I apologize for the hiatus. A life-defining decision is upon me. Since I've received this information, I have pretty much been incapable of doing much other than weigh the possibilities between a wonderful socially rewarding career AND the careers in the so many other things that I get excited about doing. I must decide by April 4th the course of essentially the next three years of my life or to go out on a limb and adventure. I noticed a lot of hits from my false post. I was half asleep and meant to hit save not publish! I know incoming PCTs are probably curious, too. So, without much further ado (because if I put off posting any longer this will turn into a book)... more speculation with some facts and plenty of editorializing!
In the news Monday from Burkina Faso... primary and secondary school students returned to schools across the nation, except in the Koudougou region. University students were supposed to return to school on Tuesday following talks between the government and union leaders, but they didn't, declaring another strike. In addition, over the past two weeks, the military has been acting up enough to warrant press in English news sources in both Ouagadougou and Fada N'Gourma. In small villages across Burkina, people find themselves crowded around radios trying to find out more about the developing situation across the country. Further military unrest has also occurred in Gaoua and other cities to support their fellow troops in Fada and Ouagadougou. School had started normally, and in more rural areas, it continues without a problem. Unfortunately, yesterday school ended early in Toma possibly due to some ridiculous rumors flying around, but Yaba was fine. The country is on curfew from 9PM to 6AM as of yesterday. The curfew does affect certain services that used to happen at night, and basically shuts down the entire capital.
The funny thing is, that the military and the students are essentially protesting about the same thing: corruption. In contrast to the students, the military are upset about the collapsing culture of impunity, protesting over the imprisonment and loss of military status for a rapist in Fada and a group that had a scuffle with a civilian... involved with the wife of one of those in the group. Maybe these individuals were actually innocent, but proven guilty under pressure to fight any corruption (even if it is imaginary). I don't know. However, the violent reaction of the military is maybe not as unexpected as one might think.
Once upon a time, people only had to take a test of physical fitness to join the military, no formal education was necessary. The minimum of a CEP diploma (primary school) is now required to join the private ranks. Of course, higher ranks require more education. Consider now that reasoning and logic are not innate skills, learned from educators (whether teachers or family) and best improved through experience (getting older and wiser?). The military has a right to protest. Especially, since many may have seen their superiors getting away with the same things or worse, without being punished for their actions. The culture of impunity is starting to crumble, but it's always the bottom of the pyramid that suffers first. This military "temper tantrum" is justified, after all, why do the superiors get to have all the power abuse, and not them? Or, vice versa, why do the superiors not get punished, like them? Either way, there are people upset in Burkina Faso and they have guns... lots of them.
Are their actions logical? Does destroying property and injuring people send or freeing convicted rapists and agents who abused their powers to hound and beat people send the right message? Is there a flaw in the judicial system (which is on strike because of the military firing on their offices), were they under pressure to convict for fear of seeming to endorse corruption? Will a lot of whistle-blowing follow this?
Granted, their actions certainly garnered a lot of attention. After two weeks, Mr. President has publicly addressed the nation and has met with and intends to continue to meet with key players in the military unrest. The students protested for over a month and didn't get that same treatment.
Is it comforting to know that youths across the world react similarly? While some are drawn to positions in the armed forces (police, military, etc.) out of the desire to serve and protect, many others are there for the power of the weapons and the uniform.
Is this related to the incident in Koudougou? Is this related to unrest elsewhere in Africa? Either way, this is not the first time the military has acted in an unbecoming manner... thinking back to late 2006. Though, the events in Koudougou may have led to a series of reactions and actions that influenced all of this hubbub.
So, I have theories about lots of things, but I'll let your brains do some of the heavy lifting, too. Though, the military says there is nothing to worry about.
So, in a slightly lighter topic. I am revisiting wastefulness, particularly with food. For those of you who are out in the great unknown (e.g. not my Facebook friend), one of the most terrible shocks as a BFRPCV is the excessive waste of Americans. Originally, I started a post on discrimination, but then seeing as that is such a deep and personal topic and since I'm reading this very excellent book called American Wasteland, I thought I'd revisit the topic of waste.
Of course, as I write this, I could really not have the heat turned up so high or have as many lights on in my room. I am just as guilty... now that I've started to readjust just a little bit to being an American. However, the thing that still bothers me, now that I am officially starting my third month back in country (incidentally, the longest I've been in my family's home in the past decade) is the food waste that I can see.
