Visit to Village
e-mail on 7/26/2002 Return to List
Hey everybody,
Sorry it took so long to e-mail you. I got
back last Saturday, but have been so busy with catching up with everybody and
other things that today was the best I could do.
So let me try to tell you about my
week...... I'm sure I'm
going to forget many things.
I arrived in Banfora with Ras (my roommate,
who just happens to be also in my region) on Saturday with our counterparts
(known as ICPs). Banfora is like the big tourist trap for Burkina Faso. It's
the largest city in the south and is surrounded by satellite villages (mine
included) that have a lot of natural wonders for all the French tourists to
check out. This is a mixed blessing. On the positive side, there are some great
places to eat in Banfora due to all the outside money. There are also a few
internet places. They are a little more expensive than Bobo, where I am now
(about three times the price) but still do-able on occasion. Banfora is also on
a paved road to Bobo, so it's only an hour away from Bobo and roughly six or so
hours away from the Capital Ouaga. Which is great because I plan to visit a lot
of my new friends. My village is only 15 km east of Banfora on a semi decent
unpaved road, so it's definitely bike-able. The downside is that there can be
quite a few French tourists around at all times. The way they don't bother to
understand the real Burkina Faso, just look for the pre packaged "African"
experience that they all envisioned at home is a little annoying. They all wear
really short, shorts and skimpy tops that are completely out of place in this
conservatively dressed society. Some of the villages that the other volunteers
are at in the region are constantly coming in contact with the tourists in
their villages, which can kind of negate the whole experience of being a
volunteer in an African village. I don't really have that problem since I don't
have anything too special in my area. Also, it can be tough buying things in
Banfora as a lot of prices are inflated for the tourists and I don't look a lot
like a Burkinabe.
We were picked up by our
MCD (local Burkinabe physician, in charge of the regional division) at the bus
station. He's this crazy guy who acts like he's the fourth stooge. When we went
to lunch, he just kept chanting my name over and over again. His English is
pretty good. He tells me that I'm going to stay in Burkina Faso and become a
chief of a village and have 10 wives. Ras asked what about some wives for him,
and the MCD said I would loan him one once I got tired of her. He just cracks
me and Ras up every time we see him. I guess he's a bit slimy to the three
female volunteers who are already in the region, which I can see just by the
way he acted around the girls at the restaurant. We went to eat at this place
called the Calypso twice now, great food - owned and operated by a Frenchman.
The first time we went with MCD and they just completely hooked us up, more
food than me or Ras could eat. The second time, the MCD wasn't with us and the
portions weren't nearly the same size, still great though.
So afterwards the MCD drove
me out to my village, which is very, very small. It's in between Banfora, and
Tiefora (which is a pretty big town 9 km further East). It would be very easy
to drive by and not even realize that it's a village. The primary ethnic group
is Karaboro (sp?) and they like to live far apart. So you'll see a grouping of
huts and houses that have one or two families, then big open space until the
next little grouping. My house is right with one of these groupings which is
kind of a bummer. I was hoping I
would be a little out of the way from everybody so when I wanted to be alone,
it wouldn't be a problem. My front door opens up across from the home of the
mom of one of the families. It's a pretty small house, there's a main room with
a single window and then a small bedroom. There's also this small room with a
drain in the floor which I guess one could call a shower. Its a little bit of a
fixer upper. But I think once I'm done with it, I should be happy enough.
There's a really small courtyard in front of the house, too small for me. So
I've already talked with the ICP and chief du family about adding a back
courtyard to my house. There's a bit more space there and it doesn't
immediately face anyone else's house. Then, if I could added a back door I'd be
all set. I still don't have any screens on my windows or doors yet which will
need to be 
fixed right when I get there if not before. My second
night there I found a scorpion munching on a bug, just hanging out on one of
the walls in my house. Luckily I had an iron rod in my house for who knows what
reason and had something to kill him with. I'm hoping after I get screens in there,
I won't have to worry. The house
is horribly hot, but I hope that I can figure out some things that might help
keep it cooler.
Most of the week I just
went around and met people, or hung out at the ICP's house that is right next
to the CSPS (the clinic we're I'll be spending some time working). My ICP (a
physician's assistant who oversees the local clinic) is great. He's very easy
going with my whole lack of language skills. He's getting pretty good at
understanding my broken French. Though everything I say seems to be the
funniest thing he ever heard. His wife is nice and cooked all the meals for us.
That was a little bit of problem as a lot of the meals were not exactly what
I'm used to. A lot of to and
sauce. To is this strange starchy food that is kind of like a completely
tasteless cross between potato and jello. Then a majority of the sauces are
well a little hard to identify and a little on the slimy side. So I didn't eat
all that much during the week. I
tried to explain I was still getting used to Burkinabe food, plus I tended not
eat much overall any ways. I just hope I didn't insult my ICP when I got to
Banfora and just started wolfing down food at the Calypso. My ICPs has a little
kid name Shaq who's so cute he makes you laugh. He runs around trying to be
helpful or starts to dance if music is being played. He laughs a lot which is
great except that his laugh is really loud and ear shatteringly high. I taught
him "G'Day" before I left, hopefully he remember it when I return in six
weeks.
I met the authorities of
the village one day, which was a little intimidating. I was in a room with 30
pairs of eyes staring at me as my ICP explained my role and Peace Corps in Jula, the local language. They were all
nice though and smiled a lot. They asked me a few questions and seemed pleased
with my limited answers. But then at the end of the meeting a few of them
started to argue with each other for 15 minutes in a loud and gruff Jula. I
still have no idea what exactly that was about.
My town has a small boutique (store) which
sells bread, warm coke, and a few other random items. It looks like for the
most part I'll be heading into Banfora for all my supplies, which is fine
considering how close I am. We have a marche day every five days.... but all they
sell is Dolo (home-brewed beer). So basically it's just an excuse for the men
to get drunk every five days.
But like I said, I'm very close to Banfora, so
it won't be a problem getting stuff. They have just about everything I could
need there, even if I might have to hunt around for a reasonable price. I plan
on probably coming into Banfora once a week to stock up on food. A great thing
though is that four volunteers in the region and maybe Ras if he wants too
since he's about 70 km south, share a house in Banfora. It's this Eden with two
bedrooms, electricity, indoor plumbing (with toilet and shower), and ceiling
fans. So whenever I come to stock up, I can bike in, do my shopping, spend the
night, then bike out the next day. It's also going to be a great place to hook
up and hang out with other volunteers. So I'll have some comfort at least once
in a while, which will be great.
Lisa, the girl who's from Seattle, and another
girl Caroline, are going to start a writing group. We're planning on getting together
every two weeks (which would be great, but I think it's a little unrealistic).
Shaffer
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