouaga we pass many trucks like this along the way.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsB4gENkCMxH1DxNxkVYlChp_0ih3I6gFntktVSZiETLrZiJKsAgl-ALyBAJBQT3fquonF8sQ4DIPBVFFAhAvffVw_NhMHJHk-Q0eOfW_xy6kbDfhnhKIbRILENtYAMUASSAj6uK3WYPM/s1600/truck+with+wood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsB4gENkCMxH1DxNxkVYlChp_0ih3I6gFntktVSZiETLrZiJKsAgl-ALyBAJBQT3fquonF8sQ4DIPBVFFAhAvffVw_NhMHJHk-Q0eOfW_xy6kbDfhnhKIbRILENtYAMUASSAj6uK3WYPM/s400/truck+with+wood.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Yes,
even in town most people cook with firewood. I took this picture out of the
window of a hotel in the middle of Ouaga. As you can see, the house is just one
room, like many in the villages, and the courtyard is used as the living and
work space. It is hard to make out, but
they are cooking in the same way as they would in a village.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZSvAb9UoxXxMLssVDi2ML8iLoZysut2eyHQ9BwXBaFTUABLcaAl_tmvIXiknPMtVvPE-rAWhTO3E__uUVhKnF7xmVSRdNe-m-wkZ1-z0AG1roHNvWpqvm8xa-wH9hDLlFKNPJ1uUM22Y/s1600/Ouaga+courtyard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZSvAb9UoxXxMLssVDi2ML8iLoZysut2eyHQ9BwXBaFTUABLcaAl_tmvIXiknPMtVvPE-rAWhTO3E__uUVhKnF7xmVSRdNe-m-wkZ1-z0AG1roHNvWpqvm8xa-wH9hDLlFKNPJ1uUM22Y/s400/Ouaga+courtyard.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">If
you can afford to cook with gas, you may have a cook stove like mine. Even people who have gas stoves tend to do
most of their cooking over the wood fire. Even though you or your children may
spend a lot of time finding the wood, it is free, and you have to pay for the
gas.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx4Xs2m5iHUiGkmgxGG6QHMMw-M2U1aH4gLTiQNNSmZ-QoSUO0z6AM4iNoxs8Vk08Man7r4P5MLMdiplsmBloFXRi4-5kj1PUGZIQ3h2nF1IXHpnhL1vmifX9F88E-q6BBMRquWyvaEaA/s1600/gas+stove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx4Xs2m5iHUiGkmgxGG6QHMMw-M2U1aH4gLTiQNNSmZ-QoSUO0z6AM4iNoxs8Vk08Man7r4P5MLMdiplsmBloFXRi4-5kj1PUGZIQ3h2nF1IXHpnhL1vmifX9F88E-q6BBMRquWyvaEaA/s400/gas+stove.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">People
who make food to sell often cook in a "stone" oven. Here is one of the places I often buy bread,
with some of the kids who sell it posing behind the bread and in front of the
oven.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixKFtv8_1iZSfSOVhL1w01Fr7UScScLvAnu58KZry_mh_2wUOm0I3dcNTnsnoMZQSEpv0YjL7l1xZHvQuap70xguthnqcBzhMrc6i_Q07w6VMVx5-EzV2f_mz4sczsHSyYTRKAFqHjiaw/s1600/bread+oven+and+kids+selling.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixKFtv8_1iZSfSOVhL1w01Fr7UScScLvAnu58KZry_mh_2wUOm0I3dcNTnsnoMZQSEpv0YjL7l1xZHvQuap70xguthnqcBzhMrc6i_Q07w6VMVx5-EzV2f_mz4sczsHSyYTRKAFqHjiaw/s400/bread+oven+and+kids+selling.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Another
thing that is made in this kind of over is "porc au feur", that is,
roasted pork. If you can find a good pig
for sale, you buy it, have it slaughtered and inspected by the
veterinarian. A person seeing the pork
will see the official stamp on the skin showing that the meat has been
inspected and found to be good. The porc au feur man cuts the meat it up into
small chunks, and puts it in a big cooking tray, about the size of his oven, to
roast. People may buy a sack of pork to take home, or they may sit in the
hangar to eat it. You only find people cooking and selling pork when there are
a substantial number of Christians in the area.
Muslims, of course, do not eat pork. During Lent, if market day was on
Friday, I could not find any pork to buy. I like to get to the place cooking
the pork before they put it in the oven.
I buy a piece that is just the meat, if I can convince the person that
is what I really want (no skin or fat or bone). Then I can fry it up in my pan
at home. I usually get enough for two
meals. I have a fried pork sandwich for lunch and use the rest of the meat in
some kind of dish for dinner.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Another
kind of meat you often find in the village is goat. Because about half of the people here muslin,
there is a good market for goat meat or mutton. These are usually cooked on a
big charcoal grill. The cooked bits are wrapped in brown paper with onion and
tomato (if tomatoes are available) and kept warm at the edge of the grill. The
contents of the package will include bone, fat and organs as well as the
meat. If I am going for goat, I also try
to get there early and get just the meat, although with goat it is a bit harder
to get meat without the bone.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Chickens
and guinea fowl are also cooked on charcoal grills. They are cooked with the head still attached,
so you see for sure whether it is a chicken or a guinea fowl. I also think people like to eat the head.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">When
cooking at home, one of the standard Burkinabè meals consists of tô and some
kind of sauce. To make the tô, you have
to have some kind of flour. You may buy
corn or millet at the market. People
here prefer the flavor of corn flour, but I understand the millet is actually
more nutritious.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyfN6hZ0uMeSXhe_pJEJWx1R94_DFcrK1A90eFrlJnAssmE2UHesoQY2A6wOXet2fhVeb6cHnFh0ddiuw12u5ezgrwAiDxL9F0SUPK7Nhu6jlMoXi-DW5GAsjby3BFqxJ-EMTQMbREds0/s1600/grain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyfN6hZ0uMeSXhe_pJEJWx1R94_DFcrK1A90eFrlJnAssmE2UHesoQY2A6wOXet2fhVeb6cHnFh0ddiuw12u5ezgrwAiDxL9F0SUPK7Nhu6jlMoXi-DW5GAsjby3BFqxJ-EMTQMbREds0/s400/grain.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">If
you can afford it, you may take your grain to a person who has a mill to grind
it. Otherwise you pound it until it is
fine, as these women are doing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipQUGLEzlSH6tUUTOvw5gBovF6EKwicqaTbtAuwS781bdyHEJgMwus5L-lX-BOixgWkm7eo6jVbf4iYYVPDusDOYkCQOL_XcDQwSXo4msXRKgQamQg0m8Hj63EJEiSxdTAgbXuxDpchgo/s1600/pounding+grain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipQUGLEzlSH6tUUTOvw5gBovF6EKwicqaTbtAuwS781bdyHEJgMwus5L-lX-BOixgWkm7eo6jVbf4iYYVPDusDOYkCQOL_XcDQwSXo4msXRKgQamQg0m8Hj63EJEiSxdTAgbXuxDpchgo/s400/pounding+grain.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Tô
is made by boiling water and gradually adding the flour. As you add the flour you keep stirring the
mixture. When it gets to be the right consistency, you whip it until it is
thick. Here is a girl whipping to on one of those improved wood stove</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXmk14wrCmUzicJ-8dRbaFaFyuSLqCisXSSy0rM34L4rEOXJ0z-o-aolnT_ptrfUihuQIhNez6hRaoh672GHoAw_gFNHcdEZixEJbD1IoUgX5u-kgGYhpM0zwTtl65Hi7H3ykniSmsZiE/s1600/girl+making+to.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXmk14wrCmUzicJ-8dRbaFaFyuSLqCisXSSy0rM34L4rEOXJ0z-o-aolnT_ptrfUihuQIhNez6hRaoh672GHoAw_gFNHcdEZixEJbD1IoUgX5u-kgGYhpM0zwTtl65Hi7H3ykniSmsZiE/s400/girl+making+to.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">People
usually scoop the tô out with some kind of container, like a dried gourd, and
let it cool. The tô holds the shape of
the container it cools in. Then you pile
all of this in a pot and people can pull off a portion, dip it in the sauce,
and eat it. I think of tô as a way to
get the sauce to your mouth because, by itself, it does not have much flavor.
The sauce is often very spicy and salty, so having a very bland base makes it
easier to eat the sauce. The two kinds of sauce I recognize are oseille and
gumbo. Gumbo is okra so gumbo sauce is
very slimy. The oseille sauce is a bit
like spinach and I can eat some of that with pleasure.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxtmnw_bGmXXV57uDrPbqSNWCZbZOv3Mpyb2XOJTyDR_4JBziNDA_TY8dMzm52jgE6U1t9jQH7eRzn2IfQhTGErlllklMq3BaxFLAvCGa-Cj9rRLiwltDbLyZa4jdbrgfRN0VaPn6HYMU/s1600/to+and+sauce.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxtmnw_bGmXXV57uDrPbqSNWCZbZOv3Mpyb2XOJTyDR_4JBziNDA_TY8dMzm52jgE6U1t9jQH7eRzn2IfQhTGErlllklMq3BaxFLAvCGa-Cj9rRLiwltDbLyZa4jdbrgfRN0VaPn6HYMU/s400/to+and+sauce.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Another
standard meal is called riz gras. It is
rice that is cooked in a tomato based sauce so when it is finished, it is sort
of pink and has a nice taste. It is my
favorite African dish. It may be
accompanied by a sauce made with tomatoes and other vegetables, and it will
probably have some dried fish that has been cooked in it. Perhaps surprisingly,
spaghetti with meat or fish sauce is a common dish. Sorry I do not have
pictures of some of these things, but I may be able to correct that when I buy
a new camera to replace the one that was stolen. </span></div>
<br />Jan Larsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01071152180888508161noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8062165966315139675.post-27324175945875787452012-06-17T05:23:00.002-07:002012-06-17T05:23:54.096-07:00Living without electricity<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">A
friend from John Carroll asked me how I managed to get along without
electricity. When I came to Burkina Faso
and realized that I might be in a place without electricity or running water, I
decided to think of it as camping out for two years. Actually I am much more comfortable than I
would be if I were camping. </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Light for
reading</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The
biggest challenge for me has been to have enough light to read by, because I
read a good deal. I study French, and
read books in French (Harry Potter, books 1-7 and The Three Musketeers) as well
as many books in English that I refer to as marshmallow fluff. By fluff, I mean
things that don't take much effort to read, like mysteries and adventure
stories. At the Peace Corps transit house in Ouaga there are several hundred
(maybe several thousand) books, mostly paperbacks, that have been contributed
by volunteers. The book shelves are
overflowing and volunteers are encouraged to take books back to their sites. If all the volunteers returned the books they
have borrowed I don’t think there would be space in the transit house living
room for anything other than books.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Typical
Burkinabè houses tend to be dim, even during the day. The windows are small and
there is usually only one window per room, as you can see in this house under
construction and the small house in the background.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgALgSBSah7C-mMjXsP5c9yZIRvDuRJ_0NQb-rfb8b7-LBoMWb2zt3JCCdC6qITZMrMNPBrpqI_BcHqbWkzH07UHrNnP8f93OfEZvWZ7Bt4p8mx53-HzpX_Yg7vdFjJI2bsCJbIg78KNMM/s1600/house+under+construction.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgALgSBSah7C-mMjXsP5c9yZIRvDuRJ_0NQb-rfb8b7-LBoMWb2zt3JCCdC6qITZMrMNPBrpqI_BcHqbWkzH07UHrNnP8f93OfEZvWZ7Bt4p8mx53-HzpX_Yg7vdFjJI2bsCJbIg78KNMM/s400/house+under+construction.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> Luckily
for me, my house was built to accommodate a more European life style. It has
bigger windows than typical houses and big double doors that I can open because
there are also double screen doors. Here is Jesse coming through them when he
was here at Christmas.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ke37WtV-wglFdFFg8elKyRUd2fc5SCvVeouykc76XtURcfDpYYFN3Ox9auQxoZnJf1dgY9zSPzwOaTkE5H8oue1r0A5ejzNMmJ2L-Nkz4zvy_CSZXauKw0VjV8lKsOuwCBs-qM9PyvQ/s1600/double+doors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ke37WtV-wglFdFFg8elKyRUd2fc5SCvVeouykc76XtURcfDpYYFN3Ox9auQxoZnJf1dgY9zSPzwOaTkE5H8oue1r0A5ejzNMmJ2L-Nkz4zvy_CSZXauKw0VjV8lKsOuwCBs-qM9PyvQ/s320/double+doors.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> During
the day, when the sun is shining, I can easily read by the light that comes
through the windows and doors. You can see how light it is at my table in this
picture of Jay and Annie enjoying mangos during that same Christmas visit.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUSHy_PZo6ppz1mK5nwe6au7F-zt23ZTjU0k_hut_n-rlvcifV-uBXTdljMhShqzp_-8ZgSb1R9dhNg7lgPRyBFj6vBMS1XLIK4nVNapGHAUwuXuI2ha4x2DKZY3AbW-VtfBeThyphenhyphenolhOY/s1600/light+from+windows+and+door.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUSHy_PZo6ppz1mK5nwe6au7F-zt23ZTjU0k_hut_n-rlvcifV-uBXTdljMhShqzp_-8ZgSb1R9dhNg7lgPRyBFj6vBMS1XLIK4nVNapGHAUwuXuI2ha4x2DKZY3AbW-VtfBeThyphenhyphenolhOY/s320/light+from+windows+and+door.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">In
an earlier blog I showed you a picture of my rechargeable 12 volt battery and a
fluorescent light bar that I used to read by.
In this picture you can see the battery on the floor and the light over the table where I eat and read.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCw5n7bQYXheiW6aKwyVt7WtAcT3d6cLzHEijSQdyVO93UZym4sb7YxGL5zqs7jBZDDFUVDMJMH20jz9f0eHsBsoqdYRhgpHBVGArLiQ5x7sGeCjPzl8G8piKiAfKGZ8BfjMTm4TKb1KE/s1600/light+bar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCw5n7bQYXheiW6aKwyVt7WtAcT3d6cLzHEijSQdyVO93UZym4sb7YxGL5zqs7jBZDDFUVDMJMH20jz9f0eHsBsoqdYRhgpHBVGArLiQ5x7sGeCjPzl8G8piKiAfKGZ8BfjMTm4TKb1KE/s320/light+bar.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> After I had three of these light bars short circuit and burn out from bugs
getting into the baffle, I decided to try a different kind of light that many
people here use. I put two of them on a piece of wood that I can lower or raise
like a chandelier. Until recently they
have been my source of light to read by at night. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifz0Aw5h1ODThA7TxWUuWeP5SE-MxB5emD4359FzToaXDZH299kJUFwc-Nu6S_oZHdgsu9jKjMFloWdy27PgNJG4LpfrJdVR7jWtcn81WHE_hs1bD4gErlFRcBvV9xFJK1j97YiVVtYUU/s1600/new+led+light.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifz0Aw5h1ODThA7TxWUuWeP5SE-MxB5emD4359FzToaXDZH299kJUFwc-Nu6S_oZHdgsu9jKjMFloWdy27PgNJG4LpfrJdVR7jWtcn81WHE_hs1bD4gErlFRcBvV9xFJK1j97YiVVtYUU/s400/new+led+light.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> A
couple of weeks ago I discovered an even better source of light, that you see above, hanging between the two 15 watt fluorescent lights. This terrific
little light uses LEDs that draw a
lot less power from the battery, and the light is just as good as the light
from the two 15 watt lights. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">What do the
local folks use?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">There
are a number ways people get light at night.
In most courtyards there is a cooking fire, and that may be enough light
to see by for cooking and eating, but certainly not enough to read by! The most
typical types of lights people use are battery powered flashlights and
lanterns. These are typical of the kinds of lanterns Burkinabè use.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeheICYIMR25gBhKmFhkCBB-7OaPOcb25R1GsK1hLoJL9aG8h_yOuTR2KHJlwj0ihYTv5rHm73ui-99PxS4YpbbHFo87dY-7PmTVSNrEZVVlR7LPp9BhgKfoWLs0RDrfU3g8Np8gCdBVE/s1600/typocal+lamps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeheICYIMR25gBhKmFhkCBB-7OaPOcb25R1GsK1hLoJL9aG8h_yOuTR2KHJlwj0ihYTv5rHm73ui-99PxS4YpbbHFo87dY-7PmTVSNrEZVVlR7LPp9BhgKfoWLs0RDrfU3g8Np8gCdBVE/s400/typocal+lamps.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">My neighbor, Prosper, charges my battery with this solar panel. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLXeHieJSbrWtJnQgY4CC6Bd5Ywm5hhXfuTtFxUah6xa3lYY_LSDrnKMIPwum0asx6SZLeVM5tWyaw_BTxeC1gysGOuHJrRHtiHwn-VIwufdtRtvtbI02RtaealUWPgOknYL7nCMWNLI8/s1600/solar+panel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLXeHieJSbrWtJnQgY4CC6Bd5Ywm5hhXfuTtFxUah6xa3lYY_LSDrnKMIPwum0asx6SZLeVM5tWyaw_BTxeC1gysGOuHJrRHtiHwn-VIwufdtRtvtbI02RtaealUWPgOknYL7nCMWNLI8/s320/solar+panel.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Burkinabè
who earn enough to buy a solar panel have a battery, usually a lot bigger than
the one I use. From the battery they may
power fluorescent lights like the ones I used to use, radios, stereos and even
TVs.. Here is the big battery Prosper uses, and my little one, getting charged. You can also see his "boom box" charging, and his TV is under the white cover to keep the dust off.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRfwKFfOVdGozif6qW9x5eD92kRMpL5FLjpF0uf_gsHI37BK3N36AUJXsEobvuX4vr7Ji-D1Xbn3IiRtV1mfwpojRO07nxhHZzwQfU43039dRUUXLbAVW6LDSRB1cGEzoaKrvCkVew_nY/s1600/batteries.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRfwKFfOVdGozif6qW9x5eD92kRMpL5FLjpF0uf_gsHI37BK3N36AUJXsEobvuX4vr7Ji-D1Xbn3IiRtV1mfwpojRO07nxhHZzwQfU43039dRUUXLbAVW6LDSRB1cGEzoaKrvCkVew_nY/s320/batteries.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBbwVRpleTim1jgLp1qvKObEeq2-_SORPqxhTfuV1QKuR74hW2tCCm9huKG9OzNBTzimipIWbhzmcWXGclvwEWj8zD6Axz_BcOrampQGvyoz0uDlmeaTzs4MF-WZ9pzfWrugihM1ljTUk/s1600/solar+flash+light.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">My light sources
for things other than reading</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">These
cute little lamps came with Janet and family last year and are good for giving
general light to a room. I find them
hard to read by because the light shines in my eyes.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD6g3hRfyfJ2eBa9BgJhjwAgxHramm5xWrxOUpgBfq9b8Lhbi2BP7GHhc1e9XJG-IbZ7RIosJJJHVX3bQZHPkYhjpy7VRluHP94e1txnnaoQ5iZCBBcuVcLupaCtmKoNLpWPCLp9dbuo8/s1600/coleman+lamp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD6g3hRfyfJ2eBa9BgJhjwAgxHramm5xWrxOUpgBfq9b8Lhbi2BP7GHhc1e9XJG-IbZ7RIosJJJHVX3bQZHPkYhjpy7VRluHP94e1txnnaoQ5iZCBBcuVcLupaCtmKoNLpWPCLp9dbuo8/s400/coleman+lamp.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">These
odd looking solar rechargeable "light bulbs," were sent to me from
the USA. Here they are in my kitchen, but I have strings hanging down in the
shower stall and in my "office" where I use my computer and I hang
them where ever I need them at night.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWszPXaPcicwsVPffDP4jfOW4-6KwgcTdo4_tXwknlRW-eADh7V2omfrC6mh6fi-7leKHTU5sca4djHg8dgG6gNfeLRDLO_Ba2KdP7Wpddrz8_UXJYKxtkz4RBx6NPisDyPyjnHLQweTw/s1600/solar+lightbulb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWszPXaPcicwsVPffDP4jfOW4-6KwgcTdo4_tXwknlRW-eADh7V2omfrC6mh6fi-7leKHTU5sca4djHg8dgG6gNfeLRDLO_Ba2KdP7Wpddrz8_UXJYKxtkz4RBx6NPisDyPyjnHLQweTw/s400/solar+lightbulb.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> This
is a solar chargeable reading lamp which gives a good deal of light to read
by. I would use it if I did not have the
battery arrangement. Along with the
light bulbs (above) they are an opportunity waiting to happen. There would be a huge demand for them in
rural areas like where I live, if somebody could just figure out the logistics
of importing them and distributing them.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgObUn7HqjaoGs_92PWYwJFzVyiYg5a2j5f_re3TIdnOfTrWem_WB2G0PK3778pHQk-gng4fjBmbpB1PxA7NTqExp3nRlDWMhRlklDVJCZrjyU4RXYdPMrtWKXg9_Yj-lW7-zZrkqjPrN8/s1600/reading+lamp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgObUn7HqjaoGs_92PWYwJFzVyiYg5a2j5f_re3TIdnOfTrWem_WB2G0PK3778pHQk-gng4fjBmbpB1PxA7NTqExp3nRlDWMhRlklDVJCZrjyU4RXYdPMrtWKXg9_Yj-lW7-zZrkqjPrN8/s400/reading+lamp.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I
love this solar chargeable flashlight that was a gift from the parents of one
of the volunteers who stopped to visit me while they were touring the country.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBbwVRpleTim1jgLp1qvKObEeq2-_SORPqxhTfuV1QKuR74hW2tCCm9huKG9OzNBTzimipIWbhzmcWXGclvwEWj8zD6Axz_BcOrampQGvyoz0uDlmeaTzs4MF-WZ9pzfWrugihM1ljTUk/s1600/solar+flash+light.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBbwVRpleTim1jgLp1qvKObEeq2-_SORPqxhTfuV1QKuR74hW2tCCm9huKG9OzNBTzimipIWbhzmcWXGclvwEWj8zD6Axz_BcOrampQGvyoz0uDlmeaTzs4MF-WZ9pzfWrugihM1ljTUk/s400/solar+flash+light.jpg" width="285" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">If
the battery runs out of juice in the evening, I may resort to these head lamp
flash lights that give a bright, focused light.
The problem with them is that they attract bugs that tend to land on my
face.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOIlA2GAghcJnqTItFdAeU1cPQd-ZRSK_jq3vt32ruXkVc0WH65eHAGazBB-CYnz2EG3t_Bpducy-w3LchYCCGz-dHrxpt_bLeZGOFOoW3l-oMgJbnROPKLEXjLQuytMNP648ixd_VWYA/s1600/head+lamp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOIlA2GAghcJnqTItFdAeU1cPQd-ZRSK_jq3vt32ruXkVc0WH65eHAGazBB-CYnz2EG3t_Bpducy-w3LchYCCGz-dHrxpt_bLeZGOFOoW3l-oMgJbnROPKLEXjLQuytMNP648ixd_VWYA/s400/head+lamp.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">A natural source
of light at night</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">It's
surprising how much you can see by moonlight.
For a week or so before the full moon you really can see where you are
going outside by the light of the moon. I think I have already told you that one
night, shortly after I arrived at my site, I looked out the window and wondered
where the street lights were. After a
second I realized there could not possibly be street lights by my house because
there is no electricity in my neighborhood. I went outside and realized that
what I was seeing was moonlight. I guess
I never realized how much light the moon really give shen it is full. When the
moon starts to wane, it still provides a lot of light, of course, but the moon
rises later and later each night so a couple of days after the full moon it really
isn’t much help when you need it most.</span></div>Jan Larsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01071152180888508161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8062165966315139675.post-27107934457445937352012-06-09T03:05:00.000-07:002012-06-09T03:21:03.784-07:00Water<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Hand
dug wells</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">As
you will have realized from my blogs about the pump project and the weather,
water is a serious problem here in Burkina Faso. The traditional way to get
water is from a well that has been dug by hand. People start to dig down in a
place where they hope they will find water.
They may make the hole only wide enough for one man to get into it and
continue digging, or it may be a well with a wider diameter. In either case, as
the hole is dug out, the sides are lined with rocks or, if there is money for
it, concrete. Here is a picture of the
interior of a hand dug well that has been lined with concrete. You can see the places where digging stopped
to allow the wall to be cemented if you look carefully.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGwhK00privC8_zkGSO7qhN8x8Ecls1f8lk0Yyd88ApsV3Q7_8fnUlnEn2vLY-A7F_4pLz32hGTloKNAdidPWLAQI3370IhlRBKjZu5lbXtlnsz9hCVWZXNmuPTt0advSTTsvCWuHQAVY/s1600/well+interior.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGwhK00privC8_zkGSO7qhN8x8Ecls1f8lk0Yyd88ApsV3Q7_8fnUlnEn2vLY-A7F_4pLz32hGTloKNAdidPWLAQI3370IhlRBKjZu5lbXtlnsz9hCVWZXNmuPTt0advSTTsvCWuHQAVY/s400/well+interior.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> Here
is a picture of the same well, with kids nearby so you can see how big it
is. Notice the big metal bowl sitting on
the cement platform by the well. It is
what many women use to carry water home.
They fill it full and get someone to help them lift it onto their heads
because it is too heavy to lift it themselves.
