First Impressions of a Land Baked in Sunlight

There is not a day that goes by where I sit and wonder what my life would have been like had I not chosen to join the Peace Corps. Not a day goes by where I don’t ask myself, “Why did I come here?”

As I sent back at the end of my second training, I think what if I had taken the COS option, what if Guinea reopens, what if I reenrolled somewhere else? It’s all the past now. Reading up on other stories and hearing about the unity that training groups share makes me yearn for that again. I don’t have that anymore. G-18 is a memory, separated by a month in Bamako, two weeks in Ouagadougou, and miles of distance between our respective new sites.

I have had one of the more bizarre Peace Corps experiences. I’ve been a Volunteer for almost 2 months now, a time usually considered the most important 3 months of community integration. While most Volunteers spend their 3 months learning the language of their village, the culture, the food, and everything else that comes with our service, I took a different path. I was evacuated from Guinea, moved to Bamako for a month, and ending up in Burkina Faso for what I hope to be a permanent move. I’ve been living out of a suitcase for 4 ½ months, and will continue to do so until the end of November when I finally get the chance to settle in.

Hell, I could write my own Lonely Planet with my experiences if I really wanted to. In the process I’ve racked up 3 long term work visas to 3 different countries, a large appetite for wild foods, and a real nice tan. Well the third one is not true, good ol’ Meflo prevents that from happening. I have a tan, but it’s generally from the dirt that covers my body after a day of being outside in Africa in the dry season.

Burkina Faso is an amazing place. Guinea is an amazing place. Mali, is, um, well I’ll leave that one out. The next two weeks of my life include a visit to the Southwest corner of Bobo-Diollaso, or better put the land of hippos. Yeah, that’s right, hippos. And don’t worry mom, I won’t go swimming with the hippos, I like my life.

So here I am; sitting in a nice air conditioned computer lab at the Peace Corps Burkina Faso Office, writing to you all. If you had asked me where I would be now from when I left les Etats-Unis, I certainly would have never imagined it would be the capital of Burkina, a name which nobody can even pronounce.

First impressions and differences between Burkina and Guinea:

Burkina Faso is actually poorer than Guinea, but Wikipedia facts can be deceiving. Burkina Faso is much more developed than Guinea, roads are paved, there are street lights and buses, electricity in the capital, and cheeseburgers! Guinea has more money than Burkina yes, and the potential for Guinea to grow is certainly there. With a stable government you could see Guinea become one of the wealthiest countries in West Africa with its mineral wealth. So why does a desert country like Burkina with no natural resources or water do better than a country like Guinea, which has the largest aluminum wealth on the planet?

Corruption, corruption, corruption. It’s very difficult to tell someone why in fact these countries are so different. I mean come on, Guinea and Burkina are both so low on the development scale that for any American, both countries would be a total shock. It all comes down to perspective. At first glance they are both worlds behind the USA, but after having lived here for a 4 months those differences have now disappeared. I can now see just how important having a stable government can be in creating a country that works. In Guinea, the money goes nowhere except directly into the pockets of a few high ranking military officials. In Burkina, the little money that exists goes into building roads, power lines, and pipelines. The military here actually serves to protect the people, not exploit them.

I cannot even begin to explain the differences geographically either. Burkina Faso is hot. It gets so ridiculously hot that when the temperature drops below 80 people wear coats. And I’m not talking about locals either. I have to wear a fleece at night because I end up waking up in the middle of the night freezing. There are no mountains here; Burkina is flat as a pancake. There are no major sources of water, and only when you go to the extreme east or southwest do you begin to see wildlife and plant life. In the north you find the beginning of the Sahara. Nothing grows up there.

Yet Volunteers here are extremely happy. The staff is great, the access to amenities is top notch (Again all relative), and there is beer! Oh yes folks, there is lots of beer, and it’s cold. I can bitch and complain all I want about the heat, but there is nothing like a delicious cold beer in the hot desert. One day I hope you will get to experience the feeling a frothy cold one after a long day of work and extreme heat.

I am very happy here so far. While I continue to think about what could have been, I have been very satisfied with the welcome we have received. Volunteers are amazing, the expat community (that’s right there is a large expat community here) is friendly, but most importantly the Burkinabes are wonderful. The staff and the other Volunteers are doing everything they can to make us feel welcome here, a vibe not received in Mali. There is ultimate Frisbee pickup on Sundays, a pool near the Volunteer House, and an amazing American brunch!

I do hope that Guinea opens up as soon as possible. There is a debate amongst Volunteers about why we evacuated and if the means were necessary. While I won’t comment on my personal view, for the sake of my fellow Volunteers who wish to reinstate as soon as possible, Guinea does deserve the Peace Corps. I am Peace Corps Burkina Faso, I am not allowed to reinstate, but those who chose to wait it out deserve the chance go back. Plus I want to put that Guinea two year visa to use.

Oh I also watched Burkina Faso beat Malawi 1-0 in my second football match in Africa. Yeah, I could get used to being here.

Tenkodogo, get ready for Mamadou, your first Peace Corps Volunteer!