Some of the few things I did buy from SIAO. Its just so hard to decide and all the things I want to buy are large and require shipping. Some future SIAO.
12 years ago
Sunday, November 7, 2010
SIAO
Some of the few things I did buy from SIAO. Its just so hard to decide and all the things I want to buy are large and require shipping. Some future SIAO.
Questions
Why did I do a third year?
This question has so many answers. I strongly believe now that all Volunteers should do a third year. In reality, the first year of service is on-the-job training since each site is different on so many levels (ethnicity, culture, size of town or village, local politics that PCVs cannot be involved in but need to navigate carefully in order to get any work done). I feel like I accomplished more in my third year than I did in my first two years combined. In addition, communities benefit from an experienced Volunteer instead of being replaced by a completely new Volunteer.
What have I been doing?
Since my last long post, I've been to Gaoua, Bobo/Banfora, Ghana, Sabou. I finally have seen many of the tourist sites that PCVs regularly visit during their service. It is so green everywhere that I went! The strange thing was the lack of mosquitoes in Ghana. Or maybe there were and I've forgotten.
Also, I planted peanuts, harvested them and washed them. Unfortunately no pictures of that.
I also finished my service on September 21st. Which means now I'm officially an RPCV (in theory).
I am waiting for my papayas to ripen (old picture, the biggest ones are now as large or larger than my head). Also, I will be starting a garden soon. I don't expect to eat the fruits of my labor, but it keeps me busy and I can finally do it after three years of wanting a garden because I am no longer living with a lot of people (especially children) or chickens (but hopefully, soon, a kitten(s? and maybe a puppy) who will replace my "lost" cat Misha, originally Bryan's cat).
What am I doing right now?
Yesterday, was an eventful day, most important of which was giving our condolences on behalf of (R)PCVs to Seb's family. Patrice, the main organizer on the RPCV front, will be here in January to bring the donations that have been collected for the family. Seb was so young (just shy of his 40th birthday) and had great ambitions for his country and provided so much support to his colleagues and all of the PCVs. It was difficult to be the spokesperson for the group, which is probably why I could barely speak above a whisper (well there was a ceiling fan making lots of noise, too). I think his wife is still in shock and it can be seen just in the way she carries. His children are very young and were a little scared to say hi to all the Nassaras. In addition, it was Kait's (un)official going away party and she will definitely be missed!
SIAO is in its last day. It is basically a large biannual trade show with art, textiles, jewelry, shoes, clothes, furniture, food products, and other products/services provided by vendors from all over Africa. While the majority of the booths were from West Africa, there were also representatives from Northern Africa, etc. I bought a necklace from Burkina (well the booth was Burkina and it was unique), a T-shirt for my special friend, and a few decorative pieces from Benin. It was a very tiring day since you can bargain, walk and eat and go back and forth between pavilions trying to decide what you want. They also had some traditional housing from different ethnic groups on display which was pretty cool. The last time SIAO (and SNC, cultural week in Bobo which is coming up in December) happened in 2008, I missed it because I was teaching and I didn't want to miss school. It's kind of sad that at the end/after my service I finally doing the touristy things that a lot of PCVs do in their first year. Of course I took pictures!
I have been living between village, Koudougou and the surrounding area, visiting friends, mourning the loss of my boss, and just relaxing in my village. My daily life there is not much different than my former life, except different house and not teaching. So, I'm not very busy, but it gives me time to think and relax for the first time in a while. I'm working on my CV right now which will eventually be abbreviated into my resume. It is unfortunately very difficult to describe Peace Corps and all of the different responsibilities I've had and tasks/projects I've completed in just a few bullet points.
Right now I am waiting for my Mom to come to Burkina Faso. The trip has been canceled so many times in the past few years. It would be her first time in Africa. And while English isn't necessarily that great here... there are people in my village who speak English and, of course, in Ouagadougou (which has inexpensive and expensive hotels with wifi, like the one I'm writing to you from) as well. They just fixed the road to my village because of politicking for the upcoming elections. So, we can make the trip in approximately three hours. The car company also has "new" used buses which are fairly comfortable and not packed like sardines in a can. So, we might take public transportation either the whole way there or part way (and then get picked up by motorcycle!).
