Where did those two years go?

I am back home in sunny Manhattan Beach, California as I write my final blog post. February 12^th I left the small village of Ramsa, Burkina Faso for the last time on my 7:30AM bush taxi. February 18^th I crossed over the border late at night into Ivory Coast on our snail-paced train, leaving Burkina Faso and a major period of my life in the past. Finally, after weaving around the continents of Africa and Europe, I disembarked off my plane at LAX on April 4^th and was finally home with my family.

Boy does it feel good…and weird…and normal…gut-wrenching at times…basically, all the feelings one could feel returning from their Peace Corps Service. I’m still trying to process it all and evaluate my reactions to the previous 27 months of my life. This past week at home has felt surreal to me. It will probably continue to feel so until I start a new job and can officially say that I am finished with Peace Corps.

Backtracking to the beginning of this 2017 when I had 2 months left in Ramsa…I remember that it was a slow day-by-day countdown until I left village. I made sure that everyone knew of my departure so as not to be surprised when we parted ways. Daily, my villagers would plead for me to stay an extra year or to marry a local woman and raise a family there. Daily, I would politely tell them that however much I wanted to continue my adventure in Ramsa, that I had to return home. This two-month goodbye process made the final days and weeks less emotional than anticipated. I made sure to spend ample time with my closest village friends – each time reassuring them that I would never forget about this place (how could I?) and that I would always stay in contact.

My best neighbor friends: The Ouedraogos. Noelie (front/center) has helped me the most over the two years and was instrumental in teaching me Moore. Roger (back/left) was the local bar owner and he was super motivated to learn new agricultural and business techniques with me.

My counterpart Hermane and his new chicken coop (still under construction). The money will come streaming in after he debuts his new enterprise! 

My final day in village was filled with festivities. Local beer drinking starting in the early AM, as well as handing-out small gifts and photos to most of my dear friends. And finally, my village threw me a going-away ceremony in classic Ramsa fashion (started 2 hours late). In attendance: my work counterpart Hermane, my work organization members, my former colleagues at the middle school, all my neighbors and hundreds more. Each cohort sent up a representative to talk about our collaboration over the two years and to wish me a safe return to the US. At the end of the ceremony, I took the mic and did my best to summarize my Peace Corps experience in the local language. I said everything that needed to be said and I hope they understood how grateful I was for them accepting me into their community.

The middle school director about to present me with a certificate at my going-away ceremony.

In my brand-new outfit with Hermane, Paul and Rabatou.

My former middle school colleagues: The two Adamas

Members of my work organization stopped by to give me massive gift of peanuts, which made for great snacks during our post-PC travels.

The final morning, I walked to the road at 7am with my closest friends. We were all fatigued from the previous week’s festivities and not many words were said. Mood was somewhat somber. When the car arrived, I loaded up my bags and said my goodbyes. I imagined that saying goodbye to Hermane would be difficult, but we looked at each other and simply stated, “I think we’ve said all that’s needed to be said. I’ll see you next time and talk to you soon.” It was an appropriate goodbye and then I was off.

The next 7 weeks were incredible. My friends and I had been planning this voyage for the previous six months and it was an especially sweet treat following our Peace Corps Service. All of us were easily pleased with the newfound comforts of European transport and lodging. I think this unique perspective made the trip exponentially more enjoyable. We were essentially “slumming” our way through Europe and we still felt like kings. Luckily, we had a few friends and family scattered about who could host us and show us all the local spots. Our trip's itinerary: Ivory Coast, Morocco, Spain, Germany, Hungary, France and the UK.

Fresh oysters smoked over palm leaves in The Ivory Coast.

Enjoying a canoe ride.

Three constants during our trip: beach, drinks and friends!

Traversing the Moroccan dunes on camel-back. Turns out, riding camels start to hurt after 20 minutes.

Second time for me, first time for them: The alluring Alhambra in Granada, Spain.

One of the most magnificent sights I've ever seen: La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.

Henry joins the trip in Berlin. Although rainy and cold, we benefited from the lenient public drinking laws.

Our favorite activity while visiting Budapest: walking. Found a great park and had to continue the tradition of taking family bench photos.

Great times with great people. Paris, c'est incroyable!

Another shameless photo at the Luxembourg Gardens. Previous to photo, 4 hours spent gorging on wine, cheese and summer sausage.

Ended the trip on a high note (literally...on the largest sand dune in France)

I hope all of you loyal blog followers (hi mom) have enjoyed following me over the past two years during my Peace Corps Service in Burkina Faso. 

I'll keep this blog domain-name open so that I can re-vamp it when I rejoin the Peace Corps again sometime down the road.

Until next time,

MB

The Beginning of the End

The 3 month countdown has finally arrived! I know that in the blink of an eye I’ll finally be finished with my 26 month-long service in hospitable country of Burkina Faso.

Since my last post not much has happened in village. In fact, it could be the slowest time yet that I’ve experienced. I’ve taken this time to relax and recharge while chilling with my neighbors and reading copious amounts of books and (shocking) news.