I am forever amazed at the amount of weight the women carry that way.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg55Ii33T280kRIqKwEwH2rtNTIbTmKBb-49RlAHNgHTOsSozVFSkCSFEmYcVbkhJ1Uufzq1Xb9lBgsP36KJ757CGv526UHnH2h4FK_bLWx5picUv7AKOpRidTWM4hjGd8dZMU9PMLhDy0/s1600/bowl+to+carry+water.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg55Ii33T280kRIqKwEwH2rtNTIbTmKBb-49RlAHNgHTOsSozVFSkCSFEmYcVbkhJ1Uufzq1Xb9lBgsP36KJ757CGv526UHnH2h4FK_bLWx5picUv7AKOpRidTWM4hjGd8dZMU9PMLhDy0/s400/bowl+to+carry+water.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">To
get the water out of the well, you use a "bucket" that is made out of
part of a truck tire inner-tube. As you can see, the bucket is not really waterproof,
but it does the job.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK8OajzqGwDs-fimf8gjPrfB42w5w1-EN_ukFW0Db9mKLpfn0fNXoQPiwORyaTfiAA2OhJ3GqWHNZH49M9YqOYra9c3botyNEuRXlWklwVPxUCRmTYbhPEM7dG7PDPZhXKZgqAqvKMQ1s/s1600/bucket+for+the+well.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK8OajzqGwDs-fimf8gjPrfB42w5w1-EN_ukFW0Db9mKLpfn0fNXoQPiwORyaTfiAA2OhJ3GqWHNZH49M9YqOYra9c3botyNEuRXlWklwVPxUCRmTYbhPEM7dG7PDPZhXKZgqAqvKMQ1s/s400/bucket+for+the+well.jpg" width="285" /></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">From
the picture below you can get an idea of how wide the opening of the well is. Kids
often stand on the wall around the well to pull the water up. I can see this well from my house and when I
see them doing it, I worry that one of them will fall in, but so far that has
not happened </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsh3UtcsHljzHqtiduuT3MJLOLqigvx0SXsVCi7HZ2JOasImdQnpIOZXvFJ1JAJvW9eqPz7WLZBMwOa6Ue0v3vtwjOhbZ7e_GGMIEkJjQ0gpf0iBDwZso0bL9tDdn-MCkG3mdGxo5WET4/s1600/kid+with+water+from+the+well.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsh3UtcsHljzHqtiduuT3MJLOLqigvx0SXsVCi7HZ2JOasImdQnpIOZXvFJ1JAJvW9eqPz7WLZBMwOa6Ue0v3vtwjOhbZ7e_GGMIEkJjQ0gpf0iBDwZso0bL9tDdn-MCkG3mdGxo5WET4/s400/kid+with+water+from+the+well.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> You
dig the well as deep as you can during the dry season. You dig until you hit the granite that you
find, perhaps 20 feet or so down. Then
you can't go any farther. The water you
get from these wells is not from the aquifer but is the water that cannot get
through the granite layer. During the
rainy season there is a lot of water in this well, but during the dry season
the well dries out completely. Last year
there was water in it until February or March.
This year the water was gone in early January because the rainfall was
very light last summer.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Water
from a well like this would not really be safe to drink because it is open the
air, and contaminants can easily get into the ground water you pull from it.
Some local folks do drink it, but I expect they have developed immunity to some
of the microbes, and they do get sick a lot.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Ponds and Lakes</b> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> Other sources of water, especially for animals and for washing, are the ponds and small lakes that are formed during the rainy season. There may be a dam built to flood an area, and dirt may be removed from some of that area so there is a larger basin to hold the water. People may dig the dirt out of a small area so water collects there when it rains, either purposefully, to create a pond, or because they have removed the dirt to make bricks. This is a small lake that has been created by a dam.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEichAWXbxLw14-U6lG6wdHY5BAjXS74HGpcXPw4QPb_h2-BvxG2AOI7-q57s1iWspRXpZxjrJ7SYN9z3J72O2_QfGybM9TeyM7WDNC8UNwPubaxESh9W4cf8MrwJVCcgQCbLAuworOrwDk/s1600/pond.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEichAWXbxLw14-U6lG6wdHY5BAjXS74HGpcXPw4QPb_h2-BvxG2AOI7-q57s1iWspRXpZxjrJ7SYN9z3J72O2_QfGybM9TeyM7WDNC8UNwPubaxESh9W4cf8MrwJVCcgQCbLAuworOrwDk/s400/pond.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Water from ponds and lakes is also dangerous to drink because of the contamination by runoff and animals leaving their droppings in the water. Furthermore, they also tend to go day in the dry season. During the rainy season, the pond below comes up about two feet high on the trunk of the large tree in the foreground.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK9BregkF-rtTJXApOohiKtKbuwF5OCMkHVFScF-2t9URHgJwRGRwGu9ZiTr6PeSCp-fjDIiu9VpuK6GAYwpCwsf2nrGaEIu-osXohI-8sL7pvRjL66LeJRPag4Dgrw-DeZu3lZ0dlj3c/s1600/dry+pond.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK9BregkF-rtTJXApOohiKtKbuwF5OCMkHVFScF-2t9URHgJwRGRwGu9ZiTr6PeSCp-fjDIiu9VpuK6GAYwpCwsf2nrGaEIu-osXohI-8sL7pvRjL66LeJRPag4Dgrw-DeZu3lZ0dlj3c/s400/dry+pond.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<b></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Water
from the Water Company </span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Fortunately,
in the town near where I live there is a government owned water company called
ONEA that has drilled several deep wells, into the aquifer, so there is water
all year round. The water is pumped from
the wells into these water towers. Every
day someone from the water company climbs up the towers and checks to see if
the chlorine level is high enough. If it
is not, they drop in another chlorine tablet, like you put into a swimming
pool.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSZt_I-NV1WmuxiwAqxyPFvyhf_VCaIWGVpJ4TI5wk3IUYHIDEDAzGukCbKcsFLI9I6dIFPBzkL9FXEORQQT-wQrOdT_qFKuYAyOxE4yySVTC_iFkZFEuVfEbRiIwqyAFntjVBTTyo7Ho/s1600/water+tower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSZt_I-NV1WmuxiwAqxyPFvyhf_VCaIWGVpJ4TI5wk3IUYHIDEDAzGukCbKcsFLI9I6dIFPBzkL9FXEORQQT-wQrOdT_qFKuYAyOxE4yySVTC_iFkZFEuVfEbRiIwqyAFntjVBTTyo7Ho/s400/water+tower.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">While
water from the hand dug well is free, you have to pay for the water that comes
from the water company. You pay 10 CAF (about 2 cents) for a 20 liter jug of
water. Most people get the water by taking these big plastic or metal barrels
to a place where they can fill them from a faucet. They are permanently
attached to the wheeled carts that are often pushed or pulled by hand, but may
be pulled by a donkey, if you are rich enough to have one.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB3IP34UdkdrRLJ9w_BO-j3fD2Of27ALJFb6oZ1dsDQ10xxvIh4l_VFFBRDon0oGRA0YsjNiKYhJhQiZgwSuE73DqGkzQjtkbODnELI_aPh_64T2yFo9iEqECejBy-ETLt3SWPzAKk-RE/s1600/carts+for+hauling+water.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB3IP34UdkdrRLJ9w_BO-j3fD2Of27ALJFb6oZ1dsDQ10xxvIh4l_VFFBRDon0oGRA0YsjNiKYhJhQiZgwSuE73DqGkzQjtkbODnELI_aPh_64T2yFo9iEqECejBy-ETLt3SWPzAKk-RE/s400/carts+for+hauling+water.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Here
is the place where the girls get my water from ONEA.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM88lUKESGRGFacQo8mFjTcMgqHFzjOiInXKQET62-d8qAMmZj4X-q0r77DgVCDfspiq-c1hGvMxfCzvERkNJTCaLZSnxuEM2ghJCaNuZYpztS46ljSTFBnXPrV3zA45CukVHt812A9zc/s1600/carts+waiting+for+water.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM88lUKESGRGFacQo8mFjTcMgqHFzjOiInXKQET62-d8qAMmZj4X-q0r77DgVCDfspiq-c1hGvMxfCzvERkNJTCaLZSnxuEM2ghJCaNuZYpztS46ljSTFBnXPrV3zA45CukVHt812A9zc/s400/carts+waiting+for+water.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Here
is a picture of the barrel they haul my water it. This picture was taken in December 2010 when
Janet's family was visiting me. My granddaughter, Abby, is watching Peligi
transferring the water from the barrel to my green plastic jugs, and my son in
law, Jonathan is in the background.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXbbBk9wQ7Flv8B-Zjg41aeck-acNblVVcnnRj2ETcYqNvpX64PY8EnbC93h3PznLN3iB8916XyHiNgwq2VbeKjSfUdPJfIZz6lBf6cNpGpjwJtnhb0qsT-8S21dTJYpM9Ng8SAGj_a2k/s1600/donkey+cart+with+water+at+my+house+abby.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXbbBk9wQ7Flv8B-Zjg41aeck-acNblVVcnnRj2ETcYqNvpX64PY8EnbC93h3PznLN3iB8916XyHiNgwq2VbeKjSfUdPJfIZz6lBf6cNpGpjwJtnhb0qsT-8S21dTJYpM9Ng8SAGj_a2k/s400/donkey+cart+with+water+at+my+house+abby.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">If
you live in the town, you may have a faucet in your courtyard. If you have your own water spigot, there is a
water meter that measures how much you have used and you pay a monthly fee
based on usage. I don't know of any
houses in my town that have indoor plumbing with running water for showers,
cooking or toilets. That may be just a
well, because there is, of course, no sewer system. Even in Ouaga, all the
places I know of that have running water in the house use a septic tank.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I
have told you before how I treat the water once it gets into the house, but I
will repeat it here, in case you did not read the earlier blogs. As I explained, the water people do not
constantly monitor the level of chlorine in the water supply. As a result, you
can never be sure if there was enough chlorine in the water at the moment it
comes from the faucet. Also because my water is carried in the open barrel and
transferred into my green jugs, carried into the house, and dumped into a
plastic garbage can for storage, I always put my drinking water through this
water filter that the Peace Corps provided for me. I add chlorine to the water
after it has been filtered to assure it is safe to drink. Here is another granddaughter, Annie, showing how you pour the water in the top</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4RxqDEe1WMALg3_H64E2brzBrpADV6C2tJPfR9xa0rySSMlGCpPsBp7_jPrnACb7rNYgRtkXVXMYkVvCckn_ZO-j6qI2nySZ8DtJNNP1MrQnjSu-iNgOxADC5q_oVzWDTGmJpxcIQkGs/s1600/annie+and+water+filter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4RxqDEe1WMALg3_H64E2brzBrpADV6C2tJPfR9xa0rySSMlGCpPsBp7_jPrnACb7rNYgRtkXVXMYkVvCckn_ZO-j6qI2nySZ8DtJNNP1MrQnjSu-iNgOxADC5q_oVzWDTGmJpxcIQkGs/s400/annie+and+water+filter.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">and how it comes out the bottom.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4SPXz1GvZ-qFpgmMow14MW9JWOXaH98dreg0eWdjt_0NzgFsHe-O-rNG-sHVjJqbWPFd27UBzplpxXzQ8rA0NBSnU-P_COjFvlcxJvY2RZeU16Ntpeo_VJ9hm92FIlGiCti6Qo1SuDrY/s1600/annie+gets+water.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4SPXz1GvZ-qFpgmMow14MW9JWOXaH98dreg0eWdjt_0NzgFsHe-O-rNG-sHVjJqbWPFd27UBzplpxXzQ8rA0NBSnU-P_COjFvlcxJvY2RZeU16Ntpeo_VJ9hm92FIlGiCti6Qo1SuDrY/s400/annie+gets+water.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I
also add chlorine to the water I use for washing dishes and rinsing fruit and
vegetables. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglV22eiT7SyGN929_VopYGoh0sBi1-x0AsTngiTqgx-Yiv75vMaoZo9uk34SO_lxwF2lFOgfOlL4MFkE8uqBub95wYmyv7re-rOO9UShJoOacjW8w8diX9I6eJHA3KnG3jJGA0YrUxGDI/s1600/canari.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglV22eiT7SyGN929_VopYGoh0sBi1-x0AsTngiTqgx-Yiv75vMaoZo9uk34SO_lxwF2lFOgfOlL4MFkE8uqBub95wYmyv7re-rOO9UShJoOacjW8w8diX9I6eJHA3KnG3jJGA0YrUxGDI/s400/canari.jpg" width="285" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Finally, here is a canari, a big ceramic jug which you can fill with water. Because the ceramic is a bit porous, the
water seeps out very slow, evaporating and cooling the water inside. Local people usually have a canari somewhere
in their house or court and, when a person arrives to visit, it is customary to
offer the new comer a cup of water. I do not drink the water from my canari, but
I do put a Nalgene bottle of Kool-Aid lemonade into the canari so that it gets
cooled. 70 degrees may not seem like a
cool drink to you, but when the temperature is 100+, it is quite refreshing.</span></div>Jan Larsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01071152180888508161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8062165966315139675.post-25150283753736788232012-06-01T04:08:00.000-07:002012-06-02T01:53:08.373-07:00Weather and Rain<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Weather Now</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">As
I may have told you, Burkinabè say they have two seasons, the dry season and
the rainy season. I would say they
really have three, because in the dry season there are the cool months and the
very hot months. The rainy season ends
in early October and the weather stays pretty warm until the middle or end of
November. During December January and
February, it is still hot during the day, up to 85 or 90 most days, but it gets
cool in the evening and I want to wear a sweater in the morning. It is often 65
in the morning, and sometimes even down close to 60. For me, that is pretty cold, although I know
some of you keep your houses that temperature during the winter. For folks who
live here anything under 80 degrees is cold. When I find the temperature
"refreshing" the folks here are wearing heavy winter jackets and
stocking hats. The babies are bundled up
in sweaters and knit caps, like this:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_aCrbewV-dMxsTdDU7_YXp2CLKNQ8y0luzQs4CfuV-3Q2yR52A2y2dKF1lw7OmHiq-hFRI7QsubESuzfXLZ6leGt8a3xTP7Fpwn7YL1kj0sW47cryRCCJ8MCl3n7WSMhkmOEj5yiGMbA/s1600/baby+in+cap+and+sweater.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_aCrbewV-dMxsTdDU7_YXp2CLKNQ8y0luzQs4CfuV-3Q2yR52A2y2dKF1lw7OmHiq-hFRI7QsubESuzfXLZ6leGt8a3xTP7Fpwn7YL1kj0sW47cryRCCJ8MCl3n7WSMhkmOEj5yiGMbA/s320/baby+in+cap+and+sweater.jpg" width="285" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Then
they are wrapped snugly in a blanket. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ddE3c0DImh1QAn_MqpbvmfoVrh6fDAxbo-uu9W9qEwsd5EqdyIYBd8u_Z1twxylFxKTalaZreUntrU9mMn78L0Gt3SKnp4v_pTEeAwcSr7gj1iYt4MRcmBG00wSBqmp5L9yG_oPKhrc/s1600/baby+wrapped+up.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ddE3c0DImh1QAn_MqpbvmfoVrh6fDAxbo-uu9W9qEwsd5EqdyIYBd8u_Z1twxylFxKTalaZreUntrU9mMn78L0Gt3SKnp4v_pTEeAwcSr7gj1iYt4MRcmBG00wSBqmp5L9yG_oPKhrc/s1600/baby+wrapped+up.jpg" width="285" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">In
March it gets really hot and stays hot until the rains begin. Just as we complain about the cold and snow
in Cleveland, folks here complain about how hot it is. Instead of being bundled
up in knit sweaters and hats, babies and young children often wear no clothes
at all. People who have a walled courtyard sleep outside because the house,
built of mud brick, holds the heat once it gets heated up during the day. They may sleep on a sleeping mat, like this
one another volunteer is sitting on, which is just a thin mat of woven plastic. If they have one, they may throw a mattress
on top of it.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxPqF2milBYmFJZRO4ahHchhQ2zio0BL6oc3Fv5T5cdNH4FHhvd-Wjxzu3QpWVdd5WPQkSM_VKfvkTbshMgNMZRJuL492CeN8_sSiHAkxE5YW3sHxxpcMtcToYVvvKPtMqNl3VH0H_7OI/s1600/Jess+on+mat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxPqF2milBYmFJZRO4ahHchhQ2zio0BL6oc3Fv5T5cdNH4FHhvd-Wjxzu3QpWVdd5WPQkSM_VKfvkTbshMgNMZRJuL492CeN8_sSiHAkxE5YW3sHxxpcMtcToYVvvKPtMqNl3VH0H_7OI/s400/Jess+on+mat.jpg" width="285" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Even
after the rains begin it can be pretty hot on days when it does not rain. When
I say it is hot I mean it is at least 95, and often 100 or more. When it is the hot season, 80 feels very
refreshing and people may but on a jacket to keep warm. It is all a matter of your body's thermostat
getting readjusted.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Keeping cool when it is hot</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">When
it is hot, life goes on. People complain
about the heat, but people continue with their regular routine, and school
continues. Those of you who know me well may think I am totally happy to be
warm at last, but during the hot season it is actually hotter than I like to
be. I have come to appreciate evaporation!
I have a heavy cotton shirt Dawn brought me at Christmas, and in the hot
dry season it has been my "village air conditioning system." I keep a bucket of water handy to dip it
in. Because the air is so dry, the water
evaporates fairly well and the result is cooling. There were even times when I had to take it
off because I was getting cold. During the rainy season evaporation does not
happen so fast, but if I wave a shirt around before I put it on, or when I wear
a wet shirt while riding my bicycle, I can get cooled off. When it is hot at night I use the same
principle, but with a piece of fabric that I get wet and use kind of like a
sheet. I try to keep it just on me so the
bed does not get too wet, and it really makes a difference. I wake up several times a night and have to
dip it in the water again to get cool enough to go back to sleep.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">RAIN!!!</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">In
April it usually rains once or twice, although these rains may not be very
heavy. They are referred to as the mango
rains because that is the time of year the first variety of mangos gets ripe. Around May 15 people expect the rainy season
to begin. This year there was a very
heavy rain early in May, followed by another day with a steady drizzle. It was
great because that was enough moisture to get the weeds growing again. Because
the rains were so light and irregular last year, people cut most fodder and put
it up out of reach, to make it last until
the rains began. After that heavy rain there was finally something fresh
for the animals of eat when they were put out to graze. Here is what the
sprouting weeds look like, with a few sheep enjoying some fresh greens.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Superstitious
behavior</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Since
then there has been only one good rain.
We see a lot of lightening, and even hear thunder to the north or to the
south, but the big rains seem to miss us. When we have had rain, there have
been just short bursts of rain, or sprinkles. I find it interesting that, when
it looks like rain, my mental processes turn to superstitious kinds of thoughts
like, "If I don't expect it will really rain, maybe it will." Or
"Last time it looked like rain I started thinking of the song, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">It's Gonna Rain, Children. </i>We did not
get rain that time so I had better think of a different song or it may not rain
again." (As some of you know, my life is a song cue. Songs related to things going on in my life
just pop into my head.) I know perfectly well that what I think or do will have
absolutely NO effect on the weather, but I can't help having thoughts like
that. It makes it easier to understand how superstitious beliefs are created
when you observe them in yourself.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">A
funny thing to me is that the weather here comes from the EAST, and not from
the west, like it does most of the time in Ohio. I look out my window in the direction the
storm will come from when it does come, and I have to remind myself that I am
looking to the east and not the west.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">When It Rains,
It Blows!!!</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">When
there is about to be a big rain storm, the first thing you notice is that the
wind starts to blow, a bit a first, but eventually very hard. Because there is virtually no ground cover
here the wind picks up lots of dust.
There is no glass in any of the windows here in the village so even if
you close the shutters, as you do to keep the rain from blowing in too much, the
dust still gets through. Usually, but
not always, rain follows the blowing dust.
It usually rains quite hard for a a while. Then it may slow down, and even stop. After
that, it may rain off and on for hours, or it may all be over. Right now people are all hoping there will be
a couple more soaking rains, and then rain every 3 or 4 days until
September. Last year the rain did not
start until June 15 and there were several times when there was a two week gap
between the rains. That is the reason the harvest was so bad last year. Try sending some of that Ohio rain over here
to west Africa!!!</span></div>
<span id="goog_1513308483"></span><span id="goog_1513308484"></span>Jan Larsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01071152180888508161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8062165966315139675.post-29971786607273167242012-05-26T10:58:00.000-07:002012-05-26T10:58:51.755-07:00Men as Partners<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I
spent four days last week at a conference called "Men as Partners." I
will begin with a bit of sad news—my camera was stolen just before I left for
the conference. The good news is that my
friend Daniel took lots of pictures and let me copy them onto my computer, so I
will be able to show you a bit about what it was like. Here is a picture of me
with Daniel. He was born in Haiti so he grew up speaking French and Creole. He moved to the USA when he was 30 and is now
an American citizen, as you have to be to be a Peace Corps volunteer. He has a
real advantage here because he is working in his native language when he speaks
French.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXAG2y7XSk7x5R3YYYhI5QajpXKyMuujzpBKPM9gyNOcFr4TkkILwhVHZgpDRVtq6fYh1jy3XUBHvQXr3CAdE-QBtwbTIRCFKYUv_f4Hg2067bZLAALH0lEZZnZqW7cEiy0XOjAgyuoZk/s1600/Daniel+and+me.jpg"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXAG2y7XSk7x5R3YYYhI5QajpXKyMuujzpBKPM9gyNOcFr4TkkILwhVHZgpDRVtq6fYh1jy3XUBHvQXr3CAdE-QBtwbTIRCFKYUv_f4Hg2067bZLAALH0lEZZnZqW7cEiy0XOjAgyuoZk/s320/Daniel+and+me.jpg" width="286" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">This
conference was attended by Peace Corps volunteers and one or two men from each
of their villages. The men had to be
people the volunteers thought were motivated to work for gender equality. It was really a training of trainers, because
the attendees are expect to go back to their homes and use the techniques and
information they learned here to work for gender equality.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Even
though women have equal rights according to the Burkina Faso constitution, at
the village level the life of a woman is not easy. It is traditionally the responsibility of the
women and girls of the family to get water for drinking, cooking, bathing, and
washing clothes, to keep the house and courtyard clean, to cut or find the wood
for cooking, to cook the meals, to wash the clothes, and so on. Wives do the shopping for food with whatever
allowance their husbands give them. When it comes time to eat, men are served
first. After the men have had their
fill, the older boys eat, and after that the women and children eat what is
left. Men do whatever work they do outside the home, but at home they expect to
relax and be waited on. When guests
arrive, the women get chairs for them and bring them a cup of water while the
man of the house chats with the guests.