Unfortunately, my mother doesn't like to camp that much, or hunt/fish (me too on both counts actually). Otherwise, we could go hunting/fishing or see giraffes and lions and hippopotamuses in the national forests and take lots of pictures! Outside of seeing my village, I want to take her to Koudougou, Kindi and possibly Sabou which has sacred crocodiles which you can pet and feed chickens. Maybe even the hippopotamuses at Toma Island (not to be confused with Toma my provincial capital).
The trip to Banfora/Karfiguela Cascades and Sindou Peaks is very long. So, if she wants to go there, we will need to hire a private chauffeur. Public transportation to the area is good (air-conditioned and clean), but the drive is very long and the car doesn't stop often enough, long enough and in nice enough places to go to the bathroom/latrines (the important part of any trip). Also, there are no public transportation options to the tourist sites. So, the options are having a driver OR renting a motorcycle.
What will I be doing in the near/far future?
Right now, I am not sure because unfortunately, I cannot force somebody else to hire me even if I strongly believe I am the best candidate for the job in terms of skill set.
One of the many benefits of being an RPCV is the PC Fellows program which partially covers tuition at a wide-range of graduate schools in many different options that cover the scope of development work done by PCVs worldwide. The other benefit is our one year of Non-Competitive Eligibility status for US government jobs. Of course, with the current job market continuing to spiral downward, I won't complain if I find a job anywhere in the world that meets my interests (education/training and business/administration, amongst many other things).
So of course, I don't know what's going to happen next, but I will let you know once I've got some idea of what I will be doing next.
This question has so many answers. I strongly believe now that all Volunteers should do a third year. In reality, the first year of service is on-the-job training since each site is different on so many levels (ethnicity, culture, size of town or village, local politics that PCVs cannot be involved in but need to navigate carefully in order to get any work done). I feel like I accomplished more in my third year than I did in my first two years combined. In addition, communities benefit from an experienced Volunteer instead of being replaced by a completely new Volunteer.
What have I been doing?
Since my last long post, I've been to Gaoua, Bobo/Banfora, Ghana, Sabou. I finally have seen many of the tourist sites that PCVs regularly visit during their service. It is so green everywhere that I went! The strange thing was the lack of mosquitoes in Ghana. Or maybe there were and I've forgotten.
Also, I planted peanuts, harvested them and washed them. Unfortunately no pictures of that.
I also finished my service on September 21st. Which means now I'm officially an RPCV (in theory).
I am waiting for my papayas to ripen (old picture, the biggest ones are now as large or larger than my head). Also, I will be starting a garden soon. I don't expect to eat the fruits of my labor, but it keeps me busy and I can finally do it after three years of wanting a garden because I am no longer living with a lot of people (especially children) or chickens (but hopefully, soon, a kitten(s? and maybe a puppy) who will replace my "lost" cat Misha, originally Bryan's cat).
What am I doing right now?
Yesterday, was an eventful day, most important of which was giving our condolences on behalf of (R)PCVs to Seb's family. Patrice, the main organizer on the RPCV front, will be here in January to bring the donations that have been collected for the family. Seb was so young (just shy of his 40th birthday) and had great ambitions for his country and provided so much support to his colleagues and all of the PCVs. It was difficult to be the spokesperson for the group, which is probably why I could barely speak above a whisper (well there was a ceiling fan making lots of noise, too). I think his wife is still in shock and it can be seen just in the way she carries. His children are very young and were a little scared to say hi to all the Nassaras. In addition, it was Kait's (un)official going away party and she will definitely be missed!
SIAO is in its last day. It is basically a large biannual trade show with art, textiles, jewelry, shoes, clothes, furniture, food products, and other products/services provided by vendors from all over Africa. While the majority of the booths were from West Africa, there were also representatives from Northern Africa, etc. I bought a necklace from Burkina (well the booth was Burkina and it was unique), a T-shirt for my special friend, and a few decorative pieces from Benin. It was a very tiring day since you can bargain, walk and eat and go back and forth between pavilions trying to decide what you want. They also had some traditional housing from different ethnic groups on display which was pretty cool. The last time SIAO (and SNC, cultural week in Bobo which is coming up in December) happened in 2008, I missed it because I was teaching and I didn't want to miss school. It's kind of sad that at the end/after my service I finally doing the touristy things that a lot of PCVs do in their first year. Of course I took pictures!
