Adjusting to Africa

One week in and one year older..... Probably not the easiest birthday I’ve had but definitely one to remember especially considering my new celebrity status among the local children. Who stand outside our door in the mornings and evenings waiting for a fist bump or hand shake before we go on our way. Also not helped by ‘Everything Everywhere’s’ fraudulent name as apparently ‘everywhere’ does not include Burkina Faso. International sim purchased, lovely birthday meal with all the other volunteers even including a slice of cake with a candle and things are on the up.

This week has been all about training and orientations including French and Mouri (the local language of Burkina Faso) lessons which are greatly needed as nobody speaks any English and my French skills are rather pathetic. However Mr Stoddart would be proud I have finally learnt how to count above 15 understanding price is however still causing a bit of a problem.  

Work with my partner organisation HSB will be commencing next week when we will be trying to establish what it is we can do to help them. Me and my fellow group members are hoping to conduct a before and after focus group with the members of HSB to try and establish their objectives and see if we can fulfil them so watch this space for some over enthusiastic research talk.  

Where based on the outskirts of ouagadougo and even though it is the capital I’ve been surprised at how not built up it is here. Chickens and goats are running free and there are fruit stalls a plenty. The roads here are crazy people don’t seem to put there lights on very much and there are no street lights at all so Im starting to understand why the volunteers are not allowed to ride bikes.

The over whelming sense here though is one of friendliness and tolerance with everyone we meet greeting us with smiles.  Burkina Faso is made up of:

60.5% Muslims

23.2% Christians (19% Protestants and 4.2% protestants)

15.3% Animists   

Despite their different religions here it is apparently quite common for Christians and Protestants to get married and on religious holidays the religion celebrating will make food and take it to the neighbours of different religions. This is a Burkina practice that I couldn’t really imagine happening very much in the U.K or elsewhere. Anyway enough religious theorizing for one post.

To round of a busy week we attended an African dance class and Music festival this weekend organised by HSB who are the group of disabled people I will be working with. African dancing is very energetic and was conducted in a small room so started to feel slightly like aerobics in a sauna. However this didn’t take away from the fun and there will be embarrassing pictures to follow. After this there was a drumming display by the local children which was amazing, a film on women with disabilities (unfortunately not subtitled) and music from all the different ethnic groups in Burkina. I managed to be dragged into singing with a reggae group with two of the other volunteers so were thinking Burkina reggae superstardom may be on the cards for us J All in all a great end to my first week in Burkina Faso.

Tomorrow I will be starting work with the group HSB so I will be giving you more updates on the group and the work I will be doing!

Salut for now

Lucy