Women are always the first up in the morning and the last to go to bed
at night.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">This
conference was rather typical of training sessions in Peace Corps. There is a plan for each day, with two 2-hour
blocks in the morning, separated by a 30 minute coffee break, lunch, and two
afternoon sessions of an hour and a half, with a 15 minute coffee break. The
first day was devoted to the topic of gender, the second to violence, the third
to health, specifically HIV/AIDS and family planning, and the fourth to
engagement. The first day was devoted to separating sex, as a biological fact,
from gender roles, which are assigned by society. People thought about what
they liked about being a man or a woman and how things would be different if
they were of the opposite sex. Different forms of violence were discussed,
including physical, psychological and sexual violence. The attendees were well informed about family
planning and sexually transmitted diseases. On the final day, for engagement,
groups went to 10 different locations in the city and talked to 10 different
groups of people about one of the topics we had covered. This gave each man a
chance to practice leading or helping to lead a training session on a topic he
had just worked on at the conference. Later each community filled out a action
plan, explaining one activity they would do when they returned to their homes.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Here
is a picture of the room in which the conference was held. You can pick me out by my white hair.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQO6qqHeKJJdficNAgeIhtxqKTfEapSJOAuFS1ZPdRJohFOwr0e33a-uL-NWKiRqwAxElsrvOqW5GRUkH7Y4iFHMHxFLjbKFzG5tp4oiacT7mKmV6HoFFTW_S7iSiQsebpUxvcreZvHBo/s1600/Conference+room.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQO6qqHeKJJdficNAgeIhtxqKTfEapSJOAuFS1ZPdRJohFOwr0e33a-uL-NWKiRqwAxElsrvOqW5GRUkH7Y4iFHMHxFLjbKFzG5tp4oiacT7mKmV6HoFFTW_S7iSiQsebpUxvcreZvHBo/s400/Conference+room.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The
training was intended to show many different ways to convey information, other
than the lecture method that is so common here. They usually have some kind of
audience participation. Sometimes they
ask questions to draw the ideas they want to discuss from the audience. Another
frequent tactic is to divide the attendees into small groups with each group
discussing a question and writing ideas on "flip chart" paper. Here are some folks engaged in discussion and
recording ideas on a flip.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3umlVB9UU1ic42YOemmeD7jEJRGe2IRghoTWxP-GX3KwQeGWI_GgJd6fmxt5rjUWV_ydawMyzAMjl0y3AInqzVeHuwGdMFmkQ63aMyB7t0Ua7e3hLh-vlutOaaBl2JQPyM5YNxH_67eA/s1600/group+work.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3umlVB9UU1ic42YOemmeD7jEJRGe2IRghoTWxP-GX3KwQeGWI_GgJd6fmxt5rjUWV_ydawMyzAMjl0y3AInqzVeHuwGdMFmkQ63aMyB7t0Ua7e3hLh-vlutOaaBl2JQPyM5YNxH_67eA/s400/group+work.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">This
is what the room looks like after a number of groups have presented the flips
they wrote out during their discussions.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-DLVxnBE7FcHUXiK3ZK8ku9x5bYS-HUdMRs51gjXShRo4hl_bRLrKIKvKsS1xM3WE3JXKU0du3YRMaZulTm6gKjs3reotOG2rElhEnORWlpP1CHkYy9JkkU4ryNSwF2jXVGVakpyCL14/s1600/Presenting+group+ideas.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-DLVxnBE7FcHUXiK3ZK8ku9x5bYS-HUdMRs51gjXShRo4hl_bRLrKIKvKsS1xM3WE3JXKU0du3YRMaZulTm6gKjs3reotOG2rElhEnORWlpP1CHkYy9JkkU4ryNSwF2jXVGVakpyCL14/s400/Presenting+group+ideas.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Another
activity is called "vote with your feet." One area is designated TRUE
and another area is designated FALSE. The group leader reads a statement and
you walk to the area that represents your opinion. Here are the people who
thought a statement was false.</span> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjFXpX23ohtz3vvFy1bQhe8PVkVPslNPzOTiw04asgGDZkI0Cv8b50LIUoXBZVjQUyP2AfRMT5Ny78GcoDrcu501r5aoEKoJ3xJ2aYWtyUfv_j719FENvUzxnqbvcx8OixVivzj9regpY/s1600/vote+with+your+feet+2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjFXpX23ohtz3vvFy1bQhe8PVkVPslNPzOTiw04asgGDZkI0Cv8b50LIUoXBZVjQUyP2AfRMT5Ny78GcoDrcu501r5aoEKoJ3xJ2aYWtyUfv_j719FENvUzxnqbvcx8OixVivzj9regpY/s400/vote+with+your+feet+2.jpg" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPCopVlkLdOzF0cEQHbyyOgxKmT8xLmYdqkIDqaAMifHPaugBce8JP0yhU3p66jtOL77PnSx4BMzx7XqQymBIYd88iSGCjlF31ZDQqlBFedpaA_1AG18Tss9VUcWlFEV7CYpUDBej1NnM/s1600/rape+victim+demo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> And
here are the folks who thought it was true, with one of the folks explaining
why. Because most of the folks who came to the conference were already pretty
well educated about the issues most of the differences came over interpreting
exactly what was meant by a statement.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjFXpX23ohtz3vvFy1bQhe8PVkVPslNPzOTiw04asgGDZkI0Cv8b50LIUoXBZVjQUyP2AfRMT5Ny78GcoDrcu501r5aoEKoJ3xJ2aYWtyUfv_j719FENvUzxnqbvcx8OixVivzj9regpY/s1600/vote+with+your+feet+2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqKm9XvNd8WNtT7tlWYYFXyM2yD_s9WA-MZ0f0ydiYs7ZXATqVN_IIqGWpy8Pp38b3ijzlCBreeL8j_Qzj1h8Zha9v6FKr2v8MgGK3DMOiYE4U5_EuPIlckXkr5hoMeZFVFwsB352O0zg/s1600/vote+with+your+feet.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqKm9XvNd8WNtT7tlWYYFXyM2yD_s9WA-MZ0f0ydiYs7ZXATqVN_IIqGWpy8Pp38b3ijzlCBreeL8j_Qzj1h8Zha9v6FKr2v8MgGK3DMOiYE4U5_EuPIlckXkr5hoMeZFVFwsB352O0zg/s400/vote+with+your+feet.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">To
show what can happen to a girl who tells a teacher about being raped, we all
stood in a big circle, with the "victim" in the center and a number
of people holding signs indicating their role or relationship with the girl. She was handed the end of a string that was
then passed around to each of the people she was taken to see. Each time she saw a new person who asked her
to explain what happened, she was given a sheet with "tell your
story" written on it. By the end of the story there was quite a tangle of
string, the girl had eight papers saying "tell your story" and she had
not yet been taken to anyone who could give her emotional support or
counseling. It really made the point that the victim continues to be
traumatized by such treatment and we discussed alternative ways to help in such
a situation.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPCopVlkLdOzF0cEQHbyyOgxKmT8xLmYdqkIDqaAMifHPaugBce8JP0yhU3p66jtOL77PnSx4BMzx7XqQymBIYd88iSGCjlF31ZDQqlBFedpaA_1AG18Tss9VUcWlFEV7CYpUDBej1NnM/s1600/rape+victim+demo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPCopVlkLdOzF0cEQHbyyOgxKmT8xLmYdqkIDqaAMifHPaugBce8JP0yhU3p66jtOL77PnSx4BMzx7XqQymBIYd88iSGCjlF31ZDQqlBFedpaA_1AG18Tss9VUcWlFEV7CYpUDBej1NnM/s400/rape+victim+demo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Another
activity that Burkinabè really enjoy is improvisational theater. Groups are given the outline of a skit. People select parts, plan generally how the
skit will go, and have a lot of fun. Here is one skit involving a pregnant
girl, who is being played by the man in the yellow shirt. People often take parts of the opposite sex,
which is another way to make people think about gender roles.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwLmKwg5F3WPCf-kjDFpkYh8gj5WdEbWKmahastcIFJZaaLgCcsoEyANKq2yE9hPq-hkKcFtAtFxaclP9D0RymWma1RxXnvHtsQ4AdDT1CxAE78hyphenhyphen_5iBqD2ApfAvAAsUgjk_57RbeS0Y/s1600/skit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwLmKwg5F3WPCf-kjDFpkYh8gj5WdEbWKmahastcIFJZaaLgCcsoEyANKq2yE9hPq-hkKcFtAtFxaclP9D0RymWma1RxXnvHtsQ4AdDT1CxAE78hyphenhyphen_5iBqD2ApfAvAAsUgjk_57RbeS0Y/s400/skit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">All
of us like to eat, and here is lunch. I
am sitting with my homologue for the conference, the man who is the program
director for the radio station in my town.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAK-E7TYCitXLbyBvf-5myO03A8K2xv_qA-tjf5cl6iA1lPhTNMZmy8aSQ47VumwopvwTomwNE0ZaDW9FggGhmVHGy-DExMQGkay2-OuUpT2vOKtpHhbbZMdVF7uzx-s6OG0fs-_R4I5Q/s1600/lunch.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAK-E7TYCitXLbyBvf-5myO03A8K2xv_qA-tjf5cl6iA1lPhTNMZmy8aSQ47VumwopvwTomwNE0ZaDW9FggGhmVHGy-DExMQGkay2-OuUpT2vOKtpHhbbZMdVF7uzx-s6OG0fs-_R4I5Q/s400/lunch.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">At
the end of any Burkinabè conference there are speeches and certificates. Here is one being presented. Notice all the people taking pictures! A
certificate is a big deal, especially since each one was signed and stamped by
the directrice of the Peace Corps Burkina. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFYYWta1R3tbZfZdcTPZPcw5LkTZvcUHOGsas_zaz8svZOxJ3_1OH19NTqMkqtoXxtxMmVylezDTZTmmjdkOHfPCOLt2CjlLMCiKeYrrrGyU5ys_VOjisYbwlneeu_4zdEA0on2XO6F9Q/s1600/certificate+presentation.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFYYWta1R3tbZfZdcTPZPcw5LkTZvcUHOGsas_zaz8svZOxJ3_1OH19NTqMkqtoXxtxMmVylezDTZTmmjdkOHfPCOLt2CjlLMCiKeYrrrGyU5ys_VOjisYbwlneeu_4zdEA0on2XO6F9Q/s400/certificate+presentation.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">And
the obligatory group photo, referred to by some as the family picture. After four days people do begin to feel a bit
like a family.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd9CAZ19GT_tIfGHtq7OmfQKZlpWz6uZNYu5Y2zTy2cBVrpHKr-Q3IKquRuBw-lkGQEIgOidNZp8KYgJ-2LeYYG2z23v_txthEsbodQhN7zTw85lVdtj0ZfCumeMNJDGf7naR81DPTvos/s1600/group+photo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd9CAZ19GT_tIfGHtq7OmfQKZlpWz6uZNYu5Y2zTy2cBVrpHKr-Q3IKquRuBw-lkGQEIgOidNZp8KYgJ-2LeYYG2z23v_txthEsbodQhN7zTw85lVdtj0ZfCumeMNJDGf7naR81DPTvos/s400/group+photo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Jan Larsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01071152180888508161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8062165966315139675.post-79452224642025657592012-05-19T03:06:00.000-07:002012-05-19T03:06:20.650-07:00Pump Reapir Project<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">One of my
projects here was with a women's gardening group. They had a very nice garden
that must have been built with the help of some grant years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was surrounded by a very good fence, and
there were little cement cannels to carry the water to all the plots, but the
pump had not worked for several years. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This picture shows the arrangement and maybe
you can see the fence in the background.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The fence is very important.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If
you don't have one, animals roaming free will eat your plants as soon as they
sprout. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-bcwY40Sd0oh0JYCKgdXTftWCDCiDqb9zsqZwDw0AXhC4oCQmsVQvGwff5BoFprsIh8bs_wTSq96mhUtQmCw2a1v7LLqOibOt5PrQpjzK4AU3m7j-Jtwm9vgLljVHCi7vIm3vUnvnXXg/s1600/garden+without+water.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-bcwY40Sd0oh0JYCKgdXTftWCDCiDqb9zsqZwDw0AXhC4oCQmsVQvGwff5BoFprsIh8bs_wTSq96mhUtQmCw2a1v7LLqOibOt5PrQpjzK4AU3m7j-Jtwm9vgLljVHCi7vIm3vUnvnXXg/s400/garden+without+water.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">USAID
has funds to be used to help communities with water and sanitation projects.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These funds are only available to communities
through a Peace Corps volunteer. Peace Corps puts the money in the volunteer's
account and the volunteer is responsible for seeing that the funds are used for
the project and not "boofed," that is, used for other things. There
are several requirements for this kind of project.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One thing is that the community must make
contributions of cash and/or labor and materials that have a value of at least
25% of the total cost of the project. The reason for this is that, if there is
not community investment, people tend to see the project as the responsibility
of the group giving the money and tend not to accept responsibility for upkeep
and repair. A second requirement is that there must be some training involved,
so that people learn something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
third thing is that there must be a plan in place to sustain the project after
the repair is done. I helped the group write a grant request which was approved.
It did take a while to collect the community's share of cash to pay for the
pump parts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally the pump repairman was
able to do the work, with a bit of help from the children of the community. This
chain is the thing the pump handle pulls up and down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It attached to the mechanism that lifts the
water.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBEUPLv4d2jCSiRl3k_puqVLS6P2utx_wumldk_j5tnvmYHX_eyf82y6T02xu8Qm9BWMIaZVSxUTIiLdt6Y3pcCs3GCrqVsLQ0LpSBrtrJAa3MiRkgSLt_GzVpp7akJ324xM3n3SZ-psQ/s1600/mounting+chain.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBEUPLv4d2jCSiRl3k_puqVLS6P2utx_wumldk_j5tnvmYHX_eyf82y6T02xu8Qm9BWMIaZVSxUTIiLdt6Y3pcCs3GCrqVsLQ0LpSBrtrJAa3MiRkgSLt_GzVpp7akJ324xM3n3SZ-psQ/s400/mounting+chain.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Here it
is, after being installed in the pump. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpp8TlFwFZmXPToxKkhma8ke7wWSF-Rku1OFavcM3OgjH60PbxcHx5Np2HZvY8QRtGZN53OoqmZDS14YOdzmQpRT_2qcmy0KMrhVlUwL2Yt9QMLS4nonIwD3UH_3lQNkG3fYZrIywq0Us/s1600/Chain+mounted+in+pump.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpp8TlFwFZmXPToxKkhma8ke7wWSF-Rku1OFavcM3OgjH60PbxcHx5Np2HZvY8QRtGZN53OoqmZDS14YOdzmQpRT_2qcmy0KMrhVlUwL2Yt9QMLS4nonIwD3UH_3lQNkG3fYZrIywq0Us/s400/Chain+mounted+in+pump.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Finally,
the women were able to pump clean water for drinking and gardening.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBPrSm_rmS68Dhzh3zI3v2chJuVaNaLJFyenQfVnUP4rVcL8CeerkZFP-xBE2gz3uYIGdo2Fww_g8PZejQ8mdCO7IpAjfQ3enaF2ISnKnq6X19KFv0PbAZrebLTcqXou5qv3-OBV664pY/s1600/woman+at+the+pump.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBPrSm_rmS68Dhzh3zI3v2chJuVaNaLJFyenQfVnUP4rVcL8CeerkZFP-xBE2gz3uYIGdo2Fww_g8PZejQ8mdCO7IpAjfQ3enaF2ISnKnq6X19KFv0PbAZrebLTcqXou5qv3-OBV664pY/s400/woman+at+the+pump.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">After there was water, the women started to grow things in the garden </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWf6rdfqgEaRlGrQHSkJnJ5ZAk5Ul2G4FK-HvnlF2sIeU3-BfoZM3q02smb8Q87xhxxr5hDtUBvyWMB2szjt1vsPoHaUdURo3nZVbyg1DIb-eBQfGEUbKTgub6wcfzwsah7vV71w9hmkg/s1600/pump+and+gardening.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWf6rdfqgEaRlGrQHSkJnJ5ZAk5Ul2G4FK-HvnlF2sIeU3-BfoZM3q02smb8Q87xhxxr5hDtUBvyWMB2szjt1vsPoHaUdURo3nZVbyg1DIb-eBQfGEUbKTgub6wcfzwsah7vV71w9hmkg/s400/pump+and+gardening.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Here is
an example of one of the plots in which a woman is raising beans. It is a little easier to see the fence here.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbvU3Kft4FxYcvQ696INRt8ItbF14M3J15bc_fUHC62-T9B78-uMR-Kjlu1EVUWLR9Q6NbEbC8h0iinQ6uZmCkCwkRPUZmd-xoMpF65RAQqTeyb7VmgpTKOGvMnA8R8-GZh4zoCQHdXKI/s1600/plants+growing.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbvU3Kft4FxYcvQ696INRt8ItbF14M3J15bc_fUHC62-T9B78-uMR-Kjlu1EVUWLR9Q6NbEbC8h0iinQ6uZmCkCwkRPUZmd-xoMpF65RAQqTeyb7VmgpTKOGvMnA8R8-GZh4zoCQHdXKI/s400/plants+growing.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">There
are the leaves of the bean plant that people use for sauces..</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfwqArnujhbV42ZnZY8O3YDefhbuu5HhQXwt-RqopRAL1ayyGqNzQWGy2ydxwmiRqeGfc4bw_rjuIDg3FhgeqR28-kZa9YyQRx7IOAcG5QElMLhyCY2ukiOojSGC85zrKDSSVo9UDJTrs/s1600/woman+with+bean+leaves.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfwqArnujhbV42ZnZY8O3YDefhbuu5HhQXwt-RqopRAL1ayyGqNzQWGy2ydxwmiRqeGfc4bw_rjuIDg3FhgeqR28-kZa9YyQRx7IOAcG5QElMLhyCY2ukiOojSGC85zrKDSSVo9UDJTrs/s400/woman+with+bean+leaves.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8p3aPueYPWys-zyUdBBD19QM5dUyeTPeH6NIchJEbLf7-f6QcXOUHynl_G3ohyphenhyphen0MHfoLpKchVLfl6H8mCGaDQdUtM05HZL5Qug44VfjUiPkhVQr4wT7D8iFVpQD7rZWEw-0yG2UOynB8/s1600/gathering+the+women.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">One of
the men from the community, actually the village chief you saw in the pictures
of Women's Day, volunteered his services to do training as a part of the
community contribution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After some
scheduling problems, we finally had a training session for the women of the gardening
group. To give you an idea about the cultural difference that I have trouble
dealing with, I will tell you a bit about scheduling this meeting and how it
finally went. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">First of
all, the man who was to do the training does not speak French very well, and
had trouble understanding my French.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
asked my friend, Nadine, who is an English teacher at the Lycée and who also
speaks Moore, to act as an interpreter for me when dealing with him. Every time
she talked to him he said he would call her back with a date, but, over a
period of two months, that did not happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Many times he did not answer his cell phone, or his wife answered and
said he was not at home. We have a time limit in which to file a report about
our projects and mine was fast approaching.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The directorice of Peace Corps visited my site a couple of weeks before
Easter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the people I introduced
her to was this gentleman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She helped me
by saying again how important it was to get this training finished before May 1
and he promised to do it after Easter, at least by the 15<sup>th</sup> of April.
Unfortunately, the Chief of the whole region died just after Easter and there
were obligations for the sub-chiefs, like this man, related to this death. I
was beginning to think I would have to find a substitute for him. I asked
Nadine to see if the women would suggest a couple of days when we could arrange
this. The last Tuesday in April Nadine told me that the woman in charge of the
gardening group said they thought there might be a meeting on Thursday, but not
to tell me because it might not happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thank
goodness she gave me that warning!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">I heard
nothing until Thursday morning at 7:00 when she called to tell me they had just
informed her that the meeting would be that day at 9:00. They also suggested
that I come at 9:30 because that was the "African" meeting time, that
is to say, it would not really start until somewhat later than announced. I
hoped to talk with her a bit before the meeting so I arrived at 9:00, and, of
course, no one was at the meeting site.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I went to her home and chatted with her husband while she took a bucket bath
and got dressed. Finally, about 9:40 we left her house and started to collect
the women from the dolo (homemade African beer) stands. Some of us went to the
garden and sat near the "office" building of the group that is in the
fenced in area of the garden.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8p3aPueYPWys-zyUdBBD19QM5dUyeTPeH6NIchJEbLf7-f6QcXOUHynl_G3ohyphenhyphen0MHfoLpKchVLfl6H8mCGaDQdUtM05HZL5Qug44VfjUiPkhVQr4wT7D8iFVpQD7rZWEw-0yG2UOynB8/s1600/gathering+the+women.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8p3aPueYPWys-zyUdBBD19QM5dUyeTPeH6NIchJEbLf7-f6QcXOUHynl_G3ohyphenhyphen0MHfoLpKchVLfl6H8mCGaDQdUtM05HZL5Qug44VfjUiPkhVQr4wT7D8iFVpQD7rZWEw-0yG2UOynB8/s400/gathering+the+women.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">There
was some discussion of the fact that the shade in this place was not very good,
but women continued to collect here, some carrying benches for the folks to sit
on. At 10:00 the woman in charge asked me if it was time to start.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I told her I was not the one doing the
training and we needed the man who would explain about care of the pump, who
was not there yet. She said she did not have his phone number, so she used my
phone to call him and let him know we were waiting for him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>About 10:15 he rolled in on his moto.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After one look at where the women were
gathered, he said we needed to move to better shade, so the women picked up the
benches and carried them down to the other end of the garden.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVrmVJOnx-xQcl-ncPKe4XbJDNGXoPR41oQpLycLQS0He8fKDxkyVxu9M0qsuUJ_kwRwLZvLq8-oFEryI4jPh8jC0e0CJsKj3YQiLD0QDaQqcEZHFROeKGprizwW8aKfJl4SaDiKj2hMA/s1600/moving+to+shade.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVrmVJOnx-xQcl-ncPKe4XbJDNGXoPR41oQpLycLQS0He8fKDxkyVxu9M0qsuUJ_kwRwLZvLq8-oFEryI4jPh8jC0e0CJsKj3YQiLD0QDaQqcEZHFROeKGprizwW8aKfJl4SaDiKj2hMA/s400/moving+to+shade.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Finally
we were all seated and the meeting began.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This picture shows only some of the women, and the man who did the
training. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4kuCMjPugCqTqk4rGOyNCv34OlZLc2jWweX5QpIk5rA4PIh10JX_WmzFwn8VfI4uASwRuF8H-8XBU8ufGMS_EeizO9DykK6ya0c1WsD5aH7s6gxh084uQdkARgWbW-LhBQ7K7PZy2I2w/s1600/training+session.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4kuCMjPugCqTqk4rGOyNCv34OlZLc2jWweX5QpIk5rA4PIh10JX_WmzFwn8VfI4uASwRuF8H-8XBU8ufGMS_EeizO9DykK6ya0c1WsD5aH7s6gxh084uQdkARgWbW-LhBQ7K7PZy2I2w/s400/training+session.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The
plan in the grant application said that the community would open an account at
the local savings association and to put into it money from the gardening
project and from people getting water from the pump.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That way, they will have money to repair the
pump the next time it needs attention. Pumps are mechanical things and are sure
to break down at some point. Sustainability is what we try to promote in our
work. If they follow through on this plan, this project will be sustainable
with these community contributions. As part of this meeting the group selected,
by acclimation, four of the younger women to be a management committee They
will be responsible for seeing that the pump is used as they had been trained
to do in this session, and to collect money from those who use the pump to have
a fund to make repairs in the future. Here is one concrete thing I was able to
help people do during my time here.</span></div>Jan Larsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01071152180888508161noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8062165966315139675.post-1221025553160233692012-05-13T08:44:00.002-07:002012-06-20T09:51:25.027-07:00Culture and Sports for School Children<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Last
week was the culminating activity for the school year for the children in the
primary schools here in my town. The soccer
teams of the various primary schools had been playing against each other in a
tournament for several months and on Saturday the finalist played for the
championship. On the Thursday before
that, however, there were competitions among the schools who wanted to
participate in a celebration of Burkinabè culture. There were five categories,
"playback" (AKA Karaoke), theater, storytelling, traditional dance
and modern dance. Not all schools in the
area chose to compete and some competed in only one or two events. Never the less, there were 24 presentations. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The
event was scheduled to start at 2:00 in the afternoon. I should have known better than to show up at
the scheduled time, but I can't get over my American need to be on time. I arrived to find a lot of children standing
in the shade outside the courtyard of the Mayor's office, where the event was
to take place, but there were only three adults in the courtyard. They knew who I was and laughed, saying that the program would start on African time, that is, later. About 2:30
the kids were admitted to the courtyard, where they tried to find shade to wait
in. A water barrel was brought in and a
couple of kids were assigned to spread water on the concrete performance
area. I am still not sure whether the
idea was to clean it off or to cool it off.
It must have been really hot from the sun beating down on it. Here is one of the kids spreading water.</span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-E5wHd5ABzjZEQMyBTK-ho6aPWv74uDZelqsPFR1JaYFfMTGZCjRjqSudPBFzbtvLfq_hdSHEFYsE7Ys9HUyCSkz_Yy0IcI7iFVtc74Tif_sHlgG_XiV6qgm6CoT5I-Ywi8H-AAtwnLM/s1600/washing+the+stage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-E5wHd5ABzjZEQMyBTK-ho6aPWv74uDZelqsPFR1JaYFfMTGZCjRjqSudPBFzbtvLfq_hdSHEFYsE7Ys9HUyCSkz_Yy0IcI7iFVtc74Tif_sHlgG_XiV6qgm6CoT5I-Ywi8H-AAtwnLM/s400/washing+the+stage.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">As
an invited guest, I had the privilege of sitting in a chair in the shade of the
only tree in the courtyard. I felt sorry
for all those kids standing in the sun for hours. The teachers running the show
were clearly ready to start by 3:00, but still we waited. It was not until
4:00, two hours after the announced time for the presentations, that the
"important" people showed up and things could get underway. This is
the same thing that happened at the Women's Day celebration I wrote about
before. I really have trouble getting used to it, and I don't know how these
folks decide how late to be. They know
they are not expected to be on time, but there must be some rule of thumb
telling them when they really should arrive.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The program began with the "Playback" category. One
of the playback/karaoke signers did a song by the Burkinabè artist, Floby, who
sang at the Peace Corps 50<sup>th</sup> Anniversary celebration. The young man is one of the polio victims in
town. He is unable to walk, so he did his impression of Floby sitting on his
feet and received an enthusiastic round of applause.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggqKXpwzKTtkAWDAjBFXJw5SucXIa5chgc_9ZRlSEglsUP5LBoPTzXt0yRudIRiLG5r4jnmU_AQVnDXsmFsW7vw2ShQFVgck7utzyuYlSHyQsselZq0R-GLKMdgiSAwFo-VycDEsy2UBE/s1600/Floby+playback.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggqKXpwzKTtkAWDAjBFXJw5SucXIa5chgc_9ZRlSEglsUP5LBoPTzXt0yRudIRiLG5r4jnmU_AQVnDXsmFsW7vw2ShQFVgck7utzyuYlSHyQsselZq0R-GLKMdgiSAwFo-VycDEsy2UBE/s400/Floby+playback.jpg" width="400" /></a></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The
stories the kids told the the story competition were generally ones well know
to the crowd, sometimes taken from the readers they all used in their classes.
The theater presentations were all original, written and planned by the
teachers and/or the students themselves.