I have been living between village, Koudougou and the surrounding area, visiting friends, mourning the loss of my boss, and just relaxing in my village. My daily life there is not much different than my former life, except different house and not teaching. So, I'm not very busy, but it gives me time to think and relax for the first time in a while. I'm working on my CV right now which will eventually be abbreviated into my resume. It is unfortunately very difficult to describe Peace Corps and all of the different responsibilities I've had and tasks/projects I've completed in just a few bullet points.
Right now I am waiting for my Mom to come to Burkina Faso. The trip has been canceled so many times in the past few years. It would be her first time in Africa. And while English isn't necessarily that great here... there are people in my village who speak English and, of course, in Ouagadougou (which has inexpensive and expensive hotels with wifi, like the one I'm writing to you from) as well. They just fixed the road to my village because of politicking for the upcoming elections. So, we can make the trip in approximately three hours. The car company also has "new" used buses which are fairly comfortable and not packed like sardines in a can. So, we might take public transportation either the whole way there or part way (and then get picked up by motorcycle!).
Unfortunately, my mother doesn't like to camp that much, or hunt/fish (me too on both counts actually). Otherwise, we could go hunting/fishing or see giraffes and lions and hippopotamuses in the national forests and take lots of pictures! Outside of seeing my village, I want to take her to Koudougou, Kindi and possibly Sabou which has sacred crocodiles which you can pet and feed chickens. Maybe even the hippopotamuses at Toma Island (not to be confused with Toma my provincial capital).
The trip to Banfora/Karfiguela Cascades and Sindou Peaks is very long. So, if she wants to go there, we will need to hire a private chauffeur. Public transportation to the area is good (air-conditioned and clean), but the drive is very long and the car doesn't stop often enough, long enough and in nice enough places to go to the bathroom/latrines (the important part of any trip). Also, there are no public transportation options to the tourist sites. So, the options are having a driver OR renting a motorcycle.
What will I be doing in the near/far future?
Right now, I am not sure because unfortunately, I cannot force somebody else to hire me even if I strongly believe I am the best candidate for the job in terms of skill set.
One of the many benefits of being an RPCV is the PC Fellows program which partially covers tuition at a wide-range of graduate schools in many different options that cover the scope of development work done by PCVs worldwide. The other benefit is our one year of Non-Competitive Eligibility status for US government jobs. Of course, with the current job market continuing to spiral downward, I won't complain if I find a job anywhere in the world that meets my interests (education/training and business/administration, amongst many other things).
So of course, I don't know what's going to happen next, but I will let you know once I've got some idea of what I will be doing next.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Sebraogo Kiendrebéogo, aka Seb
Seb was my APCD on paper for three years, but in reality he was so much more. He was a mentor, a friend, a brother. I made the mistake thinking that there would be more time with him. So, I put off seeing him. I had already seen him during parts of his illness and it was just too hard to see him when he was unwell.... So, I went and visited other parts of the country because I thought there would always be more time. More time to laugh, more time for him to be at important events in my life, more time to make memories. I was wrong. I didn't want it to hurt, but either way it would hurt just as much.
So if you are looking to some cause to donate to, please donate to his family. He leaves behind his wife and two young children, but also all of his extended family as well.
So if you are looking to some cause to donate to, please donate to his family. He leaves behind his wife and two young children, but also all of his extended family as well.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Summer Preview
Dear Readers,
So here I am, nearing the end of my service (again). This time I really promise to COS though. I am ready to move on with my life to the next phase. As usual, I don't know where that will take me, but I'm trying not to think of the big things too much otherwise I get overwhelmed.
The library was well received and the final step is to catalog the books and form a solid committee to oversee its growth. Thanks again to all the support from family and friends. Without you, it would not have been possible to get the project funded and done as quickly as it was done. I will be doing that over the summer during my few weeks left in village as I will be training the new PCTs again. I am excited about training, much to the bafflement of second year volunteers. I guess I just enjoy helping people become great volunteers... or I'm a masochist, or both.
In addition, I hope to finally travel to other parts of Burkina and also other countries in the region, like Ghana. Something that I've been meaning to do since December 2007. Unfortunately, those plans were cancelled due to personal issues. My friend and I will be making this trip together, hopefully with some other PCVs.
One of my fellow PCVs soon-to-be RPCV will also be getting married over the summer. I missed Bryan's wedding last year unfortunately, but I plan on making it to Jill's.