Luckily, my family is okay for the most part at home. We eat leftovers, the next day, and repurpose food (e.g. leftover dishes and rice get mixed together to make fried rice). For the most part, very little food goes into the trash due to spoilage. Even if roots, onions, and garlic start to sprout or do some funky things, we just scrape off the bad parts and use the good. Our unintentional waste may only come from the couple of food scraps that don't all make it into the pot when chopping leafy vegetables like cabbage. And of course, my stove-popped popcorn doesn't get 100% return for all of the kernels. So a few shreds of cabbage and maybe a dozen kernels of popcorn for a week's worth of food waste (excluding peels, that dry wrinkly part of onions and garlic, etc.) doesn't seem too bad.
The problem is when you go outside. Though I've come back to America multiple times, I've hardly gone grocery shopping during those times. Since I was involved in the cooking and shopping for my first month back for my family, I started to pay attention. In all honesty, I was very surprised. Granted, produce in Burkina is seasonal, but for the most part, you can find produce the equivalent size of what you would buy in America... or at least what I remembered you could buy in America in 2007. Now, the reality is 2011 produce is apparently very different from what I can remember of 2007 produce. I could be wrong, but produce today seems much bigger, more symmetrical and cleaner than it used to be.
American Wasteland seems to support my cursory observation on the matter. Apparently, the "ugly" produce is culled multiple times before reaching the display bin. What happens to the majority of this culled food (fresh vegetables and fruit, dairy products, meat)? It's tossed into landfills, producing methane (one of those greenhouse gases) and much less often is donated to food recovery groups who then redistribute to soup kitchens and food pantries. Food may be replaced as often as every 3-4 hours with the undesirable stock being tossed into a dumpster.
After almost four years in Burkina, you can imagine my outrage at discovering this! For someone who had no refrigerator and had to figure out a way to preserve my fruits, vegetables, meat and dairy in 120+° F temperatures for at least five days at a time, the idea that food is being thrown out because it has been sitting out for a few hours seems incredulous. Granted, my food was farm fresh, and would naturally have a longer shelf-life if it were stored in a refrigerator compared to the run-of-the-mill food found in supermarkets which may be 1-2 weeks old by the time they are bought. I guess people don't realize how long food can actually be kept without refrigeration if proper care is taken to reduce exposure of the food to bacteria and fungi. I'm sure I was just as ignorant my first year. However, I figured it out through trial and error. Something that I lost through carelessness one day, would not be lost the next.
The problem, eloquently stated by Jonathan Bloom, is that many people have lost touch with their food. They have no idea what the original plant looks like, nor do they have any idea the amount of time and energy required to grow, harvest or process those plants are. Worse yet, is the fact that commercial farming rarely has >50% yields! Much of the produce that is harvested is tossed, because it is not pretty enough by commercial standards. The rest is not harvested because food pickers work quickly since they are often paid by the amount harvested (weight). Food is cheap compared to all of the work that went into it. Food, like many other things, is less appreciated when you don't have to work as hard for it.
In Burkina, I think people would keel over if they knew what happened in commercial food production in America! Of course there is food loss in the production process in Burkina. This is unavoidable since there are no perfect systems. However, in general, very little is wasted. Unwanted food is often given to the less fortunate (this is not exclusively beggars, a whole other topic that warrants its own post). Food scraps are fed to livestock. The entire animal is used in food preparation and if the skin is in good condition, it is can be used to create leather goods. I have eaten my share of soups and other dishes made from head, feet, organs, and other body parts (even before getting to Burkina!). In the fields, everything is harvested by hand. I know that people don't leave something behind just because it is too big or too small. They eat it all!
In America, you will rarely see a child be excited to eat a carrot. In Burkina, children are just as excited to eat any vegetable as they are to eat a piece of candy! The food is financially inexpensive (of course, this depends on your socio-economic status, but if you can't afford to buy it, then you are more often than not a subsistence farmer), but physically expensive. Growing seasons are short and water is limited for dry season farming. Food is a valuable commodity and a lot of care is taken not to waste it (of course, occasionally food falls on the floor, but if it can't be salvaged, there is always a dog, cat, chicken or other animal ready to eat!).
Most of those who live more modern lifestyles in Burkina have not forgotten their roots and are very ashamed when food does go to waste. In a country where you are culturally expected to invite someone to join you when they see you eating, how could you justify throwing any food away?
Ashamed. That's how I feel now every time I see a buffet area or leftover restaurant food going back to the kitchen. By American health codes, those are the foods that can't be donated. Everything else can be donated. There are even laws that protect a donor from liability for donated food as long as the person doesn't knowingly donate something that is spoiled. Unfortunately the majority of that food is going to landfills instead of being donated, but that's a different battle.
Family, friends, and other readers, I encourage you to:
• Finish your food.
• Pack up the leftovers (if you don't want them, give them to someone who does).
• Well, I don't really have a solution for buffets, but I don't really think they're worth as much as a single well cooked meal. (Though I have yet to revisit one in Las Vegas.)
12 years ago
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