I was a bit surprised by a couple of the themes. In one of them, one of the characters was
giving bad information about how you get HIV and the other characters corrected
him. In the second one, a father refused to send his daughters to school. One of them went off to Ouaga and later in
the play she came home pregnant (with much laughter as the girl came on stage,
with a pagne stuffed up under her dress), and finally the man relented, much to
the joy of the younger daughter. Here
are the mother and father, with the younger daughter in the background.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxxEN4Caw9VQXh9BSmMBMBPIchsUCJPB0a2jv1Tr8xR-1mAEetnyXlpljhBH2Zz3EB3BoyIeJPwEltlXBEXp2fjZmFuGnwD5d5ht96XFEXChoLAKtDpJilEZhxps1Mw4xDH142Z3Uv19Q/s1600/theater.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxxEN4Caw9VQXh9BSmMBMBPIchsUCJPB0a2jv1Tr8xR-1mAEetnyXlpljhBH2Zz3EB3BoyIeJPwEltlXBEXp2fjZmFuGnwD5d5ht96XFEXChoLAKtDpJilEZhxps1Mw4xDH142Z3Uv19Q/s400/theater.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Unfortunately,
by the time the traditional dance section came on, it was getting dark and the
pictures are not very good. In this
group, you can see they were wearing imitation grass skirts over traditional
woven pagnes. There is a lot of hip
shaking in traditional and modern dancing here in Burkina. It has always made me think of Hawaiian hula
dancing, and with the grass skirts the similarity was even clearer. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3oNq03FaqyNY-mfJxjirNqKnZAh1eODbBA_GaQUb5MRMUVRlg5qSF2tvWKOaYIhQTOe9cUn-kMbOyXDU9g5VqU-vIzvGmH1IGI8Av2XzS02zLecfCRGPRrkOIkUSyO4KtJGoEpxpgaso/s1600/traditional+dance+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3oNq03FaqyNY-mfJxjirNqKnZAh1eODbBA_GaQUb5MRMUVRlg5qSF2tvWKOaYIhQTOe9cUn-kMbOyXDU9g5VqU-vIzvGmH1IGI8Av2XzS02zLecfCRGPRrkOIkUSyO4KtJGoEpxpgaso/s400/traditional+dance+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3oNq03FaqyNY-mfJxjirNqKnZAh1eODbBA_GaQUb5MRMUVRlg5qSF2tvWKOaYIhQTOe9cUn-kMbOyXDU9g5VqU-vIzvGmH1IGI8Av2XzS02zLecfCRGPRrkOIkUSyO4KtJGoEpxpgaso/s1600/traditional+dance+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
Here are the drummers who accompanied one of the dance groups. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The
young man with the orange shirt is another of the polio victims who gets to
school in one of those three wheeled, hand peddled tricycles I have mentioned. His
class-mates helped him get on stage and astride the drum, which he played well,
and with enthusiasm.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr8TakJZWkORlu5Nk3RAQcpmYKWvrsf2rP-eTYt4z60lBGJJnptF5P07P0vXSIYv_QIpD3yxl-FtMa7x_p_Ch18Oy2cUIrpuR4Gi-Q0FYolwsAcZ7-e1N2tsxV5XTtK8dje79HASqq4ao/s1600/drummers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr8TakJZWkORlu5Nk3RAQcpmYKWvrsf2rP-eTYt4z60lBGJJnptF5P07P0vXSIYv_QIpD3yxl-FtMa7x_p_Ch18Oy2cUIrpuR4Gi-Q0FYolwsAcZ7-e1N2tsxV5XTtK8dje79HASqq4ao/s400/drummers.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dz6YuIN6bNXR8lCTFBNHTFLYHAgiYjiKhr-VpjMUR1vHwgNR0Mf6El9o27Wmu-d1iynEyzvcwWSMI6PjaSV7w' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I have a bit of video, showing a more authentic version of the "bump" dance
I was trying to do in the video clip in my blog about music. The head bumping
between the boy and girl is how people here greet good friends they have not seen for a while.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<i>I have tried to upload the video unsuccessfully and will try again when I have a better internet connection. Sorry. Here is a photo of one of the bumps that will be on the video when I get it to load.</i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRKeH5WQxQfoeX-Fs9D0tNHTPwYnsQckrYjojWDtjy3Z_nrmUf-BeNRcIFqlYzVW319R_f2p2M_Aa9cBeVHawqXGwreW6fFfXSe0IvgRT2xLaWXFW9byV3bEP4YACjsKCHdqAVOdDHEjM/s1600/bump+dance+photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRKeH5WQxQfoeX-Fs9D0tNHTPwYnsQckrYjojWDtjy3Z_nrmUf-BeNRcIFqlYzVW319R_f2p2M_Aa9cBeVHawqXGwreW6fFfXSe0IvgRT2xLaWXFW9byV3bEP4YACjsKCHdqAVOdDHEjM/s400/bump+dance+photo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Hand Ball<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">In
Burkina Faso the boys play soccer and the girls play a game they call hand
ball. It is kind of like ultimate
Frisbee in that you try to move the ball down the field but can't move your
feet when you are holding the ball. The idea is to throw the ball into the
goal, like soccer. The goal is about half the size of a soccer goal, and the
field is just the width of a soccer field. Players are not allowed to kick the
ball, but the goalie can use both her hands and feet to keep the ball out of
the goal.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">In
this championship handball game, played in the morning. One of the teams was
from a regular primary school, and the second was from "the school of the
second chance" called Zod-Neere. It offers another chance to students who
did not succeed in the regular school program.
This is how they have decorated the entrance to their school.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxND2wPM4ulsxfQs5KCqEU9TRuldRUvBMaOqrQvMSKAL-OZDIm6iVVdpOthoEHEDEYFx0nWXahh5RvTfXOSeywLth2NWI1-BV8-5ibPEj-vovNxdHnJA89Pwda70Ezgs-bpCo3NJcGV_o/s1600/Zod-Neere+sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxND2wPM4ulsxfQs5KCqEU9TRuldRUvBMaOqrQvMSKAL-OZDIm6iVVdpOthoEHEDEYFx0nWXahh5RvTfXOSeywLth2NWI1-BV8-5ibPEj-vovNxdHnJA89Pwda70Ezgs-bpCo3NJcGV_o/s400/Zod-Neere+sign.jpg" width="400" /></a></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Because it is the school of the second chance,, most of the girls were older, and therefore the members of the Zod-Neere
team were bigger and much better coordinated than the girls from the other school. The biggest difference, however, was that
the Zod-Neere girls worked together, passing the ball between two or three
girls who moved down the field together. The girls from the other school seemed never
to know where the other members of their team were and often tossed the ball
wildly, hoping one of their teammates would catch it. Not surprisingly, Zod-Neere
won by a big margin, 9-3. Here is the goalie for the other team stopping the
ball. Notice that all the girls play
barefooted. Also notice that the playing field is dirt and gravel. Not too comfortable in bare feet.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhec9y6Vp-MTWbgbsYu2x_tXG4JeWSQ1X1B2FRhuqIdbWQ9npUsvMUxo4FvU8zaTVB29KTjCv_SmrUv0aK0N7g1Ha11PCUQN8qgfcIe1ZmGJdi_HlRKXk64mpyuGWlSDy4dV3-jvhvpDMU/s1600/Handball.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhec9y6Vp-MTWbgbsYu2x_tXG4JeWSQ1X1B2FRhuqIdbWQ9npUsvMUxo4FvU8zaTVB29KTjCv_SmrUv0aK0N7g1Ha11PCUQN8qgfcIe1ZmGJdi_HlRKXk64mpyuGWlSDy4dV3-jvhvpDMU/s400/Handball.jpg" width="400" /></a></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Soccer<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The
final game for boys' soccer was in the afternoon. This was the featured event of the
day, and there were many chairs set up for important people. This man brought
the sound system and played music to entertain the crowd while they were waiting.
Actually he was at the cultural performances on Thursday and at the handball tournament
in the morning as well. He has a CD player, but most of the music is on his laptop.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLiGJ0HSXMLR9h-xvXyUZz03B1GUraAI_Dnmk9OFnF22VOOwBARFLcd0rlTIAS1y7Hay4-mzEs66XiPMjwItQ033hc-ibjvIw8YdcG72uhBhCap_Wn38OR1sg_zcNqYL11zR9JXCJXdkc/s1600/sound+system.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLiGJ0HSXMLR9h-xvXyUZz03B1GUraAI_Dnmk9OFnF22VOOwBARFLcd0rlTIAS1y7Hay4-mzEs66XiPMjwItQ033hc-ibjvIw8YdcG72uhBhCap_Wn38OR1sg_zcNqYL11zR9JXCJXdkc/s320/sound+system.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">In
the afternoon we really appreciated him because, like every event important
people were supposed to attend, they were very late. This time they were so late that the coordinators
of the program actually did not wait for them!
I was surprised, because I assumed you always waited. In this case, if they had not started the
program, it would have been dark by the time things finished, so they went
ahead.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The
members of the two teams had been warming up.
They were called to come stand in front of the audience and they had to
stand there for about a half an hour while several people made speeches. Not a
very good way to be ready to play, in my opinion. Here they are, listening to
the speech of the inspector of the school district, who is my official
supervisor here. Notice the two girls accompanying him, like to women at the women's day celebration.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgTyXgf77nNOUAd8sTBi-2CMaUXnnS4iDXkRwjXj5WK5V5ICWGaidUBSzzlxQ8mYNWOuacB2LQHkusFbLuUdlRJq0nFflIJT_WugBHVYbEtC93LnKz7nJqqE8m5AP-Q9YSORNqP6aZ23s/s1600/inspector+speech.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgTyXgf77nNOUAd8sTBi-2CMaUXnnS4iDXkRwjXj5WK5V5ICWGaidUBSzzlxQ8mYNWOuacB2LQHkusFbLuUdlRJq0nFflIJT_WugBHVYbEtC93LnKz7nJqqE8m5AP-Q9YSORNqP6aZ23s/s400/inspector+speech.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">This
picture shows what the field is like and how they make the sidelines and mid
field line, by digging a small trench and putting a different colored dirt in it. The result is that the field is even less
smooth, but that's the way they do it here.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRlYKeSZU4WQAZ_evVZ4mbbpZd_vqnbxV-NcmJ84Zqu8hPYqqFV7vUHGxG-k33XVqZbeEdR8jmzjWP94WzUBMRO3dH0mDXx8l4l3_IGfzZNEcTemcMxEi2AZTFgOgExm5Jm0oGkadGex8/s1600/sideline+marker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRlYKeSZU4WQAZ_evVZ4mbbpZd_vqnbxV-NcmJ84Zqu8hPYqqFV7vUHGxG-k33XVqZbeEdR8jmzjWP94WzUBMRO3dH0mDXx8l4l3_IGfzZNEcTemcMxEi2AZTFgOgExm5Jm0oGkadGex8/s400/sideline+marker.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Here
is one shot of the boys playing. As you
can see, they also play bare foot (OUCH!!!)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1o8J81kPtprh_HAjvj8CjNah1evrLkpltj6ByJ-zMsZw-kUKlntGXe8k8KovsB4CF5X1T20MCTF5t7YVHPOlvPNVlDYFOk9ynYZ4fn51zuwLHD5q8k6NN9V5sXffgJMzN1zXNh4fdeyw/s400/Boys+playing+soccer.jpg" width="400" /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Neither
of the boys' teams appeared to have had coaching like the teams my grandsons
play on in America. The players here
seemed to have no plays worked out and did not seem to have any idea about
where their other team members were. When
they had a chance, they tried to kick the ball as high and as far as possible.
Because the ball sailed down the field wildly, the people waiting there generally tried to bring it back to earth with a header. This technique did not
give them much control over where the ball went and the ball was up in the air
a lot more than I have seen it in American games. In other words, the game was pretty much a
free for all. The Zod Neere boys won,
but the score was only 1-0 due to good work by the goalie of the losing team.</span></div>Jan Larsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01071152180888508161noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8062165966315139675.post-5996192229494796492012-05-05T06:42:00.001-07:002012-05-06T08:33:02.542-07:00Making clothes in Burkina<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<b>What do people wear?</b><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">You
have seen some of the kinds of clothing Burkinabè wear in some of my pictures. Very few
of the things people wear are ready made clothes. T-shirts and women's tight fitting shirts are
probably the most common ready-made item, although you can find all sorts of
things in the marchés here. Some are new
things, but others are used clothing, what my daughter once referred to as
Salvation Army rejects. Most of these
women, like the one nearest the camera in a tank top, wear a pagne as a skirt.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx92pexaEUak05GOwNG2kagh-QglJpKYnnx4ITFbhYEDFrpwLWdazTzKGVTX3bbbwve31Jr6sXYKrP12X4UKbIOePrfCnbwSkWAoPz5-XPzZbapR98TyK5nwJw04mX5MpgwgWO-AmiiYE/s1600/tank+tops.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx92pexaEUak05GOwNG2kagh-QglJpKYnnx4ITFbhYEDFrpwLWdazTzKGVTX3bbbwve31Jr6sXYKrP12X4UKbIOePrfCnbwSkWAoPz5-XPzZbapR98TyK5nwJw04mX5MpgwgWO-AmiiYE/s400/tank+tops.jpg" width="285" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">This
brand, Obama Girl, is particularly popular here:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8QDfgVQZJan7KumL3XDXkCtIlPVoSehA6RjGwS1SI1oUPxHDerPfv-3trWCz8n_4XYeyxCazLx7r_zyeVx-UN3zOsE0t5N08S1MJkj-F9k2X841omchYAJT9LIfE02GTR0REZ1OsYfUA/s1600/obama+girl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8QDfgVQZJan7KumL3XDXkCtIlPVoSehA6RjGwS1SI1oUPxHDerPfv-3trWCz8n_4XYeyxCazLx7r_zyeVx-UN3zOsE0t5N08S1MJkj-F9k2X841omchYAJT9LIfE02GTR0REZ1OsYfUA/s400/obama+girl.jpg" width="285" /></a></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">My
Friend, the Couturier</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">In
the big cities you can find boutiques that sell ready to wear clothes, but in
the village most things are made to order. Most of the people who sew clothing are men,
but my friend, Martine, has just opened her own shop and I will use her shop as
an example of how the system works. Her shop is one of two rooms in this
building someone rents out to her and to a guy who sells gas in whisky bottles.
The building is essentially a billboard for one of the cell phone companies,
Airtel.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTYKmKk6nlJhBKX9cDN56mFt3dMJbGeF7T4MUsJD-RBBrL67GSIVqb39Uhh1bhIWjkoPqRO6oW2owrunmqiiWun_qY8NzhBD5rwKP1v_0TBDe8U6AMPhxQHGWSLFKohLMHwHH97BprR-o/s1600/Martines+shop+exterior.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTYKmKk6nlJhBKX9cDN56mFt3dMJbGeF7T4MUsJD-RBBrL67GSIVqb39Uhh1bhIWjkoPqRO6oW2owrunmqiiWun_qY8NzhBD5rwKP1v_0TBDe8U6AMPhxQHGWSLFKohLMHwHH97BprR-o/s400/Martines+shop+exterior.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Most
things are made on sewing machines that have been converted to work with a foot
treadle. They still have their electric motors, but because there is no
electricity in many of the tailor shops, human power has to take over. Here is
a fancy zig-zag sewing machine, converted to run by foot power.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzJQBJ3uCsfm2Gjma6kSNQpl2zrUYkEpZ7QuE_b38sFQrr6-o56s9Rz8tfx8-b_8J-dP74DJWCL98oTpUZaVpP1megbfEE9QpjJAk7455IfbO7awAEGosC2LqtjjLLmSG924rX38LpN0M/s1600/treddle+machine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzJQBJ3uCsfm2Gjma6kSNQpl2zrUYkEpZ7QuE_b38sFQrr6-o56s9Rz8tfx8-b_8J-dP74DJWCL98oTpUZaVpP1megbfEE9QpjJAk7455IfbO7awAEGosC2LqtjjLLmSG924rX38LpN0M/s400/treddle+machine.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">If
you want to have something made, first you have to figure out what kind of
material you want to use. You visit the
marché and look over the wide variety of options. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS2UaFlSzbRQfmMgG6rZ7H_JgG-rDaKStPOBric1dDxDP8b-wX1rD7Pa-pbPmktuY_xHjCuOMpjZrNGvQaqi3J4q4UrLyhwDExHnueCbT0HW5av5ENb2g5SPOoWCwjPWkcD0FAxMSYYuE/s1600/fabric.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS2UaFlSzbRQfmMgG6rZ7H_JgG-rDaKStPOBric1dDxDP8b-wX1rD7Pa-pbPmktuY_xHjCuOMpjZrNGvQaqi3J4q4UrLyhwDExHnueCbT0HW5av5ENb2g5SPOoWCwjPWkcD0FAxMSYYuE/s400/fabric.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">As
you can see, most of the fabric is brightly colored with large, elaborate
designs. While some patterns are for special occasions, like Women’s Day and
Christmas, most have no special connection to any event. As I showed you in an
earlier blog, people sometimes select a special pagne pattern for their group
to wear to a wedding or a funeral, so other people can see that they are all
part of the same group. Everybody uses the same material, but the dresses or
shirts or pant suits that are made from it may be quite different.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPPteyFg8ueX7yurjbbSxHrji6hbAAa4H2c6KBg4AmVwcw9665g3MjFKm5iEzjmedgdgIAUM-K1x1MXFLd-uJ4QIjQKOo0rprn8Mw-K5OYDgpAUuk7sdQStiNzK1DwlvKPVwl7kC2F4uQ/s1600/uniforma+in+different+styles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPPteyFg8ueX7yurjbbSxHrji6hbAAa4H2c6KBg4AmVwcw9665g3MjFKm5iEzjmedgdgIAUM-K1x1MXFLd-uJ4QIjQKOo0rprn8Mw-K5OYDgpAUuk7sdQStiNzK1DwlvKPVwl7kC2F4uQ/s400/uniforma+in+different+styles.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Once
you select your material, you go to a tailor.
Most of them are located in small shops near the marché. Here is a
picture of Martine's shop open for business, the door and window on the right
of this building. It is not near the
marché, but it is near her home. That
makes it handy for her, and she seems to get enough business to keep her busy
even though she is not in the town.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw431Opqw8uNisySv_d_YVQeUmKkwz0taR1g_55puVBYZQACKBFiCNJgqVZZTVgnN4o9woZHyy-9Cunt-6xB-mEnumdAjvuwSUutaKW2u2qC9-53hIMqsFckpI4O9r56lab-HQ6RdbgBI/s1600/Martines+shop+exterior+open.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw431Opqw8uNisySv_d_YVQeUmKkwz0taR1g_55puVBYZQACKBFiCNJgqVZZTVgnN4o9woZHyy-9Cunt-6xB-mEnumdAjvuwSUutaKW2u2qC9-53hIMqsFckpI4O9r56lab-HQ6RdbgBI/s400/Martines+shop+exterior+open.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">You
explain to the tailor what kind of outfit you want, either by pointing to one
of the pictures hanging on the wall or by presenting a drawing of what you hope
it will look like. After this has been
discussed thoroughly and the tailor has made some notes and sketches, he or she
takes some basic measurements like arm length, chest, neck and waist with a
tape measure, and you leave. Then the
amazing thing happens. Without any
pattern, the tailor cuts the cloth to make the item you had in mind. He or she
may modify or embellish the design, but it usually is similar to what you wanted. There are big differences among tailors in
their ability to create your idea. Those in the big city and the better ones in
small villages tend to pay more attention to lining up the pattern and planning
so that the important part of the pattern, like the logo for Women’s day, is
easy to see when you wear the garment, as you see on the sleeve of my Woman’s
Day outfit..<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7vH2GGHRWd3v-VNApZQExid0_XdUaZLocB0LGr-epKeqRrNAkxclLhaexqzK0uk_K9MlQFgXupqHyE1G-c1A2zbCtamCEGwS8ebhGPosDO-_zn5elpIm7EG5lW_5C6b9RjcVNXkW0kRk/s1600/logo+on+woman%27s+day+dress.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7vH2GGHRWd3v-VNApZQExid0_XdUaZLocB0LGr-epKeqRrNAkxclLhaexqzK0uk_K9MlQFgXupqHyE1G-c1A2zbCtamCEGwS8ebhGPosDO-_zn5elpIm7EG5lW_5C6b9RjcVNXkW0kRk/s400/logo+on+woman%27s+day+dress.jpg" width="285" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Those
of you who sew will know how important it is to iron your work as you go
along. So, what do you do if you do not
have electricity in your shop? You use
an old fashioned flat iron, like this, in which you make a small charcoal fire.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip0YL4Wekpxt5tHTYBvl2EgHItthlzAYgMN5pj2zB2eclVgG2Q1V8sORsW1GzH3YePl4NQ_jrttW0rDykpYw_39nc6zvXBes8BLU0h9UBHfNRX7vZuscyX6BzBR0bh5oFbdGgLlg94Wps/s1600/flat+iron.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip0YL4Wekpxt5tHTYBvl2EgHItthlzAYgMN5pj2zB2eclVgG2Q1V8sORsW1GzH3YePl4NQ_jrttW0rDykpYw_39nc6zvXBes8BLU0h9UBHfNRX7vZuscyX6BzBR0bh5oFbdGgLlg94Wps/s400/flat+iron.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Many
people have fancy designs embroidered on their clothes. They have things embroidered on material that
has a complicated pattern, although I prefer to see it on a plain fabric. Here is Martine wearing an outfit she
designed herself. She did the basic sewing and then sent the outfit to a person
who has a special machine that does the embroidery. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVWUM_KxFPBsjXxI3DEA9IYkK92uHLP3Mkxu5whwtnAKrbKDbJgF6e8xBiS5jd2Qg9dd4tv5FJ870liBaK7G4RQltV4CQF3ZDN2frHDbF4xO3U8OIFsKw-HGTcU15IpANhO_ScwRPaNOw/s1600/embroidered+dress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVWUM_KxFPBsjXxI3DEA9IYkK92uHLP3Mkxu5whwtnAKrbKDbJgF6e8xBiS5jd2Qg9dd4tv5FJ870liBaK7G4RQltV4CQF3ZDN2frHDbF4xO3U8OIFsKw-HGTcU15IpANhO_ScwRPaNOw/s400/embroidered+dress.jpg" width="285" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyB0SuBqH5M36a8Ha15PIYOOyB-gS9RZySX0QduNP2b7OoInMEgKNxkD3FKt6aAMxN5CnA8r0s4k2puXcGaHSAsrzK1mMgi5TVWMYrqpTdU7p4WP6FfqI6xOeoKDpQXbWjLL8UMKMULbg/s1600/baptim+dress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Here are Dawn and Annie in dresses Martine
made for them while they were here.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqXFx2HKuqc4JlFcTec3c5sTsAuLN1Alv4QmhKnxtquCvKOyfw5gtiruSdi_Yzu9qN3SldBaNu3CeUoVRfCNqOkr0z_fySlnAMkcTy_8ogpoiNtlAelxeYBo3pF5yIc80s1zW7MK09BYQ/s1600/dresses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqXFx2HKuqc4JlFcTec3c5sTsAuLN1Alv4QmhKnxtquCvKOyfw5gtiruSdi_Yzu9qN3SldBaNu3CeUoVRfCNqOkr0z_fySlnAMkcTy_8ogpoiNtlAelxeYBo3pF5yIc80s1zW7MK09BYQ/s400/dresses.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Here
is a dress Martine made for a little girl who was baptized as a part of her
parent's formalization of their marriage.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyB0SuBqH5M36a8Ha15PIYOOyB-gS9RZySX0QduNP2b7OoInMEgKNxkD3FKt6aAMxN5CnA8r0s4k2puXcGaHSAsrzK1mMgi5TVWMYrqpTdU7p4WP6FfqI6xOeoKDpQXbWjLL8UMKMULbg/s1600/baptim+dress.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyB0SuBqH5M36a8Ha15PIYOOyB-gS9RZySX0QduNP2b7OoInMEgKNxkD3FKt6aAMxN5CnA8r0s4k2puXcGaHSAsrzK1mMgi5TVWMYrqpTdU7p4WP6FfqI6xOeoKDpQXbWjLL8UMKMULbg/s400/baptim+dress.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">That
is to say, the parents had been together for quite a few years and had three
little girls. Now they have accumulated
enough money to have a formal wedding in the church. Here you can see the three little girls. The
one on the left was baptized after the wedding vows were exchanged, which is
what you see happening in the background.
