Rialé Youth Camp, 2011 Edition

“What is Puberty?”

PCV's Anna Callaghan and Carolyn Glidden and some of the girls after a discussion of what is puberty and how does it affect boys and girls.

“What measure is the soul method proven to be 100% effective in preventing the transmission of HIV, STI’s, and unwanted pregnancy? What contraceptive is 99.99% effective?"

Boys making a theater sketch on HIV and how to prevent transmission.

“When is it necessary to make a decision and how does one go about making one?”

Girls making a theater sketch on the importance of making smart and well-thought out decisions. Seen here with PCV Anna Callaghan.

“How do we protect ourselves against malaria?”

Girls learning how to properly use a mosquito net. The UN needs to come to realization that eradicating malaria is much more difficult than just giving away free nets. Many nets given out are promptly sold at markets or used as bathing rags for people not educated in the purpose of the net. More emphasis on education must be made in the effort against malaria.

These are just some of the many questions posed to the students enrolled in Rialé Youth Camp, 2011 edition.

With the help of a couple volunteers and a friend in Tenkodogo, I have been busy running a camp aimed at teaching students between the ages of 12-18, boys and girls, about issues relevant to their development as young adults. A similar camp was run last year, but this year I opened the camp to girls in addition to boys.

Every morning and afternoon, the participants, about 35 different kids so far, spend an hour in the classroom discussing the topics of puberty, HIV, malaria, decision making and how to deal with peer pressure, and goal setting. After the classroom activities, which includes games and discussion, the class is moved outside to the basketball court where basketball drills are run designed at reinforcing the lesson of the day.

A passing activity in which two players are blindfolded. Two teamates give the two blindfolded teamates directions on where to move and where to throw the ball. Activity encourages communication and trust.

Thanks to PCVs Anna Callaghan and Carolyn Glidden, who took charge of the girl side of the camp, and to my friend Rodrique Laconte, who aided me with the boys side, week one was a great success. While impossible to truly know, I feel that every student who participated learned about valuable life lessons relating to living in Burkina Faso. Also thanks to Kirstin Krudwig for donating some of her lesson plans and for encouraging me for the last month to do this camp.

My friend Rodrique discussing goal setting with the boys.

Next week will see the arrival of several new volunteers, including PCVs Marina Spencer (who will be helping with the girls), Joey Grassi, and Luis Chidas. Activities next week include gender roles, study skills and how to use the local library, nutrition and sanitation, and environment with a futsal and basketball tournament to end the camp. Prizes will be given to students who have participated and demonstrated that they have taken to heart the new knowledge and to the teams that win the tournament. For those friends in DC who donated their used soccer equipment back in July 2009, the majority of it will be given out on Friday. Thank you for the donations.

Running basketball drills with the boys.

The most exciting part of the camp is that the Peace Corps Burkina Faso Director herself will be here next Friday to present the awards and to watch the tournament. Both the girls and boys have been asked to do theater presentations on malaria and HIV, respectively, in order to demonstrate the knowledge gained.

Overall I am very happy with the way things have gone. It has taken a lot of energy to organize such an event and while I could just have easily spent my last three weeks of Peace Corps taking it easy, I decided to go out knowing that I gave it my all to one final project. I hope the kids remember the lessons, and remember me!

Around Tenkodogo

In living in West Africa, I realize that while I have posted photos and stories about specific events that happen to me, I have not posted any photos about the other 90% of my time here when I'm just living. Much of the time is spent in the way that most people spend their time, buying groceries, eating lunch, staying in shape through some sort of physical activity, etc. So without further ado, here are a few photos highlighting the things that I consider now, after almost two years, everyday normal life. Enjoy!

A typical market stand, selling all the pasta, couscous, rice, and MSG anyone could ever want.

Some ladies selling veggies. Depending on the season these stands can be full with all sorts of delicious treats, or have nothing at all but leaves.

A view of the market from afar.

A photo with the guy who cuts my hair (well buzzes my hair).

Two of the guys who cook up delicious goat meat. I could not resist holding the machete.

Look at all that delicious goat meat. Dinner is served.

The grand mosque of Tenkodogo. Located right next to the market.

The central star of my school. In the background there is a flagpole where every evening there is a ceremony to take the flag down. On the left is the cafeteria and in the way back is the teacher's lounge. Classrooms are to the right and behind where I took the photo.

It's either basketball or futsal for me every evening. I play with a mix of students and other guys who come out to play. Seen here is me being schooled by a student doing a fade-away. He in particular has unbelievable talent and, with proper coaching, could be a force on any high school basketball team.

Fashion Day at Lycée Rialé: A Story in Pictures

Students at the end of the year gather for a tradional fashion show.

They climb trees and

Windows

Just to get a glimpse of the interesting clothing from the Bissa, Mossi and other ethnic groups.