After I finally COS in September (if all goes well), I will be around for a little while longer to appreciate Burkina from the other side as an RPCV. I will probably be hanging up my malaria prophylaxis hat in mid-to-late October.
For those who have asked lots of questions about my friend. There are obstacles to all good things in life. And I believe what we have is a good thing. Hopefully, we will be able to overcome all of our obstacles. But, once more, we're just taking things one day at a time.
So here I am, nearing the end of my service (again). This time I really promise to COS though. I am ready to move on with my life to the next phase. As usual, I don't know where that will take me, but I'm trying not to think of the big things too much otherwise I get overwhelmed.
The library was well received and the final step is to catalog the books and form a solid committee to oversee its growth. Thanks again to all the support from family and friends. Without you, it would not have been possible to get the project funded and done as quickly as it was done. I will be doing that over the summer during my few weeks left in village as I will be training the new PCTs again. I am excited about training, much to the bafflement of second year volunteers. I guess I just enjoy helping people become great volunteers... or I'm a masochist, or both.
In addition, I hope to finally travel to other parts of Burkina and also other countries in the region, like Ghana. Something that I've been meaning to do since December 2007. Unfortunately, those plans were cancelled due to personal issues. My friend and I will be making this trip together, hopefully with some other PCVs.
One of my fellow PCVs soon-to-be RPCV will also be getting married over the summer. I missed Bryan's wedding last year unfortunately, but I plan on making it to Jill's.
After I finally COS in September (if all goes well), I will be around for a little while longer to appreciate Burkina from the other side as an RPCV. I will probably be hanging up my malaria prophylaxis hat in mid-to-late October.
For those who have asked lots of questions about my friend. There are obstacles to all good things in life. And I believe what we have is a good thing. Hopefully, we will be able to overcome all of our obstacles. But, once more, we're just taking things one day at a time.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Library Opened
The Director of PC/BF came. Dancing of people ensued and were taken. Summer plans include full and thorough catalogue of all books in the library and a formal list of rules and regulations for its usage. Pictures to follow. In a big town for at least a week.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Back in Ouagadougou!
Bad pictures of my special friend and a picture showing to the whole world that my site has a functional cell tower and I can actually be reached 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with 5 full bars!! So, I am succumbing and getting the USB key. This will let me assist in managing our ICT committee's website. Officially launched in December of 2009. Please check it out. The Volunteer side is similar to GoogleDocs and a powerful tool for institutional memory and is powered by Alfresco. Check out our website at http://burkina.ath.cx!
More pictures are now available in the Picasa album for the library construction. I forgot to take pictures yesterday before leaving my village.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Library & Local Realities
Dear Donors, Friends and My Wonderful Family,
Library
Thanks for your financial support. Our construction finally started on February 1, 2010 at 10:00 AM as you can see in the new photos posted on Picasa.
Part of the delay was due in part to a change in the administration of the PTA (APE). For the first time in approximately a decade, the PTA board has been replaced. Convincing everyone of the merits of the project was easy. The difficult part was the old PTA board transferring power officially to the new PTA board. This finally took place at the beginning of December. Right before Christmas, a general assembly was called to discuss how the PTA would fund their part of the project (local materials). Would they bring it in themselves, or would the children bring it in? Alternatively, would they hire someone to haul all of the materials to the work site. Finally, they decided on monetary contributions per student enrolled.
We waited for their money and the materials to show up during the month of January. Finally, all was ready and we had a groundbreaking ceremony. The vice principal (intendant) and I laid the first couple of bricks during the ceremony. Though they aren't in the spot where the library is actually being built. On February 2, the real work started. Will hopefully have more pictures soon.
Thanks again for all of your wonderful generosity! For those of you who are worried about the financial management. I am personally in charge of all of the funds that you have donated. At the end of the project, I do have to do a report with receipts for both the funds that you have donated and the funds or actual work that the local community did to complete the project.
Harsh Realities
So, recently one of the phone companies started offering a USB key that allows you to access wireless internet from your computer. The key is about $90. With the equivalent amount of money, I can feed 30 of my students for a month. That is not a typographical error, my readers. Yes, one (1) student can really eat for just three dollars ($3) a month at our school's "cafeteria" (cantine thanks to subsidies from the school and the government. Many of my students come by bicycle or on foot through the bush from as much as 15 km away (10 miles). They wake up as early as 4 AM to get ready for school and don't leave school until 5 PM, getting back as late as 7 PM. On top of all that, they don't usually have the financial or physical means to go home at lunch time, eat, and come back to school every day.