There were a couple of people taking pictures as the parents made their
vows, so it is a bit hard to see what is going on.sc<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCoB72hoP9yP3MzlbozZugoLsMJOrtuC_3D-FSSguKrxwjoQTtBLBdobnV4PoMdcd8W21sazf5UmB-Ox8ewaPwC8FW5rdUf6pvsCjRiI0ksboQ7NjdgokUmuFRVdRdlf-NrsLoDPeQINQ/s1600/kids+in+dresses.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCoB72hoP9yP3MzlbozZugoLsMJOrtuC_3D-FSSguKrxwjoQTtBLBdobnV4PoMdcd8W21sazf5UmB-Ox8ewaPwC8FW5rdUf6pvsCjRiI0ksboQ7NjdgokUmuFRVdRdlf-NrsLoDPeQINQ/s400/kids+in+dresses.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRd3mhzTYXmCiH2dnun-4LTnyDXPLX3RUePlWb4XO89Fqb7aO0K4NbOcVGkpsqeJSde08E61RnVFhSgQlVADLwAV1VZS5gUFf415FogyKaoElRnttQtdzzLvVuvNNbMgyHzob3BVdGUDE/s1600/bride+and+groom.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Last, but not least, here are the
bride and groom at the reception ot the home of his family. Notice they have changed from the European
style suit and white gown they wore at the church ceremony to more typical
African attire. If you look closely, you
can see that both the bride and groom have heavy embroidery on the clothes they
are wearing. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRd3mhzTYXmCiH2dnun-4LTnyDXPLX3RUePlWb4XO89Fqb7aO0K4NbOcVGkpsqeJSde08E61RnVFhSgQlVADLwAV1VZS5gUFf415FogyKaoElRnttQtdzzLvVuvNNbMgyHzob3BVdGUDE/s1600/bride+and+groom.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRd3mhzTYXmCiH2dnun-4LTnyDXPLX3RUePlWb4XO89Fqb7aO0K4NbOcVGkpsqeJSde08E61RnVFhSgQlVADLwAV1VZS5gUFf415FogyKaoElRnttQtdzzLvVuvNNbMgyHzob3BVdGUDE/s400/bride+and+groom.jpg" width="285" /></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div>Jan Larsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01071152180888508161noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8062165966315139675.post-41960134389967131112012-04-28T07:52:00.000-07:002012-04-28T12:39:15.355-07:00AIDS prevention<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">AIDS prevention <o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">One
of the projects I have been working on here is sex education and HIV/AIDS
awareness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In East Africa HIV/AIDS is a
huge problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In some countries on that
side of the continent, as many as 40% of the population are infected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here in West Africa the infection rate is not
so high, but it is still about twice as high as in the US.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Education about how to avoid HIV and other
sexually transmitted diseases is one of the priorities for Peace Corps
volunteers everywhere in the world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I
knew I would be doing HIV/AIDS prevention activities when I got my invitation
to be a Peace Corps volunteer and I was not sure how comfortable I would be as
a sex educator. When I was teaching Introductory Psychology, I used to blush
just explaining the ideas of Sigmund Freud! After two years of talking about
it, I am quite comfortable discussing it in French.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We will see if that transfers to English in
America.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">One
of the projects I have been doing, both this year and last year, is to provide informational
sessions outside of the regular school schedule for students in the equivalent
of 6<sup>th</sup> grade, and to all levels of Junior High and High School here
in my town. There is a woman who works at the maternity center who helps me
with the sessions for the girls and a man from the health service who helps me
with sessions for the boys.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tell the
students something in my hard to understand French (poor vocabulary and strange
American accent) and my friends repeat the ideas in French with a Burkinabè
accent that many of the students can understand, and then again in Moore, the
local language that children learn at home. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The
discussion of sex is pretty much taboo in African culture and it is a hard
topic for parents to bring up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have
invited parents to attend the sessions in the primary schools, partly so they
will know what we are telling their children, and partly to help them open the
conversation with their children at home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Unfortunately, not very many of the parents accepted the
invitation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Almost
all of the students in the 6<sup>th</sup> grade in each primary school did come
to the meetings and were very interested. In the junior high and high schools a
smaller per cent of the students attended, but those who did come were very
interested in the information we had to share and they had many questions. The
basics of human biology are not part of the regulars school curriculum until 10<sup>th</sup>
grade, so many students were glad to learn about their own bodies and how girls
get pregnant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unplanned pregnancy is one
of the reasons people cite for there being so many fewer girls in high school
than boys. Helping girls understand the risks of early sexual activity is how
this fits into Girls Education and Empowerment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But I feel it is also important for the boys to understand the risks and
how to protect themselves and their partners if they do decide to be sexually
active. It takes two to make a baby!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">In
keeping with Peace Corps policy, we did discuss abstinence before marriage and
fidelity after marriage as the only sure way to avoid sexually transmitted
diseases and unwanted pregnancy. Given the problem with unplanned pregnancies,
however, it was also important to explain the importance of using protection if
you do have sexual relations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did a
demonstration about how to use a condom, and showed students that, even though
condoms are pretty strong, it is possible to break them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also stressed the importance of putting
used condoms in the latrine so the kids would not play with them and possibly
contract HIV that way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Joining the
world fight against AIDS<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Another
AIDS awareness project I worked on here was suppose to take place on World AIDS
Day, December 1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because of delay in
funding for the project I did not get the materials needed until February, and
I wanted to do it when another AIDS activity was going on at the school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That activity never materialized so I decided
it was time to just do my project.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
idea was to get students to think about avoiding HIV/AIDS and to make a pledge
to live a safe and healthy life style.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The
project consisted of making a mural or sign about AIDS in a public place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To do this I talked to the principal of the
school and he thought it was a good idea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We selected one wall of the library building.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First we had to paint it white so that the
slogan would be easy to read.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I started
to paint it myself, but boys came along and wanted to help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I ended up sitting in a chair in the shade,
supervising. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt a bit like Tom
Sawyer, although I did not charge them for the privilege of helping.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiecrRSpWRE8MC2CRRFwmIboYg14M3VcRgPPvNsXsX7FrmV8BVATvzgq37Mw09WjBVSj96sqvM9IRjW52FcndDHcchyPWz_WpT9cs56ztSqT4BMvpM7FvJzWp-A93VpJsD8hd3xFOL910A/s1600/first+coat+on+wall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiecrRSpWRE8MC2CRRFwmIboYg14M3VcRgPPvNsXsX7FrmV8BVATvzgq37Mw09WjBVSj96sqvM9IRjW52FcndDHcchyPWz_WpT9cs56ztSqT4BMvpM7FvJzWp-A93VpJsD8hd3xFOL910A/s400/first+coat+on+wall.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The
wall did not look so great after one coat, so I invested in a second bucket of
paint and another group of boys helped with that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here is our nice white space on which to
write the message.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8zBsS5avTg0cWEQm9uYWuADaSPLU4H0_XokejPzos3Wwgr2FvMhcqzPJJ_5YSD2mXMEwBt41hEkMKShgWdBsuyrftejTyehwx-Aem2xCAuLEZ1yJgqhlNeEkWhvV2eyyc0EwDE8h5PA8/s1600/wall+after+2+coats.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8zBsS5avTg0cWEQm9uYWuADaSPLU4H0_XokejPzos3Wwgr2FvMhcqzPJJ_5YSD2mXMEwBt41hEkMKShgWdBsuyrftejTyehwx-Aem2xCAuLEZ1yJgqhlNeEkWhvV2eyyc0EwDE8h5PA8/s400/wall+after+2+coats.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I
asked one of the boys who had done a really good job with the white paint if he
would help me paint the slogan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
agreed to meet at the school on Saturday morning at 8:00.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Librarian met me there and we got out all
the supplies, but my boy did not show up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>His friend was there and assured me he was coming, but that his parents
had sent him to the market for something but he would be here right away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By 8:45 he had not appeared so I left his
friend in charge of the paint and ladder and went to a wedding I had promised
to attend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On Sunday I passed the school
after church, not expecting to see anything on the wall, but this is what I
saw.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4xw1aw75WCxtsMVsVBAQ0OX1FFlYdkyVEoIydJX9ZEjKKBrVcfugWric1g8sTg0GDP1AzUGjpKq4A3FrfShTC-gkVLES9rZU3Z-i9JFcG4qpdgIAq3lIVBR8DAlfLwnogp89LgOuLjkM/s1600/sign+before+hands.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4xw1aw75WCxtsMVsVBAQ0OX1FFlYdkyVEoIydJX9ZEjKKBrVcfugWric1g8sTg0GDP1AzUGjpKq4A3FrfShTC-gkVLES9rZU3Z-i9JFcG4qpdgIAq3lIVBR8DAlfLwnogp89LgOuLjkM/s400/sign+before+hands.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">It
is not exactly what I had in mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
gave the boys a drawing with the bottom half of the wall blank, as a place
where students would make a paint hand print to show they had pledged to live a
healthy life style, but what was done was done and I was not about to start
over. The slogan translates roughly to "The students of this High School
say NO to HIV/AIDS<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Last Tuesday afternoon, when there were no
classes scheduled, we invited the students to take a pledge to live a healthy
and safe life style and to protect themselves and their partners from HIV and
other sexually transmitted diseases. After taking the pledge students could put
on a latex glove, put their hands in black paint, and put a hand print of the
wall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To facilitate cleanup I bought a
box of latex gloves and had students put one of their hand before dipping it in
the paint</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC8nt3ljevPKtIJz9c_Zly7MHL6IqdrcWTaEtQVwR2iyMKByuVtjeYPeUkrEiZy4np2032rzhIVXKfDqb-lGSrenTbLQ-CZQyQ6sSbRglRX4UVDrwWoQaUVi9sAieUDGnJ-bgIJcjOaTU/s1600/hands+in+paint.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC8nt3ljevPKtIJz9c_Zly7MHL6IqdrcWTaEtQVwR2iyMKByuVtjeYPeUkrEiZy4np2032rzhIVXKfDqb-lGSrenTbLQ-CZQyQ6sSbRglRX4UVDrwWoQaUVi9sAieUDGnJ-bgIJcjOaTU/s400/hands+in+paint.jpg" width="400" /></a></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Here
are the two boys who painted the slogan being the first to put their make on
it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxYuU6lOeTCBQQwUEzhuT3mUPq0TGiCBAP4Vqk1T_3r-AdN6dg_USGQ5BBWlelhmyhI7Pi3G7sjgAacLFGvPWb2ZEn1yJRuRXMdkWwaiNUzmmzhv3VWbWHprMX0sXn7Nt1yznG21mAMHQ/s1600/first+hand+prints.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxYuU6lOeTCBQQwUEzhuT3mUPq0TGiCBAP4Vqk1T_3r-AdN6dg_USGQ5BBWlelhmyhI7Pi3G7sjgAacLFGvPWb2ZEn1yJRuRXMdkWwaiNUzmmzhv3VWbWHprMX0sXn7Nt1yznG21mAMHQ/s400/first+hand+prints.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Here
is is, after about 50 students had made their pledge.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEcEvEtihHT19-UxV_YafrHl_oJykU84yZ2o5v1I53q3Z9GQFnk5Mc9pp3Pc02h-Sz-5WjFYLkHVN7JL0vYl-2db6SLttk7xrh-2w4AFk2CoIIRV79DmAHwtr9UhYQ_zMYhpwM3UGdIZE/s1600/wall+with+handprints.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEcEvEtihHT19-UxV_YafrHl_oJykU84yZ2o5v1I53q3Z9GQFnk5Mc9pp3Pc02h-Sz-5WjFYLkHVN7JL0vYl-2db6SLttk7xrh-2w4AFk2CoIIRV79DmAHwtr9UhYQ_zMYhpwM3UGdIZE/s400/wall+with+handprints.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">After
they put their hand print on the wall, they could try to answer a question
about HIV/AIDS.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The man who is the
librarian at the school also works with a group for AIDS prevention and helped
me with the question and answer part of the project.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If a student just attempted to answer a
question, the won a condom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If they gave
the correct answer, they won three.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
have received many comments about the wall from teachers at the school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I commented it was not exactly what I had in
mind, but one teacher said, "It is good the way it is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is clear that it was made by the students
and not something an adult put up."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I think he is right. Another commented that it would be a nice way to
remember my time here in the town. I think that is the only material thing I
have done that will cause people to remember me, except for my project to
repair a village pump, which I will tell you about next time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEcEvEtihHT19-UxV_YafrHl_oJykU84yZ2o5v1I53q3Z9GQFnk5Mc9pp3Pc02h-Sz-5WjFYLkHVN7JL0vYl-2db6SLttk7xrh-2w4AFk2CoIIRV79DmAHwtr9UhYQ_zMYhpwM3UGdIZE/s1600/wall+with+handprints.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>Jan Larsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01071152180888508161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8062165966315139675.post-73957999356422391432012-04-23T02:28:00.000-07:002012-04-23T02:28:55.931-07:00Approaching the end<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Close
of Service</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">March
seems like a long way from August, when the group with which I joined the Peace
Corps ends its time in Burkina Faso. However we had our Close of Service (COS)
conference the last week in March and I don’t think it was a bit too soon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After I attended the conference I understood
the timing of this event. One reason is that there is a good deal of paper work
you have to do before you can leave the country, and it will be helpful to get
drafts of these reports, or even the actual reports, finished before you are in
Ouagadougou and there is a plane to catch the next day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">One
of the things you have to write is a Description of Service (DOS), in which you
describe all the things you did during your two years here that you would want
a future employer to know about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
takes the place of a letter of reference you might want to have to document the
experiences you had while serving in the Peace Corps. It is limited to two to three
pages, so you really can’t tell everything, but you can highlight the important
things.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Another
thing you write is a final report that goes to a volunteer who follows you at
your site, so that person knows what you were working on and who the people are
who were working with you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You also do
three project write-ups, telling specifically about the three projects you
think others might learn from.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">We
also got an idea about the COS medical exam.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They want to check us out and make sure we are not going home with a
tropical disease that the typical American doctor has never seen and might not
recognize.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">About
two thirds of the three day meeting was devoted to helping volunteers think
about what they would be doing after they finish their service here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know a few who already have acceptances to
graduate school or law school, but many do not have any clear idea of what they
are going to do when they get home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some
are planning to take a trip to some other countries before returning to the US,
but others just want to go home. Many of those who are traveling also do not
know what they are going to do when they get home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is the reason so much time was devoted
to helping them with information about how to get a job.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Our
facilitator for the meeting was a volunteer in Turkey many years ago and she
has been doing COS conferences in various countries from time to time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She had several excellent presentations that
helped volunteers think about how to present the work they have done here as
part of a resume or CV.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I actually
learned some things about writing resumes and CVs for potential employers that
I did not know. I am going to mention a couple of them here because those of
you who talk to students who will be job hunting soon might find some ideas
here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you already know more about
this than I do, you can skip to the following part.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Resume writing ideas</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Over
the years I have seen a section in resumes that I always thought was a bit
silly, called “Objective.” Basically what everybody says is that they want to
get a job like the one advertised, or a job that will use their talents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That seems redundant with the fact that they
are applying for the job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was pleased
to hear that the latest thinking about the objectives section is that it is a
waste of valuable space in the one page you have when you write your resume. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I
also learned that there are two different ways in which to present your work
history.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In one, you list your jobs
chronologically and say what you did there, which is the way I always thought
you should do it .<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the other you list
you skills and experiences, which I found much easier to read and understand.
You also list your employers, but by pulling out the skills you have and the
kinds of work you have done, you can save a lot of space and make clear why an
employer might want to hire you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Another
interesting idea was the “elevator speech,” that is, a 30 second speech you
work up in which you say what you have done and the kind of job you are looking
for. The facilitator had people practice this and many found it difficult to
do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems like a handy thing to have
on the tip of your tongue when you are job hunting, because you never know when
you might have a chance to talk briefly with someone who might know about the
perfect position for you, if only they knew what you can do and the kind of job
you would like.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Party Time</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Because
the COS conference is the last time the people in a given group will all be
together, the tradition is to have a party.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We were lucky enough to be able to use the conference room at the hotel
where Peace Corps had us staying so there was no problem with people getting
back to the hotel when they wanted to leave.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I had an outfit made from material celebrating the 50<sup>th</sup>
anniversary of Peace Corps. I had thought I would have something made for the
fair in the fall, but I did not get the material in time so I decided to use it
for this event.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here is a picture. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-SLodIfsZu5SJp-gcJfg8fk0saoH9n2D7qHiycwYVfepSlWDR1tZCrT3l_3sq97abQi5SVJnwTjokmOEIv5ImdOpsFgSg8DSkrJ_NEr4zVR1VDmUAuatytEXVURFwDruHGBdUahq-6gk/s1600/COS+outfit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-SLodIfsZu5SJp-gcJfg8fk0saoH9n2D7qHiycwYVfepSlWDR1tZCrT3l_3sq97abQi5SVJnwTjokmOEIv5ImdOpsFgSg8DSkrJ_NEr4zVR1VDmUAuatytEXVURFwDruHGBdUahq-6gk/s320/COS+outfit.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The
material is blue with white print about the anniversary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had my friend Martine make the pants and
“boubou” top.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then she sent it to
Koudougou to have it decorated with the embroidery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After I had it made I learned that this party
is traditionally a costume party.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Fortunately some people wore costumes and others dressed up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here is a picture of some of the people in
Girls Education and Empowerment section.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately
some of the folks were not around when we took this, but you can see that many
dressed up in costume, but not all. Notice the sign in the background says "Super Stage," That is because we were such a big group. although we like to think we did a super job.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuB_XUNIaSaLOArdAgaA_yUgoTFqImURTmh4zZ_eRs_abMEmnvo-Es9fhjd5wIXGGj_usDcQFtisRd4-MJAsyhiTrlCBsPBrLaxGfyPAlxeKDo2iPwNiYkoHv1vfgYdWemtooBjsPl78M/s1600/gee+group.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuB_XUNIaSaLOArdAgaA_yUgoTFqImURTmh4zZ_eRs_abMEmnvo-Es9fhjd5wIXGGj_usDcQFtisRd4-MJAsyhiTrlCBsPBrLaxGfyPAlxeKDo2iPwNiYkoHv1vfgYdWemtooBjsPl78M/s320/gee+group.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">This
is my friend Wendy, another older volunteer, who came in costume.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She dressed as the guy who stands in the street near the stop light and
tries to sell you minutes for your cell phone while you wait for the light to
change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They actually do a brisk
business. And yes, the Obama shirt was a good choice for this costume. It is a favorite clothing item here.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKB28balXR97IRUsf8eoqDwEkgMq28h7eyhdBKQVWp3MkvQ_J8gTbDH3axgi6yFZGTE5VvYvzRKz8GEHC-Xq-eWhcyL0iE_3dCYIACETfUt4Swe8jjz0WObncH-sJ74_4qgZ-3JeXEJvA/s1600/wendy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKB28balXR97IRUsf8eoqDwEkgMq28h7eyhdBKQVWp3MkvQ_J8gTbDH3axgi6yFZGTE5VvYvzRKz8GEHC-Xq-eWhcyL0iE_3dCYIACETfUt4Swe8jjz0WObncH-sJ74_4qgZ-3JeXEJvA/s320/wendy.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">More
about clothing next time…..<o:p></o:p></span>Jan Larsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01071152180888508161noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8062165966315139675.post-47511115334475194632012-04-06T10:35:00.000-07:002012-04-06T10:35:32.279-07:00The Soap Operas Begin<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
soap operas begin…(sorry, no pictures this time)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A
while ago I wrote about Population Media Center (PMC) and their work using soap
operas to change behavior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This past
week I had the privilege of observing their training session for the people who
will write the scripts for the two radio soap operas to be broadcast here in
Burkina Faso.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The 24 participants are
people who have applied for the position of script writer. Based on their
experience and credentials, they were chosen as the finalists and this week is
their training in the Sabido methodology that PMC uses to produce these serial
dramas to change behavior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After four and
a half days learning about the Sabido method they each created a 5 minute radio
script. This was the basis of the final decision about who the writers will be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
workshop was facilitated by Kriss Barker and a number of people who worked on
PMC soap operas in other African countries including Mali, Rwanda, and Senegal.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Based on how well the writers have
understood the method, and how creative they are, PMC will select the four best
writers who know Djula and the four best writers who know Moore, creating two
teams who will write the two different soap operas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I have mentioned before, Burkina Faso has
many different ethnic groups and each group has its own language.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People want to preserve their ethnic identity
so they speak that language at home and teach it to their children, leaving it
to the schools to teach the kids French. Also, people who did not go to school
or who did not succeed in school often only understand their local language. The
target audience for the soap operas is mostly the rural population, who do not
have access to TV and who may not have learned French in school.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
first day introduced the general idea of soap operas to change behavior, but
the biggest part of the day was devoted to a report of the formative research
that was conducted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The researchers used
several methods to get information.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Probably the most important was the use of focus groups to find out what
people believe about certain issues. In selecting the participants they tried
to get representatives of all sectors of society. What the people in the groups
said was recorded and transcribed so the script writers will be able to look
over what people said and adopt the words and phrases real people used when
talking about the issues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is
important because it makes the characters more real and like the folks next
door.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
opinions expressed by the participants in the focus groups were analyzed and
basic attitudes expressed were summarized to give a general picture of how
people of various ages and both sexes feel about the various topics. One
question was, “what is the family?” People said that there is the linear
family, those related to you by blood, but there is also the extended family
that includes relatives by marriage and distant cousins. Even close friends and
neighbors may be considered to be brothers and sisters here and are thus part
of the family in this sense. I have noticed this here, where someone will
introduce a good friend as his brother or sister.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I sometimes ask later whether that was a
“real” brother or sister and often find out it was a close friend, who is like
a brother or sister to the person.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In
spite of modernization, traditional views of the roles of men and women
remain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People say that men are the
“chief” or head of the family and make all the important decisions for the
family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The role of women is to obey
their husbands, have children, and take care of the household. They are always
expected to be submissive. Because of their vulnerability, they need to be
protected by the man. The role of the children is to help with tasks and to
obey their parents. Children are considered to be the wealth of the family. These
attitudes were expressed by both men and women.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
researchers also did an analysis of the existing research on some of the major
issues and my favorite finding was the average number of children Burkina Faso
women have, depending on their education.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Women who have no schooling have an average of 6.5 children, women
completing primary school have an average of 4.9 children, women who finish
secondary school have an average of 3.4 children and women who complete college
have an average of 2.4 children. Educating women is one of the best ways of
slowing population growth.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
Sabido method uses melodrama as the basic theatrical form.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a melodrama there is a clearly bad person,
and a clearly good person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Sabido
method adds a transitional character, one who struggles to make a change of
behavior throughout the series. This person is influenced by the bad person to
behave in a bad way and by the good person to behave in a good way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the critical character, the one with
whom you want the listeners to identify and the person whose behavior you want
them to adopt.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
Sabido method actually creates long running serial dramas rather than soap
operas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While soap operas can run for 20
years, the serial dramas have a long but limited run, usually a year and a half
to two years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has to last long enough
to let listeners see the change in the behavior of the transitional character
over time, and to see that character facing some of the difficulties in making
a change in behavior and how those problems can be overcome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That helps show people how to deal with
problems they are likely to experience if they also try to make a change in
their behavior.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In
the Sabido method, you start with the theme, or problem you wish to
address.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This leads you to an idea about
the behavior you want to change, but you need to do the formative research to
confirm or change your focus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For
example, a campaign aimed at married women to help them avoid AIDS will do
little good if they are contracting it from husbands who become infected while
working in the city or another country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The behavior you have to change is really that of the husbands and not
the wives, so your transitional character has to be a man and the program has
men as the target audience.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">After
you are sure of the behavior you want to change, you make a “values” grid,
listing the values that would be held by the negative character and the values
that would be held by the positive character. Only after you have the values
clearly in mind do you identify who the three important characters will be and
begin to make a plot line. This is completely backwards from the way most
script writers approach writing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
usually start with a story idea and develop characters after they have the
basic plot. That is the reason for the week long training in this method.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In
reality, each serial drama has three or four different themes that move along
in parallel throughout the series. Sometimes they intersect, but most of the
time each plot line is separate. Each group of characters has to be introduced
and the audience has to be hooked on the story before you get to the place in
the story where the behavior of the transitional character starts to change.