Thanks to a student that who loaned me his Taureg garb,

I made a fool of myself and said goodbye to a school and its student body that I will never forget.

I think the judges were very impressed. They certainly got a laugh of it anyway.

Oh well I had my fun saying fairwell to my students. It was back to work for Monsieur Dylan. Seen here are other teachers busy at work calculating grades.

You Only Live Once

Sorry world, we can’t be James Bond. We don’t move through a line of bullets as if there is a magical 007 force field protecting us from all sorts of interesting weaponry (though if there was an upgrade for +1 force field protection I would be first to get it). Nope Super Duper Double O Seven Awesome Spy does not exist, there is no twice, you only live once.

I’d like to say that my mantra in life is “Try anything once.” I’m sure some can certainly prove otherwise that I have not quite followed this, and I do not include paying large sums of money to see Taylor Swift in concert or any other equally moronic event, but I think I have done pretty well trying to accomplish my goal. Hell, I joined Peace Corps didn’t I?

Bill Bryson in his book A Walk in the Woods discusses the theme of man losing touch with nature, but more importantly of man losing touch with himself. While I have not finished it yet (fantastic read by the way), it’s impossible not to think about how similar hiking the Appalachian Trail (AT) is to serving in the Peace Corps. Both are voluntary challenges that push your body and mind to limits that you never thought possible. I can’t help to relate with Mr. Bryson when he discusses how petty things in life become so insignificant when faced with more innate human needs, like food, water, and shelter. Take a break from all of the technology and the fast-paced American lifestyle and you begin to see that life is more than all of that. Even if the desire and need to immerse yourself once again in the familiar is there (believe me, I am at that point), you find that once you have experienced simplicity you can never truly go back.

A walk through the Burkinabé woods leads to such marvelous views.

Peace Corps life is not like through-hiking the AT, though they share some similarities. The misconception of Peace Corps is that you are camping for two years (I confess, I was guilty of that thought). It is 2011; there is cell-phone service at almost every point on the planet. Most Volunteers live with electricity and running water, some even have air conditioning. Some take the bus to work, other bike, and some (here’s a crazy notion) walk. West Africa is one of the few posts left where the majority of Volunteers use latrines and live without running water and electricity. I am an exception as I have both. You could say I’m a Posh Corps Volunteer, but I’m still serving in what is generally agreed upon to be once of the most hardcore posts. Volunteers are expected to dress appropriately (can’t grow a two foot beard and where a hippie-poncho, sorry) and bathe at least once a day.

So why then do I say that Peace Corps and the AT are similar? For one, both take you completely out of your element and deposit you in a different and unfamiliar setting. Both require a certain level of tolerance and will-power to survive; there is a reason why in both cases there is not a 100% success rate. But most importantly, both teach you about living and adapting to new circumstances and personal growth becomes your biggest achievement.

And then there is the food, and believe me, when it comes to food you only live once. On the trail people find themselves eating the most bizarre things, including from personal experience squirting mustard into the mouth straight out of the bottle.

In Burkina Faso there is a delight of tasty treats, home of the finest cuisine on Earth. Well not quite, there is a reason as to why there are no Burkina Faso restaurants opening up but there are some aspects of the food that do make it unique, and often, for lack of a better term, good.

I have vowed to not turn away any food ever offered to me, because you never know if you will have the chance to try it again. This does have limits, however. I won’t eat dirt, or feces, or human being, and anything else that is completely ridiculous, but if it’s cooked and it’s actually something people eat, I’m game. This has led me to some strange diets and has with little doubt cut off a few years of the end of my life. My stomach has developed an iron resistance, but I still race to the not-so-iron-throne more than I probably should.

In Thailand I ate many a great thing, many an ok thing, and well, a few horribly vile things. Same goes for Burkina Faso and Guinea. For the most part the food here is tolerable. Nothing to write home about but now that I am used to it I actually find myself craving a bowl of rice and sauce or some delicious to and sauce. To (pronounced toe) is a Sahelian staple eaten across Sub-Saharan Africa. It’s comprised of flour and water cooked in such a way that it becomes a gelatinous ball eaten with your hands. No more complicated than that.

When these cute little baby goats mature I'm sure Afiss will have quite the goat meat meal.

My acceptance of food offered to me (I won’t actively search for dog meat for example) led me to my most interesting plate of food yet, donkey meat. Donkeys work their asses off here. HAHA get it? I made a pun. These animals have zero fat on their body and the meat is very tender. I was hesitant to try it because normally when someone in BF boils meat and offers it to me, I get sick. But I couldn’t deny this meat when I discovered it to be donkey meat. My taste buds have certainly changed in the last couple of years, but I swear this was one of the best meats I have ever tasted. Delicious!

Surprise! Boiled meat does it again. I don’t regret trying the amazing donkey meat, but after multiple visits to my dear porcelain friend I think I can successfully write this meat off the list. Hey, you only live once right?