One of the hardest things in my day is seeing how determined my students are to come to school each day and work hard (162 out of 241 of my sixth graders are passing the trimester as of right now) despite their lack of means to eat more than once a day. I do try to encourage them as much as possible with small gifts that I've gotten from you and other local donors such as candy, pens, pencils, stickers, pictures and notebooks and lunch days for the best students. Unfortunately, physical goods have a limit. Of course, I try my best to teach them well, too. Negative numbers, fractions, exponents, order of operations, geometry, general information about the world at large, civic education, and general life skills like financial and family planning. It's the only thing I can give them that will last for the rest of their lives (as long as a I do a good job of teaching it that is and as long as they review from time to time).
Classroom management is tough when you have a minimum of 90 teen-aged students in a classroom. Life isn't easy being a Peace Corps Volunteer because you're not like everyone else. But, I wouldn't trade a single one of my frustrating days of service as a PCV for anything else right now in my life.
Then again, I might be a little bit masochistic. After all, I did get through Tech.
Tomorrow I am taking the GRE. I will be back near good internet in about 2 weeks.
Library
Thanks for your financial support. Our construction finally started on February 1, 2010 at 10:00 AM as you can see in the new photos posted on Picasa.
Part of the delay was due in part to a change in the administration of the PTA (APE). For the first time in approximately a decade, the PTA board has been replaced. Convincing everyone of the merits of the project was easy. The difficult part was the old PTA board transferring power officially to the new PTA board. This finally took place at the beginning of December. Right before Christmas, a general assembly was called to discuss how the PTA would fund their part of the project (local materials). Would they bring it in themselves, or would the children bring it in? Alternatively, would they hire someone to haul all of the materials to the work site. Finally, they decided on monetary contributions per student enrolled.
We waited for their money and the materials to show up during the month of January. Finally, all was ready and we had a groundbreaking ceremony. The vice principal (intendant) and I laid the first couple of bricks during the ceremony. Though they aren't in the spot where the library is actually being built. On February 2, the real work started. Will hopefully have more pictures soon.
Thanks again for all of your wonderful generosity! For those of you who are worried about the financial management. I am personally in charge of all of the funds that you have donated. At the end of the project, I do have to do a report with receipts for both the funds that you have donated and the funds or actual work that the local community did to complete the project.
Harsh Realities
So, recently one of the phone companies started offering a USB key that allows you to access wireless internet from your computer. The key is about $90. With the equivalent amount of money, I can feed 30 of my students for a month. That is not a typographical error, my readers. Yes, one (1) student can really eat for just three dollars ($3) a month at our school's "cafeteria" (cantine thanks to subsidies from the school and the government. Many of my students come by bicycle or on foot through the bush from as much as 15 km away (10 miles). They wake up as early as 4 AM to get ready for school and don't leave school until 5 PM, getting back as late as 7 PM. On top of all that, they don't usually have the financial or physical means to go home at lunch time, eat, and come back to school every day.
One of the hardest things in my day is seeing how determined my students are to come to school each day and work hard (162 out of 241 of my sixth graders are passing the trimester as of right now) despite their lack of means to eat more than once a day. I do try to encourage them as much as possible with small gifts that I've gotten from you and other local donors such as candy, pens, pencils, stickers, pictures and notebooks and lunch days for the best students. Unfortunately, physical goods have a limit. Of course, I try my best to teach them well, too. Negative numbers, fractions, exponents, order of operations, geometry, general information about the world at large, civic education, and general life skills like financial and family planning. It's the only thing I can give them that will last for the rest of their lives (as long as a I do a good job of teaching it that is and as long as they review from time to time).
Classroom management is tough when you have a minimum of 90 teen-aged students in a classroom. Life isn't easy being a Peace Corps Volunteer because you're not like everyone else. But, I wouldn't trade a single one of my frustrating days of service as a PCV for anything else right now in my life.
Then again, I might be a little bit masochistic. After all, I did get through Tech.
Tomorrow I am taking the GRE. I will be back near good internet in about 2 weeks.
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