The audience must recognize the good character as good, the bad character as
bad, and find the transitional character to be likeable and realistic. The bad
character must be really bad, but not despicable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is, the bad character has to clearly
believe that his or her behavior is not bad, but completely justified.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Once
the plan for the show is made and the first few episodes are written, they are
tested with audiences to see if people are reacting to the characters in the
expected way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kriss told about a time
when the writers had a negative character who was a man who beat his wife and
spent a lot of money drinking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
script writers thought they had developed a character was clearly bad, but the
test audience thought his behavior was normal. This kind of testing to see that
the program is working as it should is carried on throughout its production and
the characters and plot may need to be adjusted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is why these writers will be hired for
two years, although they might be able to produce scripts for the number of
episodes needed in less time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They need
to make adjustments as the show is broadcast, to be sure it has the greatest
effect possible.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Because
the writers selected for these jobs will have employment for two years, I am
sure the competition will be keen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was
wondering if this competition among the potential writers would result in
hostility between them, but as far as I can see folks get along well. I don’t
know who I would hope to get the jobs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
like them all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has been a real
pleasure to meet so many bright and talented people all in the same place! This
is, of course, just a summary of the highlights of the training, but I found it
fascinating and was grateful for the chance to see the training done.</span></div>Jan Larsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01071152180888508161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8062165966315139675.post-89955916370327187582012-04-06T10:14:00.000-07:002012-04-14T03:33:33.453-07:00Arts and Crafts: Weaving and Carving<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "";">Loom for the Handicapped</span></b></span><span style="font-family: ""; font-size: small;"><br />
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I have seen several types of weaving being done here. The traditional style of weaving is done on a hand loom,, but here is a modern improvement, specifically for the handicapped folks. There are quite a few folks here who have lost the use of their legs due to polio and there are associations that have a goal of making these folks self sufficient.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgSldfb2L2xi_SI9LeToohP0Wy5p-lmmN3Y-53_PyVDFWLUgaPsYr0_1JDkeiz_7MLZrppkmmbU74jN7iJ74L-bicTmtpNihdiBpkqOlS66y2XWMFLdwu-kQb2CDQyo7l9ccsD-Dn-3hs/s1600/handicappped+loom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgSldfb2L2xi_SI9LeToohP0Wy5p-lmmN3Y-53_PyVDFWLUgaPsYr0_1JDkeiz_7MLZrppkmmbU74jN7iJ74L-bicTmtpNihdiBpkqOlS66y2XWMFLdwu-kQb2CDQyo7l9ccsD-Dn-3hs/s400/handicappped+loom.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: ""; font-size: small;">Here is one of the men demonstrating the loom for me. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpovgWqWVIripIZOCm_CagPQDzRoJuMyOK3oca9nCbJNjS5Z5ew5x9kZQAPKUxZ4kdc-OPJVXDCbM7_M3uwgsWxykQm8xfG_C54PEy7x-5uSiUwoTc5hciUvWYp69eYPBKgKVDu7mCABA/s1600/man+at+handicapped+loom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpovgWqWVIripIZOCm_CagPQDzRoJuMyOK3oca9nCbJNjS5Z5ew5x9kZQAPKUxZ4kdc-OPJVXDCbM7_M3uwgsWxykQm8xfG_C54PEy7x-5uSiUwoTc5hciUvWYp69eYPBKgKVDu7mCABA/s320/man+at+handicapped+loom.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: ""; font-size: small;">A big difference between this and other looms used here is that you do not need to use your feet to work with this one. In his right hand you can see the shuttle he uses to throw the weft thread back and forth as he weaves. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: ""; font-size: small;"> </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: ""; font-size: small;">More Sophisticated Looms</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: ""; font-size: small;">South of Ouaga there is a woman’s group that another volunteer works with. Elizabeth and I visited their workshop. Here you can see the shed in which they work and how they keep the tension on the warp threads as they work weighted down with a pile of rocks. Primitive, but very effective.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0oegqAIz_vGfCskBlriPQ-Y7zp-9585VJs_Qd3Hd8e8ovsQPMAda5R8B4vIqwNG68aGB152YQ0lIn5lB3ORv-1Nb1Fjwi5U7ZmXfYfOyw2vvAH0GKOCJpFxrcmHEBdowwwI_hiQM88UQ/s1600/weaving+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0oegqAIz_vGfCskBlriPQ-Y7zp-9585VJs_Qd3Hd8e8ovsQPMAda5R8B4vIqwNG68aGB152YQ0lIn5lB3ORv-1Nb1Fjwi5U7ZmXfYfOyw2vvAH0GKOCJpFxrcmHEBdowwwI_hiQM88UQ/s400/weaving+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: ""; font-size: small;">It was interesting to see that the kinds of looms they were using were like those I saw on a visit to Greenfield Village, the living history museum in Greenfield, Michigan.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ""; font-size: small;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDltOxEvkfCi6G9nqwGa4suHMiyEUG63uHklStGoF3ibcpOEO8E1uM7hVhVQvxJr7YR677cHFiU7CV_ar6rl-GcvIC1Xk1HM3b4ddTHCRY7CT10BIl9mTWbOxSOn1XwwPEDQ-B4Rfc7Co/s1600/weaving+2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDltOxEvkfCi6G9nqwGa4suHMiyEUG63uHklStGoF3ibcpOEO8E1uM7hVhVQvxJr7YR677cHFiU7CV_ar6rl-GcvIC1Xk1HM3b4ddTHCRY7CT10BIl9mTWbOxSOn1XwwPEDQ-B4Rfc7Co/s400/weaving+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: ""; font-size: small;">As you can see above they sometimes use very bright colors, but some are much more subtle. This is one of the looms with four harnesses attached to pedals. By pressing different combinations of the four peddles with your feet you can make quite intricate designs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ""; font-size: small;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ371DvgSQaFBVlQ-nnYZ8c_jxEwBSV7SN5mZgk7ABN4hnQPRCFe1Ovgkz1GWGRwwr1QGDJp9v1XmAikvdBJXUA72al3r6M3Zv3mUy-h7kZa6pZDxqwYFIvmQztUS7_UKdCeUeWwwHLlc/s1600/weaving+3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ371DvgSQaFBVlQ-nnYZ8c_jxEwBSV7SN5mZgk7ABN4hnQPRCFe1Ovgkz1GWGRwwr1QGDJp9v1XmAikvdBJXUA72al3r6M3Zv3mUy-h7kZa6pZDxqwYFIvmQztUS7_UKdCeUeWwwHLlc/s400/weaving+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: ""; font-size: small;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "";">Carved Masks</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ""; font-size: small;">Masks play an important part in the traditional religion. They are used in various ceremonies, but they are also a popular tourist item, so many artists make them for the tourist trade. Here are a few that were on display at the place we stayed in Bobo.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ""; font-size: small;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOv8K5qi2iXELqZp8vENctKvYU5BCAR-wf5o5_DsAoIrP43R_lYwSHm0i1usXQ8ODCA6_YfyfggM2MvsYeOoFWNonc6ZEg3YPCEwqr_FwSw3lhmw_8zCHAzt7GDikTZhkRNcrP6YUpXFw/s1600/wood+masks.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOv8K5qi2iXELqZp8vENctKvYU5BCAR-wf5o5_DsAoIrP43R_lYwSHm0i1usXQ8ODCA6_YfyfggM2MvsYeOoFWNonc6ZEg3YPCEwqr_FwSw3lhmw_8zCHAzt7GDikTZhkRNcrP6YUpXFw/s400/wood+masks.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: ""; font-size: small;"> Here are some that were for sale at the</span><span style="font-family: ""; font-size: small;"> gift shops near the</span><span style="font-family: ""; font-size: small;"> Sabou sacred crocodiles.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ""; font-size: small;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG9Cvc12XItV0SP9n6MjSJDylNPDIEzG1GJM2gfkjvYjbPF9YiI_MhSnW9l66iK3uvAFyGS0ZptVOjrYa97ybnHODWTDAN8ALr-KMKOX7Up_76xrbxfWO9f7SfFPyNTMsDf6BJQ9sarhs/s1600/Sabou+Masks.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG9Cvc12XItV0SP9n6MjSJDylNPDIEzG1GJM2gfkjvYjbPF9YiI_MhSnW9l66iK3uvAFyGS0ZptVOjrYa97ybnHODWTDAN8ALr-KMKOX7Up_76xrbxfWO9f7SfFPyNTMsDf6BJQ9sarhs/s400/Sabou+Masks.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "";">By the way, one of my readers told me that there is a picture in the April 2012 National Geographic that shows a couple of children in Burkina Faso dressed in some of the more elaborate masks, not those made for tourists. Check them out on the back side of the front cover, I believe.</span><b><span style="font-family: "";"><br /></span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "";">Other Wood Carvings</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "";"> </span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ""; font-size: small;">Animal carvings are another popular tourist item. The carvers insisted that they were all ebony. I had to go check out the meaning of ebony, and found it means any dark wood and not the wood of any particular tree.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCEWit46UedYsJaNBQjZjRz-RCbBblOUAUeQJLU8ySOQwt5O96S3deXEaU2AA9dsUigqJshv6o4mxQ4apT_D3mHAcII5sxAz6E6Yds-osPjEkMdKi1Vs188G9BoYe7c0M7myobpWXBOxM/s1600/wood+carvings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCEWit46UedYsJaNBQjZjRz-RCbBblOUAUeQJLU8ySOQwt5O96S3deXEaU2AA9dsUigqJshv6o4mxQ4apT_D3mHAcII5sxAz6E6Yds-osPjEkMdKi1Vs188G9BoYe7c0M7myobpWXBOxM/s400/wood+carvings.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: ""; font-size: small;"> The human figure is a popular subject as well</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivBRfFyrF3r70jkBAfpoLLUZ2mLTNeL0D1XkWKfsV3FfFsKtEGLnxpRdVocBENRVqyahTJIkm0QwQ-wvGuEteIjvRD3vEoSSfjwQH27iLRqfVCcZ7l-4ndhTVbPm3bwIrg57JYLFg_q24/s1600/pounding+millet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga8zT9ec36YBFoJ2ZBQzV7KZ2RHSSaxr19uwpMMbmSSK0bkDav_M5XPBOsT6sfr4K8u1RAO0aldFUbRkRQPueZJHE1rqc69arJ3r-A-8NH6AlrAtWzeq43jtoaCaEZXJg3rkIdEaay4o0/s1600/wood+carvings2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga8zT9ec36YBFoJ2ZBQzV7KZ2RHSSaxr19uwpMMbmSSK0bkDav_M5XPBOsT6sfr4K8u1RAO0aldFUbRkRQPueZJHE1rqc69arJ3r-A-8NH6AlrAtWzeq43jtoaCaEZXJg3rkIdEaay4o0/s400/wood+carvings2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "";"> Drums</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "";"> </span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ""; font-size: small;">Traditional African drums are sometimes made from the things in which women pound millet. They are made from tree trunks, hollowed out so there is a depression in one end. As the women pound, the depression gets bigger. Here are a couple of my neighbor women pounding millet in one of these big mortars.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivBRfFyrF3r70jkBAfpoLLUZ2mLTNeL0D1XkWKfsV3FfFsKtEGLnxpRdVocBENRVqyahTJIkm0QwQ-wvGuEteIjvRD3vEoSSfjwQH27iLRqfVCcZ7l-4ndhTVbPm3bwIrg57JYLFg_q24/s1600/pounding+millet.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivBRfFyrF3r70jkBAfpoLLUZ2mLTNeL0D1XkWKfsV3FfFsKtEGLnxpRdVocBENRVqyahTJIkm0QwQ-wvGuEteIjvRD3vEoSSfjwQH27iLRqfVCcZ7l-4ndhTVbPm3bwIrg57JYLFg_q24/s400/pounding+millet.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: ""; font-size: small;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ""; font-size: small;">To make a traditional drum you just take one of these old mortars and stretch some kind of animal hide over it. That is the kind I saw at the music museum on Ouaga. In recent years, the drums have kept the same general shape, but they are now made from fresh wood, and carved specifically for this purpose.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA3gI00wA-XRUhK1yIGk5FFH8RmUd1WZEsFgWgOomKAMAY5a6tX31b2WMnpenlyCPj7zZLc3AsW1iksfzJ01PCZroadEM9M2h7gtZProge2yjDRPulIDAv8KJ6aYulJaQE1D6JwYw5UdM/s1600/making+Djembe+in+Bobo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA3gI00wA-XRUhK1yIGk5FFH8RmUd1WZEsFgWgOomKAMAY5a6tX31b2WMnpenlyCPj7zZLc3AsW1iksfzJ01PCZroadEM9M2h7gtZProge2yjDRPulIDAv8KJ6aYulJaQE1D6JwYw5UdM/s400/making+Djembe+in+Bobo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: ""; font-size: small;">Here is a baby one that I have hanging on my wall.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ""; font-size: small;">Here is a short video clip of people playing drum. The man closest to the camera is playing the djembe and the woman in yellow is playing one made from a big gourd. The rattle is a gourd covered with shells strung on a net around it. Click the link below to see and hear about 12 seconds of drumming.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://youtu.be/dMFl5jCk8GE">http://youtu.be/dMFl5jCk8GE</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "";">Rock carvings</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ""; font-size: small;">Near Ouaga is a place called Leongo that has been set aside for rock carving. As in many place around Burkina, there are lots of granite boulders poking up out of the ground. Someone got the idea of turning a bunch or stone carvers loose on this outcropping of rock, and the result is a very interesting tourist attraction. Every two years carvers from all over the world are invited to come, select a rock, and carve whatever they like. There are lots of carvings in a wide variety of styles. I will show you just a couple of examples.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjesE8_fOq58Lfw0mZs9qptzCCvQwnZYTwkjm4qIp1CWvwNrAE4nk4CqWEDdm1T0f_3JumjJtKCZ-mUk27AAghDg9h0LTwaYU_3RsSIoot8Zev0SEKz25aMlv8BJSNb6dSL6raT2jSK3xs/s1600/lady+in+the+rock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjesE8_fOq58Lfw0mZs9qptzCCvQwnZYTwkjm4qIp1CWvwNrAE4nk4CqWEDdm1T0f_3JumjJtKCZ-mUk27AAghDg9h0LTwaYU_3RsSIoot8Zev0SEKz25aMlv8BJSNb6dSL6raT2jSK3xs/s400/lady+in+the+rock.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNk8BS1UuWpvAB24qfG5l2TArapfj9yQ2HpWO84B6TMNHmGYpi-DsQy_5x7q7stsINdS_gHc5OMnqINQTq8qee_iqZ1iwTA1a9l_WudWvH0GZ8zUqj6SWIX0CqYV6lRCxQbAqLAEChSQE/s1600/talking+heads.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNk8BS1UuWpvAB24qfG5l2TArapfj9yQ2HpWO84B6TMNHmGYpi-DsQy_5x7q7stsINdS_gHc5OMnqINQTq8qee_iqZ1iwTA1a9l_WudWvH0GZ8zUqj6SWIX0CqYV6lRCxQbAqLAEChSQE/s400/talking+heads.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "";">Jewelry</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ""; font-size: small;">Jewelry is the kind of thing that is easy to take home as a souvenir. At the Artisan Village and at the gift shop at the home of the sacred crocodiles you find many choices. Things may be small like this little blue choker,</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYd6irGNlYAuG-KQkls_D_L-4thkIvq1Els6LEo64AQ79XSiPxQ0gBLwsTQj7sCeCYYnvGv8heE3QQOQHwELBCVHhVsmgArQ3sSlLjBLlBA0F6WkU0mmfI5WgXb-gG7Ly6B927lcg0KCU/s1600/choaker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYd6irGNlYAuG-KQkls_D_L-4thkIvq1Els6LEo64AQ79XSiPxQ0gBLwsTQj7sCeCYYnvGv8heE3QQOQHwELBCVHhVsmgArQ3sSlLjBLlBA0F6WkU0mmfI5WgXb-gG7Ly6B927lcg0KCU/s400/choaker.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: ""; font-size: small;">Or more elaborate, like this necklace and earrings. The earrings and large piece on the necklace are wood.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPDh44G0HxoP4tK7gG4UnCuhThtwkrHoRpMyD5fZQElwY1t5AynfKOKm3LBuIMQegy1e6brPEMPA7PQRP0GFR2v60pcUWcQh3f_ipdTdDYSB0u3x5GEEmvQ7_FEq8utMLEh-95dWUafcE/s1600/Necklace+and+earrings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPDh44G0HxoP4tK7gG4UnCuhThtwkrHoRpMyD5fZQElwY1t5AynfKOKm3LBuIMQegy1e6brPEMPA7PQRP0GFR2v60pcUWcQh3f_ipdTdDYSB0u3x5GEEmvQ7_FEq8utMLEh-95dWUafcE/s400/Necklace+and+earrings.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: ""; font-size: small;">Here is a selection of necklaces on display at the artisan village</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNSqeZKA9aImtmK9NtyZPvLzyabavsiVyziKt_rjbrNMO5LPfU_LEN19kCo7heUEyXmxZKdLBSB288VpollCtJvky8xlg7hG_ffM6ur2OZ0VvNG5PSmcjVoRss1rMj62ng8hHKrGKpX_0/s1600/necklesses.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNSqeZKA9aImtmK9NtyZPvLzyabavsiVyziKt_rjbrNMO5LPfU_LEN19kCo7heUEyXmxZKdLBSB288VpollCtJvky8xlg7hG_ffM6ur2OZ0VvNG5PSmcjVoRss1rMj62ng8hHKrGKpX_0/s400/necklesses.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: ""; font-size: small;">And some bracelets, too.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpCSZWMC0093x_B-35-ZsrK6eBl9sgIS-NH9JfyQP9Fngwo0zMcZzh7JiOQpN2mk3CtSNRrCFNj4oyMnn561HLIaVLjIaM3vnLvS6iuB7XTWtMEAWJp0f6_5Gsbuglyhz5nFxtd1qk0tc/s1600/braclettes.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpCSZWMC0093x_B-35-ZsrK6eBl9sgIS-NH9JfyQP9Fngwo0zMcZzh7JiOQpN2mk3CtSNRrCFNj4oyMnn561HLIaVLjIaM3vnLvS6iuB7XTWtMEAWJp0f6_5Gsbuglyhz5nFxtd1qk0tc/s400/braclettes.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: ""; font-size: small;"> </span></div>
</div>Jan Larsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01071152180888508161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8062165966315139675.post-89016504635995778432012-03-30T14:42:00.000-07:002012-03-30T14:42:32.178-07:00Artists Working with Bronze<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Bronze</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">One of the materials with which Burkinabè artists work is bronze. I checked out what bronze is supposed to be and it seems the term is used for any of a number of combinations of copper with other metals. Originally I think it meant copper and tin, but there are a number of other combinations that are still referred to as bronze. There are several streets in Ouagadougou where you find collections of shops selling things made from bronze, and bronze figures of various types are found in the tourist gift shops around the country.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I had a chance to follow the making of a bronze figure from start to finish. In this example, the artist, Mathias Kaboré, began by softening a lump of bees’ wax over a charcoal fire.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqMJhGZ13Qj9hkcY-uoDB1xABDbHq7cKNr7_xCMinPk32-kXddCgGjzhmM1-afP16zsoLArBa3C3t_jFKGG-5H3CdRn_gt766FuRz3u0mzO3wEOZ3qIp1jlIZdmh7bj3WE9uko-oSLiHg/s1600/softening+wax.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqMJhGZ13Qj9hkcY-uoDB1xABDbHq7cKNr7_xCMinPk32-kXddCgGjzhmM1-afP16zsoLArBa3C3t_jFKGG-5H3CdRn_gt766FuRz3u0mzO3wEOZ3qIp1jlIZdmh7bj3WE9uko-oSLiHg/s400/softening+wax.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> Then he formed a model of a little elephant. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ8OchYI-tnpIGoYbzt835Bbnj2cPBaEySIo0tBbE5x5Cpd349pJ04vRbkh6jyFFM4if_5k-9GahyphenhyphenkNOnVgWaY36QdMt2O8FfvoDhZCdB2TgZSAEdvnIZ4HPvCZxaQpCc5kwVp9sQO-e8/s1600/making+model.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ8OchYI-tnpIGoYbzt835Bbnj2cPBaEySIo0tBbE5x5Cpd349pJ04vRbkh6jyFFM4if_5k-9GahyphenhyphenkNOnVgWaY36QdMt2O8FfvoDhZCdB2TgZSAEdvnIZ4HPvCZxaQpCc5kwVp9sQO-e8/s400/making+model.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> The next step was to make a mold into which the bronze would be poured. To do this he mixed clay and donkey dung. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYpsVWsTavIGcYwVKhd4cPl1ajJ0PyUUoiAcF_gHS0X1aFqEWuT5x6Re_SWRpHcdbGS3yn3MYnDFUPXRS9dwHTYc5XbCGgBe6uaxlx6HFiXpqht8YVs24ugu9j-p_2lMuADOaWNywzdow/s1600/mixing+clay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYpsVWsTavIGcYwVKhd4cPl1ajJ0PyUUoiAcF_gHS0X1aFqEWuT5x6Re_SWRpHcdbGS3yn3MYnDFUPXRS9dwHTYc5XbCGgBe6uaxlx6HFiXpqht8YVs24ugu9j-p_2lMuADOaWNywzdow/s400/mixing+clay.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Then he covered the wax model with the clay mixture.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMKnE2dX5wmi5CxmASVxqCIhPyrIPBOSdux3SD4LBrOmzOIm3eLEXmUvy1xN8IBNVydr8Eo4tf9Onr8E32PfHXgjqcYMIZwcuJ9xsu9_rLcMtb854-zunzxIBJ8fFAl2gLfqkh-jFxRCQ/s1600/clay+on+model.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMKnE2dX5wmi5CxmASVxqCIhPyrIPBOSdux3SD4LBrOmzOIm3eLEXmUvy1xN8IBNVydr8Eo4tf9Onr8E32PfHXgjqcYMIZwcuJ9xsu9_rLcMtb854-zunzxIBJ8fFAl2gLfqkh-jFxRCQ/s400/clay+on+model.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Here is the model after several layers of clay have been added.</span> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSUxFu8tvWFxsEOgkKN6tJGxWklwU6M-g13MlTIyc3FX3LyIiRgNc-rEyeqWipGvqzmAa9E-s_qq6rKJoTb7OLfaXgObn6wECaQ5G41XS4S_QlYdu169wcWU2Kk4tCt_355Bvoyjbb9H0/s1600/finished+mold.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSUxFu8tvWFxsEOgkKN6tJGxWklwU6M-g13MlTIyc3FX3LyIiRgNc-rEyeqWipGvqzmAa9E-s_qq6rKJoTb7OLfaXgObn6wECaQ5G41XS4S_QlYdu169wcWU2Kk4tCt_355Bvoyjbb9H0/s400/finished+mold.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">After the clay has dried for several days, he and some of the other artisans built a small fire and put some molds they had made, including the little elephant, close to the coals.</span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">A while later they poured out into a can the wax that had been the model, so it could be used again. This method is called the lost wax method, because you lose the wax before you put the metal into the mold.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkkAbS1K8SDfwVG8T-FGG2NbIJRHV5nahUwpWgtkf6wtWV6GmxiZyl1FbhJpoLQsGCNSQRV6OzeARFJDlDrRuLz5U5w0ROlV6xfmoTUsbXupCGXMk3oIdO_9VBVKriSlNaR1dMjbkm3As/s1600/pouring+out+wax.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkkAbS1K8SDfwVG8T-FGG2NbIJRHV5nahUwpWgtkf6wtWV6GmxiZyl1FbhJpoLQsGCNSQRV6OzeARFJDlDrRuLz5U5w0ROlV6xfmoTUsbXupCGXMk3oIdO_9VBVKriSlNaR1dMjbkm3As/s400/pouring+out+wax.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">While the molds were heating, Matthew put some figures that had been cast that did not turn out right, some copper wire, and even an old door handle into a clay pot.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT51zopE3SK2stWOJJ-ibWivfzrarKP8Jb_Fmng0E-NbYpJi1buub_J_LtxtHyQlbPCuXUsA-BgR7RSeo17ongW8CfHH5epBlGkUCz_T22ZeL5OA5f7pg-gzt6UzK-aBTlmhpchcqXlLQ/s1600/scraps+to+go+into+the+pot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT51zopE3SK2stWOJJ-ibWivfzrarKP8Jb_Fmng0E-NbYpJi1buub_J_LtxtHyQlbPCuXUsA-BgR7RSeo17ongW8CfHH5epBlGkUCz_T22ZeL5OA5f7pg-gzt6UzK-aBTlmhpchcqXlLQ/s400/scraps+to+go+into+the+pot.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">This hole is their forge, the place where they melt the metal</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6GtuPx8IRrpRBmF_h5dg1CcfDZDzhs1jfvmPDdSR5WBviRIdf1Q0BdD8PeagGfstnSyNTM1cABqsHLJQ6Nn1XIPu2Xq1ZYsyjGTRo-V9uGMuuYxMLc6WpiJTcHR0HciWYpuqAKKfb6h8/s1600/forge+hole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6GtuPx8IRrpRBmF_h5dg1CcfDZDzhs1jfvmPDdSR5WBviRIdf1Q0BdD8PeagGfstnSyNTM1cABqsHLJQ6Nn1XIPu2Xq1ZYsyjGTRo-V9uGMuuYxMLc6WpiJTcHR0HciWYpuqAKKfb6h8/s400/forge+hole.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">They filled the hole part way with charcoal, threw in some embers from the fire, and added the pot. Then they covered all of it with more charcoal.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">To get it hot, one of the fellows would sit in the shade of a trap and turn an old bicycle wheel. The belt around the wheel goes around a small axel in a fan that blows air into the forge. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-uRZRn7YBUBg4yjCDNw0jHpPknWGFew4Xk4ypmryTjocac9-ZGsEDj5m30DaeZEV3zSnRlSWLWngZEItDBo-Jxtfjmq9EUK1SSD0L3H4Uz4IyTwavYdNnu-wAAsYt1av-obgO-q7YjNw/s1600/wheel+and+fan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-uRZRn7YBUBg4yjCDNw0jHpPknWGFew4Xk4ypmryTjocac9-ZGsEDj5m30DaeZEV3zSnRlSWLWngZEItDBo-Jxtfjmq9EUK1SSD0L3H4Uz4IyTwavYdNnu-wAAsYt1av-obgO-q7YjNw/s400/wheel+and+fan.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> They claim the temperature in the forge reaches 1000 degrees Celsius. I didn’t have any way to check the temperature, but it sure was hot.