End of Trimester

If there's one thing I absolutely love about life here in Burkina Faso, it's the end of trimester meetings. Well, not so much the meetings but what comes AFTER. Half chicken, french bread, and a couple drinks of my choice? Yes please! This absolutely separates the functionaires (government employees) from the villageoise. No one living in the bush outside the town center will ever eat like we do here today. Currently, I'm sitting in the "teacher's lounge", the salle de prof, and waiting for the meeting to start. We basically review each class's performance for the trimester, starting with the young'ns. Two students from each class come in, a pair at a time, to explain behavior issues or disperse information to the rest of their classmates. It can take anywhere between two and 5 hours to do this. BUT! At the end? Chicken. Yes.

Looks like I'm a-travellin on this week. Not much notice to get my affairs in order (read: laundry) but that's alright. Ok, meeting's about to go off. We can chat later.

Reboot

Well! 

Life in my village has been quiiiiite interesting recently. Unfortunately, I shouldn't go into details too much. I can say that we've had quite a few unplanned vacations in the middle of the academic trimester and now we have a bit of an epidemic of what might be some type of somatoform disorder at my high school. I'll be working with the school to develop an action plan to help suppress it and to help give appropriate care to the girls it is affecting. I can also say that it has been one of the most bizarre experiences of my life. Here's to hoping this can end or fade away soon! (Apparently, there's been similar hysteria epidemics throughout the southwest of the country.)

However, despite this taking up quite a bit of my time and energy, I'm back into the swing of things, being more active in searching out potential partners and projects. The ICT committee I'm on is doing some frankly impressive stuff with filming local artisans/ craftsmen and recording stories and legends passed  down for generations throughout the country. They're recording radio spots to help fight malaria and managing water and sanitation project grant money. Me? I'm learning how to tinker with the website. pcburkina.org. Check it. 

I feel like this is somewhat of a reboot for me at site. I feel energized. I feel extremely comfortable with where I am and the social currents of life here. I'm making progress with the local language Dioula, although I'm far from a conversational level. I can understand, but not respond very well yet. Eh, I'll get there. And, of course, my girlfriend's showing me up every chance she can with her meetings and sensibilizations at her site. So the motivation is there.

Hopefully, again, the craziness at my school will end soon and I can get going! The mayor has been chosen officially now and I'm sure he'll be wanting to get on board and get some garbage cans all up in this place! Or at least help clean up the marché. The hospital is itching to try and diminish the number of cases of diarrhea around here. So, although I'm a formal education volunteer, my focus is going to be increasingly health-related. (Although MAN I'm looking forward to working with my mini super-group clubs at my lycee! Preparing future Camp GLOW counselors what-what!) 

Until next time.