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">While the various metals were melting together in the forge, they built up a fire over and around the molds. This was to get them hot so that they would not crack when the hot metal was poured into them.</span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Finally the metal was all melted together, and the clay pot was removed from the forge. They used a ladle to skim off the impurities like little pieces of charcoal, and them ladled the hot metal into the molds.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">After only a short time (about 15 minutes), they broke off the clay to reveal the metal figures.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlcsHetQ-ZaBhabf_gOUaVdNbEi4G9_Sl5TJp5Lqs-U0fml5e3mc67nTPa_VjAr6XSARGlHlPkkx7AVCPVr7GN-AqAeZWXbinoMdcD7PsxmyPYrtE56W0nl6GaXDHh2SKUEzz46_gPwPA/s1600/breaking+clay+off+mold.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlcsHetQ-ZaBhabf_gOUaVdNbEi4G9_Sl5TJp5Lqs-U0fml5e3mc67nTPa_VjAr6XSARGlHlPkkx7AVCPVr7GN-AqAeZWXbinoMdcD7PsxmyPYrtE56W0nl6GaXDHh2SKUEzz46_gPwPA/s400/breaking+clay+off+mold.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I had to go back another day to see the final step. This consists of scraping off any remaining clay and polishing the figure to a shine with a file as this artisan is doing to a lion he made.</span> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz-NmBSa6x3ihykrQHrlxrnHRnZyskdF5TxeBaDqP-QxOVIad2fM1aL8k1P2f_MXtjkyD6nTkukgIHrLN-rxLbC7FrrIGgVrzL5Ml4tv92C-0Gbpk2rAZT7r7_2LAiwYj21rsPQSm92_Y/s1600/polishing+lion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz-NmBSa6x3ihykrQHrlxrnHRnZyskdF5TxeBaDqP-QxOVIad2fM1aL8k1P2f_MXtjkyD6nTkukgIHrLN-rxLbC7FrrIGgVrzL5Ml4tv92C-0Gbpk2rAZT7r7_2LAiwYj21rsPQSm92_Y/s400/polishing+lion.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Here is the little elephant that emerged from that clay mold, after it was polished.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTX8YL6ONleNJxjpc-dcZBREczVEkeHx75T_P3I3RtxJ8qqGxh-hWxvf2irlcMgiKsjSjiq1xIba43BCF5USKABBSkCAQuveys8hECLM_FEJ6ql7aGq-4KTDgn0EKQq2EKUjW898FqOxc/s1600/finished+elephant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTX8YL6ONleNJxjpc-dcZBREczVEkeHx75T_P3I3RtxJ8qqGxh-hWxvf2irlcMgiKsjSjiq1xIba43BCF5USKABBSkCAQuveys8hECLM_FEJ6ql7aGq-4KTDgn0EKQq2EKUjW898FqOxc/s400/finished+elephant.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Now let me introduce the men who showed me how this is done, posing with some of their creations. I have listed the e-mail addresses of the two who gave them to me, in case anyone is interested in contacting them.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM8vORgFPXaT13HrDmk-aG_VOqiqMTJwBf2xZtgZVO4yUECo15O7J7hlB_7VyGEMJRtK_WrZ4KRuxSPjsieX4cSSC9unY2a5evUj9v-2OETopTpHuNabrgj3hE2gWcFEmpD7qJsCgCJ3g/s1600/mathias.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM8vORgFPXaT13HrDmk-aG_VOqiqMTJwBf2xZtgZVO4yUECo15O7J7hlB_7VyGEMJRtK_WrZ4KRuxSPjsieX4cSSC9unY2a5evUj9v-2OETopTpHuNabrgj3hE2gWcFEmpD7qJsCgCJ3g/s400/mathias.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="FR" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Mathias Kaboré, </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="mailto:KAMAKA46@YAHOO.FR"><span lang="FR">KAMAKA46@YAHOO.FR</span></a></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeuP50d-iDwRx6PqR55D1hN-cG_Oso_IzvuqP2t8_Iz82OL4oeQkFRe2yn-G8Mg7QXUYMzkxRsChAu1NLv6gZCF6HZ-7Vns1iUpAI6d59T0Ot0QAka4tIVAQRuVthGC-GuRIq7jj68a0U/s1600/paul.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeuP50d-iDwRx6PqR55D1hN-cG_Oso_IzvuqP2t8_Iz82OL4oeQkFRe2yn-G8Mg7QXUYMzkxRsChAu1NLv6gZCF6HZ-7Vns1iUpAI6d59T0Ot0QAka4tIVAQRuVthGC-GuRIq7jj68a0U/s400/paul.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Paul Zongo</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr0XeQwKfKFuxfNvPI7vMa-hg55o-84f8yP5okov4JJoIFE6KYiV9jo1N9YzdjLlw3ur8zDsnlScpmpIT7frGy_UKJdPk2oAd19qwKWa1gi_mjHdlqER99qTo7E2gPB5KtcxPRazxZC7U/s1600/jean+baptiste.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr0XeQwKfKFuxfNvPI7vMa-hg55o-84f8yP5okov4JJoIFE6KYiV9jo1N9YzdjLlw3ur8zDsnlScpmpIT7frGy_UKJdPk2oAd19qwKWa1gi_mjHdlqER99qTo7E2gPB5KtcxPRazxZC7U/s400/jean+baptiste.jpg" width="285" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="FR" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Jean Baptiste Balima <a href="mailto:Jean.Balima@yahoo.fr">Jean.Balima@yahoo.fr</a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="mailto:KAMAKA46@YAHOO.FR"><span lang="FR"></span></a></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-eub4JW0UsmGUxdnFTX63tBYjBKnHeaLfZ9ypkPKVcquzFouXVhwAOBe-O9AnF1Bfa2f1_qg27gevkSnLf3P0S8DwrXVWVHYEew-MUGBxzs63emaccWaOz4J3s4luK80jLi3JcjkTjf0/s1600/Soumaida.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-eub4JW0UsmGUxdnFTX63tBYjBKnHeaLfZ9ypkPKVcquzFouXVhwAOBe-O9AnF1Bfa2f1_qg27gevkSnLf3P0S8DwrXVWVHYEew-MUGBxzs63emaccWaOz4J3s4luK80jLi3JcjkTjf0/s400/Soumaida.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="FR" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Soumaida Kièmtoré</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3HZft_kOkMDb9W-KXD6LhAGtOGCe_Pi1RWDyIhX-D6zeyOMm80M4Ihgikc-93nWinWqlago6ddiNPeud9aY2Le-hRHfXwm_KFEEU-rj8Sszhea6MRkBnbyOLnUoar3GIDVB7tUn4UQZ0/s1600/Nassirou.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3HZft_kOkMDb9W-KXD6LhAGtOGCe_Pi1RWDyIhX-D6zeyOMm80M4Ihgikc-93nWinWqlago6ddiNPeud9aY2Le-hRHfXwm_KFEEU-rj8Sszhea6MRkBnbyOLnUoar3GIDVB7tUn4UQZ0/s400/Nassirou.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="FR" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Nassirou Kièmtoré</span></td></tr>
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<b>Other Bronze Methods</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">There is a slight variation on this theme, if you want to make a lot of things that are very similar. You begin as Mathias did, above, but instead of covering your wax figure with clay, you cover it with plaster of Paris. Then, you cut through the mold to remove the wax figure. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMcZdMcvbOc3rUf0T6iksIzQ6P84kultqluMLSTM44XfK_gUbzgxCc5XafwlYCM66yACNRqDF6x8Si1JU_PlVtfxUv9Isd6_oF8oZiJajcqow8qwn9BtUoQLygfKur16yWM8XU8t5cx1U/s1600/plaster+mold.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMcZdMcvbOc3rUf0T6iksIzQ6P84kultqluMLSTM44XfK_gUbzgxCc5XafwlYCM66yACNRqDF6x8Si1JU_PlVtfxUv9Isd6_oF8oZiJajcqow8qwn9BtUoQLygfKur16yWM8XU8t5cx1U/s400/plaster+mold.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Now you have a mold you can use over and over to make wax figures that you cover with clay, dry, bake out the wax, and fill with bronze, as you saw in my story above. The virtue is that you do not have to model the figure each time.</span></div>Jan Larsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15410126460616145198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8062165966315139675.post-62669764969644223942012-03-25T07:09:00.000-07:002012-03-25T07:09:03.455-07:00Treasures From Trash and Batik Making<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">From Trash to Treasures</span></b><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I have commented before on the problem of trash here. As I have pointed out, in the old days, anything you didn’t want could be tossed on the ground and, after a few months, it would biodegrade and become dirt. With the introduction of plastic bags, along with plastic and metal containers, trash has become a problem, because these things do not biodegrade. Because of the custom of just throwing trash on the ground or over the wall of your courtyard, and the lack of any organized rubbish disposal, things can get pretty ugly.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">One of the big contributors to the trash problem is the plastic bags merchants put things in when you make a purchase. In Bobo there is a women’s organization that uses discarded plastic bags to make things. </span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTyAUWzIECC8-IbwS6MpXWc7gwpwLgX0SehPKASo-hiDnzPg2VA4MujG54WXcFEzoyzgsvRJu7BBWqU0dhGXuSVf8txZeGx09SA0ivXUxVs96oYCxdv1P0aF-X3-cFiwFEodW7YklkOvw/s1600/recycle+sign.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTyAUWzIECC8-IbwS6MpXWc7gwpwLgX0SehPKASo-hiDnzPg2VA4MujG54WXcFEzoyzgsvRJu7BBWqU0dhGXuSVf8txZeGx09SA0ivXUxVs96oYCxdv1P0aF-X3-cFiwFEodW7YklkOvw/s400/recycle+sign.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> First they go out and collect them from the streets and wash them. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijsxj3TyVAQAz6Q1eAsch79n78kS_LtvaBSnOt5_Esy5gA_k1eQ4IO0am8FVPlRmqNxbyEHrlC8ItcV1EeyeU2Yara-OonquN52doOHxOmUKmXtYaIQIdK6EXVq0yjEjjR3bUYWeulUUA/s1600/bags+to+recycle.jpg"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijsxj3TyVAQAz6Q1eAsch79n78kS_LtvaBSnOt5_Esy5gA_k1eQ4IO0am8FVPlRmqNxbyEHrlC8ItcV1EeyeU2Yara-OonquN52doOHxOmUKmXtYaIQIdK6EXVq0yjEjjR3bUYWeulUUA/s320/bags+to+recycle.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> Then they cut them into narrow strips, twist the plastic so it is quite thin, and then weave it between black threads so it looks like this material the woman is cutting. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii1IAXuE592iLv07w_pWLOpz0ivxXQ6f2f2d_RDUgF0n4idc8dNLVQZA2hnExwBx2Mfcx-vkyfi0XaO147-LrkwPpCR-kZwsJ2p1_hmj4DJ5oTEwEkz9Oo44EuBRy5PK-H6x4vpoBvj6w/s1600/bag+material.jpg"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii1IAXuE592iLv07w_pWLOpz0ivxXQ6f2f2d_RDUgF0n4idc8dNLVQZA2hnExwBx2Mfcx-vkyfi0XaO147-LrkwPpCR-kZwsJ2p1_hmj4DJ5oTEwEkz9Oo44EuBRy5PK-H6x4vpoBvj6w/s320/bag+material.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> Then they sew pieces together to create useful things.. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJpSSf0WoyPRVKTTBefLDeh9OqagBTaP5YJVcpW-FO7IJPCjmog69uVDgyuFTVl9IDgbKWsUTJhK9MVYtfzqogFhE_DwrNw4wHqYBx79gUJS0Tc4TQtDeOGEAJquWhPunTC4ZcXjkkRzs/s1600/recycle+2.jpg"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJpSSf0WoyPRVKTTBefLDeh9OqagBTaP5YJVcpW-FO7IJPCjmog69uVDgyuFTVl9IDgbKWsUTJhK9MVYtfzqogFhE_DwrNw4wHqYBx79gUJS0Tc4TQtDeOGEAJquWhPunTC4ZcXjkkRzs/s320/recycle+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> Here is their display room where you can see the many types of purses and bags they created from this material. Once when I went there, there was even a jacket made from these recycled bags. I am sorry that I did not take its picture! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbgleiup7CHLnJzrnO6pOiW5MaBhMIL3KQ5mIl-R5yDu6ZTf3kcnYNUumf-P0jJj8H5GYTFEuP97iIBze9xjl_rRotbBWbLlaqBUtw2fn6aAm4OYP5VsJT2MqyDwvF0ko2wDK_pcybY84/s1600/bags+from+recycled+bags.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbgleiup7CHLnJzrnO6pOiW5MaBhMIL3KQ5mIl-R5yDu6ZTf3kcnYNUumf-P0jJj8H5GYTFEuP97iIBze9xjl_rRotbBWbLlaqBUtw2fn6aAm4OYP5VsJT2MqyDwvF0ko2wDK_pcybY84/s400/bags+from+recycled+bags.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> Many of the things I will show you here and in future blogs about arts and crafts were on display, and being made, at a place in the capital, Ouagadougou, called the Artisan Village. People have workshops here where you can see them making their products, and, of course, buy things. Here is a man making wooden boxes that he will cover with leather from a camel.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK6fOyjJUWS7wS160gYfYBWbefyylEgHvFTqcJpEhyphenhyphendoazqlGzUKMG3GKi7gcKtDxr7HyhlKUXY4CB3GuwN9g8qrn7ntWOPzbfUk3OMy-rjYhSq5UTsRW1Z-iqu4mZ3V1_h9wrtheZ548/s1600/making+boxes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK6fOyjJUWS7wS160gYfYBWbefyylEgHvFTqcJpEhyphenhyphendoazqlGzUKMG3GKi7gcKtDxr7HyhlKUXY4CB3GuwN9g8qrn7ntWOPzbfUk3OMy-rjYhSq5UTsRW1Z-iqu4mZ3V1_h9wrtheZ548/s400/making+boxes.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> The people who make this are originally from the desert regions of Burkina Faso and Mali. Here are just a few of the kinds of boxes they make. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTE-HGpinVVTlo0znn4qiH_E3IV8nbfYSuRv1xb0LpP1uT0oyWu6kJwR21bVqiWPlU1GdyC7UHNshEmNRLRNba58g5UlxJZukEff25VImwvQsySr-2a357JkEvBt29ZUKPo8jzMNXfXGA/s1600/leather+boxes.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTE-HGpinVVTlo0znn4qiH_E3IV8nbfYSuRv1xb0LpP1uT0oyWu6kJwR21bVqiWPlU1GdyC7UHNshEmNRLRNba58g5UlxJZukEff25VImwvQsySr-2a357JkEvBt29ZUKPo8jzMNXfXGA/s400/leather+boxes.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Another craft is making things from horns of various animals.I believe these are from cattle. </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEietVoMfbCkuqiKQs4zhUQSKlH2jKiwwXde-87H45rW9HDZkYEoLNmUgTpGHMSyFX018F4KMo8rPIHj7cMJi9xgexVycJzkLbQQOuFD0J7qUPZhKiVj9YsgZtHM3H1HNYvK8Q1JdK-UOHM/s1600/things+from+horn.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEietVoMfbCkuqiKQs4zhUQSKlH2jKiwwXde-87H45rW9HDZkYEoLNmUgTpGHMSyFX018F4KMo8rPIHj7cMJi9xgexVycJzkLbQQOuFD0J7qUPZhKiVj9YsgZtHM3H1HNYvK8Q1JdK-UOHM/s400/things+from+horn.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Toys and other useful objects from Trash</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Some of the things we saw used bottle caps to make various items. How would you like earrings made from the bottle caps of your favorite beverage? (Shades of Luna Lovegood in Harry Potter?) </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4h5Vb4Ng_zpDobH_5AunlhYacNKDztVY1D_R1jz9RTUDvC3xB9wdv8OyZ65t1Dg5F5UhLyBwC150AAlKViHsG7TBg2xwiK9XMW75tZGBw_hMvYJso05OECZS2apGxtnzKfWq3I_zhdgI/s1600/jewlery+from+bottle+caps.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4h5Vb4Ng_zpDobH_5AunlhYacNKDztVY1D_R1jz9RTUDvC3xB9wdv8OyZ65t1Dg5F5UhLyBwC150AAlKViHsG7TBg2xwiK9XMW75tZGBw_hMvYJso05OECZS2apGxtnzKfWq3I_zhdgI/s400/jewlery+from+bottle+caps.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Or maybe a wastebasket, lamp or magazine rack decorated with bottle tops? </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtASnsadA6j6B-yLCNCA9P2FlXaNTOvYWyxPZGkKxs1RuTmC2zSeEeSXaqoJmBf9kaf7nwbgn4jW-uBhEoCiNce4at_5wIbLDuvWH6wOG9dKx3SZUEvagxTzuGTHr2YTWu63RQ9omhaZA/s1600/objects+from+trash.jpg"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtASnsadA6j6B-yLCNCA9P2FlXaNTOvYWyxPZGkKxs1RuTmC2zSeEeSXaqoJmBf9kaf7nwbgn4jW-uBhEoCiNce4at_5wIbLDuvWH6wOG9dKx3SZUEvagxTzuGTHr2YTWu63RQ9omhaZA/s320/objects+from+trash.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">People also use discarded cans to created models of things like motorcycles,</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ-sydtAflXRLCMCnv0b-2JI6cstb3BgIhmXZIa2NgqW-G5WyE5Ax2K3VaiORmUejmLxmPYlilNkrEDuPmcrGX4dnD8-GXskUTyziTzrqB-TGilI32yKgFlsNwT45kO4lp-ywSlRmYlRM/s1600/motos+from+trash.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ-sydtAflXRLCMCnv0b-2JI6cstb3BgIhmXZIa2NgqW-G5WyE5Ax2K3VaiORmUejmLxmPYlilNkrEDuPmcrGX4dnD8-GXskUTyziTzrqB-TGilI32yKgFlsNwT45kO4lp-ywSlRmYlRM/s400/motos+from+trash.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> bicycles</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3-CsY_bIKyZ7q26BvsfvgjGCeMWooMAitOpUa7y_m6eVZY6_E5ljv7HEyOrQq4rgzH2QrzD-NhC_XlXdxTJau14ApAU9Jf6Ai0835cKJddN8B5TnruASebrc9toKz55dska7ztTA3kxY/s1600/bike+models.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3-CsY_bIKyZ7q26BvsfvgjGCeMWooMAitOpUa7y_m6eVZY6_E5ljv7HEyOrQq4rgzH2QrzD-NhC_XlXdxTJau14ApAU9Jf6Ai0835cKJddN8B5TnruASebrc9toKz55dska7ztTA3kxY/s400/bike+models.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;">and cameras.</div></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwLD8Gaw6_d3mV-tZu7D5DwbWfpIeLqJ8Ni2BNJESy5jILHWr6PTxOPX0lrGuWugukQV5ycd46KQrtXSxR3yWxwzm9lT0pJI_K3ak_aNA2_gOHp9jmyyS-HxyRcmbOV8OKDBJd0NWmHOQ/s1600/cameras+from+trash.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwLD8Gaw6_d3mV-tZu7D5DwbWfpIeLqJ8Ni2BNJESy5jILHWr6PTxOPX0lrGuWugukQV5ycd46KQrtXSxR3yWxwzm9lT0pJI_K3ak_aNA2_gOHp9jmyyS-HxyRcmbOV8OKDBJd0NWmHOQ/s400/cameras+from+trash.jpg" width="400" /></a><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></b></div><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Batik Making</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I suspect you have seen batiks, and perhaps have even make them in art classes. Batik wall hangings are very common tourist items and I like them a lot. I have several of them decorating my house as you may have seen in earlier blogs. Here is how you make them. You sketch out the design you want to make and cover most of it with wax. You put the material in dye, and the parts that were not protected with wax pick up the color of the dye. Here are some batiks in the making, drying after being in the red dye. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMP1OEho2YrCeg_DUTf8jN0rHK1L1KA2Xz_K3dylwzR1Jwl2QJhOnK7flFXTpB6Tdovwp1vplNHXFvVGjcE7gV3kvo8E6VamYWVlSxLIH4Do2rjh5LmRb5lRnX8HsZ2wgN2Nc4PrN6WE0/s1600/batiques+drying.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMP1OEho2YrCeg_DUTf8jN0rHK1L1KA2Xz_K3dylwzR1Jwl2QJhOnK7flFXTpB6Tdovwp1vplNHXFvVGjcE7gV3kvo8E6VamYWVlSxLIH4Do2rjh5LmRb5lRnX8HsZ2wgN2Nc4PrN6WE0/s400/batiques+drying.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">When your work is dry, you iron out all the wax and cover all but the areas you want to be the next color with a new coat of wax. Here a man is protecting the sky (that he is painting black) in the background from the dye he is going to put the cloth in next. Some things in the picture may get several layers of dye to make a darker color.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXTUhaDg_w-AcPtMdpRUa_a0FjlSSIYWUhPSGxdbxdKTsBLxDArJRKxfw-SMJur3ylJH1kUqBj9kluzJCsUQTXbnmlCGSb5u-SM_6PcX4Qg2Acc4VPEt42tk-0D6wGWGx6ZdkfHWvZ70E/s1600/putting+wax+on+a+batique.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXTUhaDg_w-AcPtMdpRUa_a0FjlSSIYWUhPSGxdbxdKTsBLxDArJRKxfw-SMJur3ylJH1kUqBj9kluzJCsUQTXbnmlCGSb5u-SM_6PcX4Qg2Acc4VPEt42tk-0D6wGWGx6ZdkfHWvZ70E/s400/putting+wax+on+a+batique.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">One of the features of the batik process is that, when you put the material into the dye, the wax tends to crack along the fold lines, resulting in tiny lines in the parts that have been covered with wax throughout the dying, as you can see in this close-up picture. It is one of the signatures of the batik process. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFEDGSG6z-F8Pvv4f9EpzZWXth4t5HJ0gpybFsPDVAq2XV9OtsSjeBgCAPxztF3OTT55575FspUgFFqGwWLBCYspLE8-5SpAavoFBr1QFBLTeNUoYoJ7UfYhXBr6cLT0LBiL24yUPMPjY/s1600/batik+closeup.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFEDGSG6z-F8Pvv4f9EpzZWXth4t5HJ0gpybFsPDVAq2XV9OtsSjeBgCAPxztF3OTT55575FspUgFFqGwWLBCYspLE8-5SpAavoFBr1QFBLTeNUoYoJ7UfYhXBr6cLT0LBiL24yUPMPjY/s400/batik+closeup.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">After several repetitions of this process, you have the finished product. Here are several examples, shown by their creators. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8EGjoRou1R-yehSqMgKvuDPXxB5w1Hp07HgTAtMruFwSf1fY_4dVHIaian4LXUX2hqIEkqciUK4M7lXfJv9Tb70ZTnsPhr6SDaW7VTBLeLmoO7GctpmmQmKGu_epq7Xy7MdAsCR4uevw/s1600/artist+with+batik+1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8EGjoRou1R-yehSqMgKvuDPXxB5w1Hp07HgTAtMruFwSf1fY_4dVHIaian4LXUX2hqIEkqciUK4M7lXfJv9Tb70ZTnsPhr6SDaW7VTBLeLmoO7GctpmmQmKGu_epq7Xy7MdAsCR4uevw/s400/artist+with+batik+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnu7CABDShtMpE8p56MDfm3VWIRjI07lphfCUkBtuiHO__AjKd5cJw-M006-zx_5fosDk3eL36J2wAziHbrLJTczd0VmloVwFwa890Uxs09W9bdd1ecAx4YB_aHUcScOcaA3rKS-F2qJ8/s1600/big+batiques.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjELVXNIHHrma4qvkLLMxo1hP7TLsiPazfk_WufSgny51fARaDPcJSaJsuYqJpt1JNL4jnlLUOKiIY8WB7IwzC8LdP2YmQBNU_XNAk2ZUnnZOvnleH8SZNVU_TUJStbnGH1J9iMYRWC76k/s1600/elephant+batiques.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjELVXNIHHrma4qvkLLMxo1hP7TLsiPazfk_WufSgny51fARaDPcJSaJsuYqJpt1JNL4jnlLUOKiIY8WB7IwzC8LdP2YmQBNU_XNAk2ZUnnZOvnleH8SZNVU_TUJStbnGH1J9iMYRWC76k/s400/elephant+batiques.jpg" width="400" /> </a> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnu7CABDShtMpE8p56MDfm3VWIRjI07lphfCUkBtuiHO__AjKd5cJw-M006-zx_5fosDk3eL36J2wAziHbrLJTczd0VmloVwFwa890Uxs09W9bdd1ecAx4YB_aHUcScOcaA3rKS-F2qJ8/s1600/big+batiques.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnu7CABDShtMpE8p56MDfm3VWIRjI07lphfCUkBtuiHO__AjKd5cJw-M006-zx_5fosDk3eL36J2wAziHbrLJTczd0VmloVwFwa890Uxs09W9bdd1ecAx4YB_aHUcScOcaA3rKS-F2qJ8/s400/big+batiques.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div></div>Jan Larsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15410126460616145198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8062165966315139675.post-61324685377255287182012-03-19T02:50:00.000-07:002012-03-19T02:50:12.332-07:00Another Musical Adventure<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">First, a note about Camp G<sup>2</sup>LOW</span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Thanks to all of you who have generously contributed to support the Leo Camp G<sup>2</sup>LOW.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our camp has reached our fund raising goal, but two of the other camps are still in need of support. If you were thinking about making a contribution, please consider donating to Camp Fafa where the Burkinabè have taken the lead in planning the camp. They do not have as many Peace Corps volunteers helping with fundraising from America. They have same purpose, to give a summer camp experience, leadership training, and education for a healthy life style to Burkinabè youth and any help will be appreciated.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Another musical adventure</span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Last Sunday my friend Nadine, one of the English teachers at the Lycée, told me that there was to be a musical performance that evening at the one “night club” in my little town, called Point Jeune.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was the same place where the wedding reception was held I told you about in an earlier blog. She invited me to go with her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We arrived at 7:30 for the 8:00 performance, not being sure whether there would be a big crowd or not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, when we arrived, they told us that the poster advertising the event had been printed wrong and that the concert was to start at 9:00, not 8:00.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rather than go home we went inside to have a Fanta and wait.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They had a big sound system blasting popular African dance music.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were 5 or 6 boys about 10-12 years old dancing on the platform that serves as a stage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were interesting to watch. One of them was particularly good and a man who had also believed the advertisement, and was there early, watched them for a while and then tipped the one boy who was particularly good, asking him to dance some more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the basic steps seemed to be shifting weight from toes to heels and back again, while turning the feet, thus moving sideways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another involved taking a stance with feet wide apart and then moving the knees toward and away from each other. Now that I have described them, I think they are a bit similar to some of the moves in American dances from the 1920s, but definitely with an African twist. Maybe that is where the Charleston came from. The boy who was especially good seemed to know all the selections being played and seemed to have routines worked out for each one, with hand gestures, pointing up or out, or touching the floor, punctuating the dance when there was an appropriate place in the music.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The music was blasting so loud that I stuffed kleenx into my ears to protect them a bit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wish I had thought to take my ear plugs! It seemed that each boy was dancing for himself and paid no attention to what the others were doing.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">About 8:30 a rather large group of French people arrived en mass. I recognized a couple of the men as folks I had run into at the Lycée on Thursday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They had been handing out little slips of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>pink paper on which were a couple of coffins with people in them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was curious what it was all about so I introduced myself to them and asked them about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They said they were advertising a movie about AIDS that would be shown at Point Jeune that evening. There would be one in French, followed by the same one in Moore, the local language. I had not realized that they had a group of young people with them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It turned out that the whole reason for the musical performer giving a concert was because this was the group’s last night in Burkina Faso after spending some time here going around the country presenting their AIDS program. The young people immediately took over the platform for dancing and the young local boys were shooed out by the manager. I don’t think they had paid admission and the manager had allowed them to come in to dance until the program got started.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The young French students, who looked to be late high school or early college age, danced in what I expect was a style Americans would recognize.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Several times they formed a loose circle and one by one people would go into the middle and do some move of their choice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Others would then imitate that movement or step.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For other selections they seemed to know a particular set of movements to go with the song and everybody did the same thing (a bit like line dancing).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One song seemed to be something about elephants, and several of the young people waved an arm in front of their faces, like elephant trunks, each time that word came up in the song, and then joined hands in a line and ran in a circle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eventually the talked to the “disk jockey” who was selecting the music from a computer, and got him to play “It's Time for Africa,” a song you may have heard in the US. They had a whole dance routine worked out that was pretty impressive. The contrast between the “each boy for himself” style of the Burkinabè and the group interaction was interesting. It might be age, but I am inclined to think it is cultural. Or maybe it was because these young people were all friends who had just shared a big adventure and they were having a last fling before going home.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">About 9:30 the management folks seemed to be getting ready to present the artist, but, instead, a Burkinabè and two of the boys in the French group took the stage, the Burkinabè with the African instrument called a kora, and the French boys with a violin and a clarinet. It was clear that the man had been working with them to try to find a way they could play together. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9IKaCs9gcjGzfuZq2N2jaoYGsKxTRKTrFKV7eoErc2Kip8U40ftqhMHzJ6lItY11fi4Ubxsk4b-C6EHifC-IGYt8UjXATVG7WYjrTMjz2rh7s-PWfDv5NdXKBhswOjXfruecdJh4JFmw/s1600/Trio+at+PJ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9IKaCs9gcjGzfuZq2N2jaoYGsKxTRKTrFKV7eoErc2Kip8U40ftqhMHzJ6lItY11fi4Ubxsk4b-C6EHifC-IGYt8UjXATVG7WYjrTMjz2rh7s-PWfDv5NdXKBhswOjXfruecdJh4JFmw/s320/Trio+at+PJ.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">After that, the French students took over the microphone, thanking the adults who had been with them on the trip and the manager of Point Jeune, and then they did their “It's Time for Africa” routine again. It was quite good, but the video I made of it did not come out. Not enough light.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">After some more adjustment of equipment, the featured performer finally took the stage about 10:15.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He played an amplified acoustical guitar and I could remove my improvised ear plugs and actually enjoy the music. He had a great singing voice and played very well, accompanying himself on all his numbers, although he occasionally had the computer guy play some pre-recorded backup tracks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He did one number with the kora player, but otherwise it was a solo act. He sang in French until the French group left, because they had to be in Ouaga by 7 the next morning to get their plane, and then he switched to Moore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I guess the lyrics in Moore were pretty amusing because most of the audience laughed and seemed to be enjoying the songs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While he sung in French and Moore and I could not understand the words, the rhythm and basic style reminded me of 1960’s folk music.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He taught a call and response chorus to one of his songs to get the audience involved and encouraged people to sing along or clap with the music. About 11:30 Nadine and I made our exit because I had to be at the Lycée for a 7:00 class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was sorry they had not started the program a bit earlier because I really enjoyed his performance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All in all it was an interesting evening and a different kind of Burkinabè music than I had heard before.</span></div>Jan Larsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15410126460616145198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8062165966315139675.post-43691562106377124292012-03-10T13:57:00.000-08:002012-03-10T13:57:15.829-08:00International Women’s Day<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7KGhxlTEt92Hlgm6QtUMfrDvCuXT5tyH3E5LW0Re8PAMrFUoXkwyda22bpLzgRBwhwk_x_KkO_fGR3QGCsOLueqxXP5VRycVs7upWvBKpIDhUSzPlG3cQrdklj0MZGSTkhi5AJGG_7po/s1600/funeral+pagna.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">International Women’s Day</span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Did you know that March 8 is International Women’s Day? I did not, until I came to Burkina Faso. Here it is a national holiday, with no school and with celebrations all over the country. Last year our local festivities were canceled because of the civil unrest you may have heard about in the news. This year I did get to go to see what happens at a Women’s Day celebration.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Pagnes for the event</span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">First I should explain that there is a custom here for people here who want to show that they are “together” at a big event to wear clothes made from the same material. As I have mentioned, you buy cloth in 2 yard lengths of 45 inch material referred to as a pagne. You use the same word to talk about the pattern on the material. For example, here is a picture I took at a funeral I attended where many of the members of the deceased’s family wore clothes made from the same material—all those folks standing together wearing clothes made from the same pagne. I should mention that the woman actually died in January 2010 and the funeral was held in February 2012. That is a normal length of time between the internment and the funeral mass with the dedication of the tomb, which you see here.</span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7KGhxlTEt92Hlgm6QtUMfrDvCuXT5tyH3E5LW0Re8PAMrFUoXkwyda22bpLzgRBwhwk_x_KkO_fGR3QGCsOLueqxXP5VRycVs7upWvBKpIDhUSzPlG3cQrdklj0MZGSTkhi5AJGG_7po/s1600/funeral+pagna.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7KGhxlTEt92Hlgm6QtUMfrDvCuXT5tyH3E5LW0Re8PAMrFUoXkwyda22bpLzgRBwhwk_x_KkO_fGR3QGCsOLueqxXP5VRycVs7upWvBKpIDhUSzPlG3cQrdklj0MZGSTkhi5AJGG_7po/s320/funeral+pagna.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMRIIHIwCirCFNEHWwz9HknyUJtigqLDopyvU0lD9OtogEYGL1VfWIqyYBo1i7685RQVbAQrHA3jqkCgrAANkXIbTLI0iAQNyhPhoKVsqH1hW9eJ-ymSk6EWzKhKMXl0hp2FrIQcAUavg/s1600/funeral+pagna.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Every year there is a theme for Women’s Day. In 2010 it was literacy for women who did not learn to read in school. There are classes here during the dry season where people can learn to read in their local language. People in my region learn to read Moore, and people in other parts of the country are taught to read Djula, Lobi, or one of the many other languages. It is easier to learn to read a language you already know than to learn a new language (French) and how to read at the same time. Here is the pagne for 2010. It was intended to promote literacy training for women. The slogan around the circle would translate “women’s literacy and informal education.”</span><br />
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6xZEeVDUhsgZ5AaGVybvEQXonMLKNZDnBrkczDpC2iqIDzeWeaYgfeaRoS92TLNIzvxSaqpzhIn6fhpYGCk1p2jPRU5hIXIUSzwR334Lmw7emoMzsKkAxJ7nD4SLOXQWP3adbMOfjNrk/s1600/2010+pagne.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6xZEeVDUhsgZ5AaGVybvEQXonMLKNZDnBrkczDpC2iqIDzeWeaYgfeaRoS92TLNIzvxSaqpzhIn6fhpYGCk1p2jPRU5hIXIUSzwR334Lmw7emoMzsKkAxJ7nD4SLOXQWP3adbMOfjNrk/s400/2010+pagne.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizH-GzkSj8DjSGCbFeGneG-tAGnvGytC1pTCoKMZF0Myk-3yiUaefd6CQmiT2FLDVz1CrHbI6UbGffyM5ngfcVTNJw4Fylg5h_YKZV_kmQEWRPz5sLkGFO6cjP9w9L5JsQi1l8yYOahco/s1600/2012+pange.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Last year the theme was maternal health and lowering the maternal mortality rate. Here is the pagne, and the slogan means “give life without dying.”</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl-G6hMmzmmbLumYgt_rYuGcYGqcp2SaCluc0IOgd_rFLOqP4Uv_KKEeFnWXOg7G6MEOIHK1lbgmDIclawTnh9BA-jn0uhz9SNtr9v2sLc4p9yLiLiZYwcPHyJ40Q_f8ll0KPJ-cBXuko/s1600/2011+pagne.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl-G6hMmzmmbLumYgt_rYuGcYGqcp2SaCluc0IOgd_rFLOqP4Uv_KKEeFnWXOg7G6MEOIHK1lbgmDIclawTnh9BA-jn0uhz9SNtr9v2sLc4p9yLiLiZYwcPHyJ40Q_f8ll0KPJ-cBXuko/s400/2011+pagne.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Here is this year’s pagne, which has the same theme, but has a different design for the pagne.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizH-GzkSj8DjSGCbFeGneG-tAGnvGytC1pTCoKMZF0Myk-3yiUaefd6CQmiT2FLDVz1CrHbI6UbGffyM5ngfcVTNJw4Fylg5h_YKZV_kmQEWRPz5sLkGFO6cjP9w9L5JsQi1l8yYOahco/s1600/2012+pange.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizH-GzkSj8DjSGCbFeGneG-tAGnvGytC1pTCoKMZF0Myk-3yiUaefd6CQmiT2FLDVz1CrHbI6UbGffyM5ngfcVTNJw4Fylg5h_YKZV_kmQEWRPz5sLkGFO6cjP9w9L5JsQi1l8yYOahco/s400/2012+pange.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I had an outfit (skirt and blouse) made from the pagne by my neighbor Martine, Prosper’s wife. She is a seamstress and I will be telling you more about dressmaking here in another blog. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijWQR40dVwmEmWEuM0YOuAE_hgVmcgixj4nSEwLSdIYrcjgJUUQD0DpBAlQqtsS_G-fQbJIeti5rg5Z2AijAaWxGfw6aqCGfI6-y_37bNpPlI_3M7sl4yRPFRUo8RsDIiy1RFrmEbPqg4/s1600/My+dress+with+Martine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijWQR40dVwmEmWEuM0YOuAE_hgVmcgixj4nSEwLSdIYrcjgJUUQD0DpBAlQqtsS_G-fQbJIeti5rg5Z2AijAaWxGfw6aqCGfI6-y_37bNpPlI_3M7sl4yRPFRUo8RsDIiy1RFrmEbPqg4/s400/My+dress+with+Martine.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">A</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">bout the Celebration</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><b> </b> </span><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">We arrived about 9:00 AM because that was supposed to be the time the event would start. After living here for nearly two years I was not surprised that they were not ready to start then. I was ushered to a metal chair in a makeshift reviewing area that had shade provided by black plastic drop clothes tied to branches put into holes dug in the ground. I was happy for the shade as the day got hotter. In the front row was someone’s living room furniture, to provide nicer seating for the dignitaries.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOx8_Qz3J-vtqKa9Y9-9sGjAQg2wmziK49mFxVMsSxD0ZHRJCITH1lUic_roqvddm747Nl9RVPfJunrey1nIeWfAkmllQ5_dhsRlaWjmaOn0isiXlIw8AHw8FFx9LW4k7jMpphtjpBr1g/s1600/dignitaries+seats.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvkAiZN2k5A4Kh7Y2kpiE4utqi90mhwitAC9bOyQ4m0WHMFbwzOAN1mYyFCx1nQ9gwiQG_2mT8v-6Wzo86BHTmC-oYOmubuOQyDHhAkp9lh6Q91GCp6zHSno0EoFnBij3kuNm3RjEQAE0/s1600/dignitaries+seats.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvkAiZN2k5A4Kh7Y2kpiE4utqi90mhwitAC9bOyQ4m0WHMFbwzOAN1mYyFCx1nQ9gwiQG_2mT8v-6Wzo86BHTmC-oYOmubuOQyDHhAkp9lh6Q91GCp6zHSno0EoFnBij3kuNm3RjEQAE0/s400/dignitaries+seats.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">About 9:30 the man who ran the sound system got it set up and a group of girls in school uniforms who were going to march in the event arrived. The sound man played typical African dance music, and people hung around the area, but it was clear things were not about to start. At 10:00 the music changed to marching music and I thought the program would start soon. Silly me! After about 10 minutes the music changed back to the dance music. At 11:00 there was a beeping of horns and a motorcade of several cars and a minibus arrived, lead by 15 or 20 motor cycles. At the sound of the horns, people gathered around the area where things would be happening. A group of people got out of the vehicles and walked to the comfortable seating area. Above, you see them settled in their places. You can see that most of the women are in the pagne, but the man in gold, the mayor of the nearest big town, was not.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><b>The Woman's Day Program </b></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">With the important people in place, things finally got underway. The master of ceremonies was wearing a shirt of this year's pagne. He greeted everyone in French and explained the program for the day, and then repeated everything in Moore so most folks could understand. They used an umbrella to provide shade for the speakers.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8js-I4utIgLdSEx31bWcHgZCSBZMA_Ve7zqawidZXrwcSN3WuQEjQqk_Oy8skHQxjgzy_Faa4KrQVDkvFhZ9eYrwyuAumZd1vkDhfinlC2LYStybzYpDmFyzt0YRfuY8ouwjmPH6UXEY/s1600/MC+and+girls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Appevin15dUxJQ2jZv_hZAVk4941C8GlQO7L5XnGqzlMsRc0lC0QH1e0nH1gjxX3BJQRyFRezODX25-XeLIfCaSQ2WzoVYfKk1bD3r-Ufh4hTdH0E3fpjDbTAm7BQU1GXNOv-H_b6Fk/s1600/MC+and+umbrella.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Appevin15dUxJQ2jZv_hZAVk4941C8GlQO7L5XnGqzlMsRc0lC0QH1e0nH1gjxX3BJQRyFRezODX25-XeLIfCaSQ2WzoVYfKk1bD3r-Ufh4hTdH0E3fpjDbTAm7BQU1GXNOv-H_b6Fk/s400/MC+and+umbrella.jpg" width="285" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">After the welcome and announcement of the program, the parade got underway. There were a couple of groups of young girls, students at the elementary schools. They appeared to have decided to wear pagne skirts made from hand woven traditional cloth and tops made from the red, white, and blue material that is the Burkina Faso Independence Day pagne.</span><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnogQ3QTGYwWUt42dZJCift8kUswTnH43VKiJ0BEBljQM3IWhaynklCMQLGDHfB3cJqUGxc497wG-Ul6-7m_oa8H55l9JohTikN7guO8E89BPh4HgBgH-ESNxW6mRdOyu6Co3Gb0EgTwc/s1600/primary+girls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnogQ3QTGYwWUt42dZJCift8kUswTnH43VKiJ0BEBljQM3IWhaynklCMQLGDHfB3cJqUGxc497wG-Ul6-7m_oa8H55l9JohTikN7guO8E89BPh4HgBgH-ESNxW6mRdOyu6Co3Gb0EgTwc/s400/primary+girls.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Next came the high school girls wearing their school uniform skirts and blue t-shirts that I think had the name of the school on them.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqPmwybYgTJ1_zsgZq8QM8cSIjNPaRONUHqimMI3LaSrhZVxYZhF0dP2wcoK0yOphyphenhyphenaS5G7gEiFsAeOL2tqzRj6PKMZF5jpxo4wFXOvL6N0xnyU_7kY0zdmGfCzOctGSdgVh8J3N3WE1U/s1600/older+girls+march.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqPmwybYgTJ1_zsgZq8QM8cSIjNPaRONUHqimMI3LaSrhZVxYZhF0dP2wcoK0yOphyphenhyphenaS5G7gEiFsAeOL2tqzRj6PKMZF5jpxo4wFXOvL6N0xnyU_7kY0zdmGfCzOctGSdgVh8J3N3WE1U/s400/older+girls+march.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">After them came the women’s groups. Some of the women carried the gifts to present to the dignitaries. Here they are making the presentation, with other members of their group in the background. </span><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2GqU3cnFpK7vDvrn0b3RdxRGMl4IRK4haqFhGR8nERxj0VPQVCVUyAun_J2bPe5xkOFV9fhk7S8UFTmA3z0-E7n848QpaMH7Sagy4jD0NE3cpetZcau8E_LWD2rw4wAo9Ca1ipTf-Tg4/s1600/women's+gifts.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2GqU3cnFpK7vDvrn0b3RdxRGMl4IRK4haqFhGR8nERxj0VPQVCVUyAun_J2bPe5xkOFV9fhk7S8UFTmA3z0-E7n848QpaMH7Sagy4jD0NE3cpetZcau8E_LWD2rw4wAo9Ca1ipTf-Tg4/s400/women's+gifts.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: 139.1pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">This was followed by several speeches. This is the Imam of the town where the celebration was held, giving an opening prayer. Notice the two young women with the blue skirts (also called pagnes).</span><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: 139.1pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAwuwaI_JiM15RNJBIP_i6MGfP9IIC3CNfUr9Ns_1V-SIiSDTc8o2mIuIXFJ4FdV_Lur1RcQWCN0rdPdvdzpCOP3uPduIe9dTKKKlAW8HeQBA3o7jbb4c3pDDKmTuwJrsdtKte5aKfMgU/s1600/Imam+blessing+the+festival.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAwuwaI_JiM15RNJBIP_i6MGfP9IIC3CNfUr9Ns_1V-SIiSDTc8o2mIuIXFJ4FdV_Lur1RcQWCN0rdPdvdzpCOP3uPduIe9dTKKKlAW8HeQBA3o7jbb4c3pDDKmTuwJrsdtKte5aKfMgU/s400/Imam+blessing+the+festival.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">This is the president of the women’s association, saying her bit. Notice the woman in green holding the recording device in front of them as they were talking. She is one of the broadcasters from my local radio station and I am sure the speeches will be rebroadcast so everyone who was not there can listen to them.</span><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcoIQVin7hdTAWSYw1lsoGYW32EvxyTgwVKKjy9oDGb08aE4OvJy32JwG1uTVJueFllkrLbaBgiskEGUZ9AubGukmbTdZBLmEP6h1Uuq5SMyos_zxGBej1aQWoqHv79dx8ggAy5RFXeRg/s1600/woman+speaking.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcoIQVin7hdTAWSYw1lsoGYW32EvxyTgwVKKjy9oDGb08aE4OvJy32JwG1uTVJueFllkrLbaBgiskEGUZ9AubGukmbTdZBLmEP6h1Uuq5SMyos_zxGBej1aQWoqHv79dx8ggAy5RFXeRg/s400/woman+speaking.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: 139.1pt;"><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">There were several other speakers, and as each speaker rose to talk, two young women dressed in the traditional woven pagnes marched out to the center of the space with them. This thing of having folks, usually beautiful young women, escort the important people is very traditional here. Getting to be an escort is a great honor. To share the responsibility, there were two pairs of women who took turns doing the escorting. Here is the other pair, with the MC.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: 139.1pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQZDO2cKUewMr5EodDFFbXYEq_ktBVyM6yCJ8f1sUBS_KclYISkEp8fXiDIo3yYXluihod_nMxq4907nHPcZw_OO40z3kXDClrUlfcO3iT04O8uit82f1nuTUkSdE3mA9SVv3mj3pY4ys/s1600/girls+hair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIu9Fz0QcG7V-0rWZxg2nUyDv32kAnefhA6XARkpH1in_dfp8i8awc0R4i1_RUMZld6SObpG3_CXXnc8KjqpjgByEH8g0gxQDfsU2PyFvHKWFLYlqrMNEsKCqYZ4voutTWvyTadL9pX9Q/s1600/MC+and+girls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIu9Fz0QcG7V-0rWZxg2nUyDv32kAnefhA6XARkpH1in_dfp8i8awc0R4i1_RUMZld6SObpG3_CXXnc8KjqpjgByEH8g0gxQDfsU2PyFvHKWFLYlqrMNEsKCqYZ4voutTWvyTadL9pX9Q/s400/MC+and+girls.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: 139.1pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">All four wore the same very fancy hair dos. I took a picture of their hair because I was impressed with how it was fixed.</span><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQZDO2cKUewMr5EodDFFbXYEq_ktBVyM6yCJ8f1sUBS_KclYISkEp8fXiDIo3yYXluihod_nMxq4907nHPcZw_OO40z3kXDClrUlfcO3iT04O8uit82f1nuTUkSdE3mA9SVv3mj3pY4ys/s1600/girls+hair.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQZDO2cKUewMr5EodDFFbXYEq_ktBVyM6yCJ8f1sUBS_KclYISkEp8fXiDIo3yYXluihod_nMxq4907nHPcZw_OO40z3kXDClrUlfcO3iT04O8uit82f1nuTUkSdE3mA9SVv3mj3pY4ys/s400/girls+hair.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The big event was a skit illustrating the theme of the year. It was all in Moore, but I could guess what most of it was about from the action. It featured a woman who went to the maternity center for a pre natal checkup. The midwife asked her to bring her husband for a consultation, but he refused to go and told her she could not go there again. When she gave birth at home she had a problem and her mother-in-law helped her get to the maternity center. The problem was too serious for the midwife to handle and they called for an ambulance to take the woman to a hospital. It was too late, and she died. The moral of the story was quite clear. </span></div></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: 139.1pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: 139.1pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">After a few more speeches I was invited to join the other people who had been seated on chairs and in the shade to have lunch at a nearby school. I thought I would not know anyone there, but I met the secretary at the Lycée, and sat with her. I also saw the principal of the school, the chief of a nearby village with whom I worked to get the village pump repaired, whom you can see below.</span><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: 139.1pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ZV31ZTUMUXO7zdPFYWD51um8JOUY3NV7Y4onq0gWSDlRDVxDyZKYdD0TFqz3zfOLhatOI0DO82Df9iyA5648Bx6zJXT3iQGOe-RTbrjbMtKGeAS2c42CikbAq4CC45vK0y9Tiz-1zK4/s1600/Chief+and+me.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ZV31ZTUMUXO7zdPFYWD51um8JOUY3NV7Y4onq0gWSDlRDVxDyZKYdD0TFqz3zfOLhatOI0DO82Df9iyA5648Bx6zJXT3iQGOe-RTbrjbMtKGeAS2c42CikbAq4CC45vK0y9Tiz-1zK4/s400/Chief+and+me.jpg" width="285" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHZeqck64SBSiW6Tuinfq4VmOnWgT_Z40MCq7NodyNUckOTRZIBfSWK4XbwVoH6MFZ6V7ONtS9nPWKbRX1Brbw4KUlxtdD_FpA4f3Vln6dUmjhWexiQkwqnAzRgFHoAq4fHbBd3MpB3HE/s1600/policemen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I also saw the assistant chief of police,(on the left in the picture) who came to me last year for information on farming and whom I was able to help with some information and tree seeds from Peace Corps. The other officer is the head of the Military Police in my town, who lets me leave my bicycle at the police station near the bus stop when I am traveling to a place where I do not want to have it with me.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHZeqck64SBSiW6Tuinfq4VmOnWgT_Z40MCq7NodyNUckOTRZIBfSWK4XbwVoH6MFZ6V7ONtS9nPWKbRX1Brbw4KUlxtdD_FpA4f3Vln6dUmjhWexiQkwqnAzRgFHoAq4fHbBd3MpB3HE/s1600/policemen.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHZeqck64SBSiW6Tuinfq4VmOnWgT_Z40MCq7NodyNUckOTRZIBfSWK4XbwVoH6MFZ6V7ONtS9nPWKbRX1Brbw4KUlxtdD_FpA4f3Vln6dUmjhWexiQkwqnAzRgFHoAq4fHbBd3MpB3HE/s400/policemen.jpg" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQZDO2cKUewMr5EodDFFbXYEq_ktBVyM6yCJ8f1sUBS_KclYISkEp8fXiDIo3yYXluihod_nMxq4907nHPcZw_OO40z3kXDClrUlfcO3iT04O8uit82f1nuTUkSdE3mA9SVv3mj3pY4ys/s1600/girls+hair.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="tab-stops: 139.1pt;"><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">There was to be a soccer match in the afternoon, but I decided I had seen the important event for Women’s Day and headed home. I understand that the national celebration was on TV and folks could see the big event from home, if they happened to have a TV set. </span></div>Jan Larsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15410126460616145198noreply@blogger.com0