For two weeks in November I had a fun adventure to break the monotonous rhythm of village life. First I took my final in-country vacation to the luscious south-western part of the country. Juxtaposed from the north that’s riddled with vast deserts and skeleton trees, the south-west resembles a lush Eden-like landscape filled with sugar-cane fields and mango trees. My buddies and I visited three famous attractions: the Banfora Waterfalls, Domes of Fabedougou and the Sindou Peaks. All of them were absolutely gorgeous.

The Banfora Falls. After our short hike up we spent a few hours chilling on the rocks and swimming in the refreshing water.

The Domes of Fabedougou. Their unique formation comes from a long time ago when the ocean was covering this part of Burkina.

Following this south-western adventure was our Close of Service (COS) conference, or the final milestone for us PCVs. This was the last major Peace Corps gathering before the volunteers of Group 31 (only 25 remaining of the initial 42 who arrived January 2015) all part ways in early 2017. For this final conference the Peace Corps pulled out all of the stops, so we ate amazing food while lodging at a luxury hotel (with AC and a pristine pool) while we learned how to prepare for the next steps after our Peace Corps service is completed.

All 25 remaining PCVs from Group 31 at our pinning ceremony

The Boys (with the cool guys sporting man-buns on the far right)

COS Conference is, among other things, a chance for us to reflect on the previous 22 months in country. I’ve realized how much we’ve been through. Obviously making the move into a rural African village was a huge change for me, but add on top of that a coup d’état and terrorist attack and sometimes I wonder how I’m still here. There were great times when work was running smoothly and I was gelling with my community. Other times, not so much. The most prized things that I’ll take away from this experience are the unique relations that I’ve made with my fellow volunteers. Going through this roller-coaster journey would not have been feasible without all of their support. Our diverse group of PCVs, who at a moment’s notice were just a phone-call or bike-ride away, enabled all of us to endure the numerous hardships and stressors that come from this job.

It’s going to be gut-wrenching to say goodbye to everyone. The next chapter, however, excites me and I can’t wait to bond over our experiences once we’re together in the US.

Until next time,

MB

Failure with No Consequences

Since my last blog post I can only describe the time that’s passed as...peaceful. I’ve been in village almost exclusively over the past month and a half. I fill my days with farming, work meetings, hanging with my neighbors and reading. I enjoy long mornings since there aren’t any pressing issues that need attention. The influx of mosquitos is annoying but manageable. Twice a week my work group organizes to meet or take care of some tasks at our garden space. Even though there are only 6 months left there is still much work to be done post-harvest – and I want us to use our time as efficiently as possible. 

 Celebrating Tabaski in village with my Muslim Neighbors. Everybody buys new clothes and feasts the entire day to celebrate.

Peaceful has been nice, but I wasn’t anticipating a relaxing rainy season. Instead, my health clinic staff and I were supposed to be conducting a large-scale, door-to-door malaria campaign to reduce the rates of malaria in Ramsa (called PECADOM+). We’ve been officially planning this project since February and all previous signs showed that it was going to succeed. The Head Nurse and participating workers were motivated to combat against the rampant rates of malaria that infect near 70% of our villagers during the summer months. We conducted a successful test-run in May to experiment with the project model and let the workers learn the ropes.

Unfortunately, when it came time to get to work in July things stalled. I had been away on vacation and upon my return nothing was happening. I approached the Head Nurse and he told me that the Health Clinic was overwhelmed with other rainy season campaigns, which was completely true. They had to distribute mosquito nets to the entire village, as well as implement a government program and give anti-malaria pills to children under the age of 5. As for the health workers who would be doing the door-to-door sweeps, they were busy with their farm work and they lacked motivation since this project was on a volunteer basis.

I brainstormed with my counterpart to find a solution to save the project. Finally, we discovered that a project model where the volunteer workers would front the necessary funds to buy the medicine (at cost) and then make respectable profits while conducting the project and selling the medicine would provide enough financial incentive. Not all volunteer workers could afford to do this and the Head Nurse refused to help in this respect. I saw his reasoning, because in the past volunteer workers have pocketed money that was rightly owed to the Health Clinic. I still encouraged those who could afford to front the medicine costs to do so, because they would still make some extra income while doing a great service to the community. 

With the heavy rains this season our Moringa trees have been abuntantly producing. Once or twice each month we harvest the leaves to turn into powder. We are almost ready to start consistently selling our nutritious powder to the community and hopefully soon in our regional capital!

Some of our health workers had money in hand ready to buy their own medicine, when we ran into ultimately our final roadblock. Our Head Nurse was no longer willing to train our health workers on how to properly dispense and sell malaria medicine because of a larger political issue occurring with his superiors.  Even though our project model had been approved all the way from the Minister of Health in the Capitol, our Head Nurse didn’t feel comfortable giving the training until a “later” date.

Here we are in the month of September still waiting on that training, while the most important period of the year to conduct malaria work passes by. I feel frustrated because it feels as if he flaked, even though I probably don’t know the entire story.

I knew conducting a large-scale project like this was going to be hard from the start. We got started early and implicated all necessary actors (even in at the ministry level) and I thought we had the green light. However, like many development projects, we ran into one too many issues that ultimately kept the project from lift-off. Or in other words, we failed our first major project.

Personally, I felt discouraged because I knew this project would have a direct positive impact on my community if carried through. We were close, but not close enough.

I updated my Health Boss on having cancelled this project and in response I got a “congratulations for trying” – kind of like the consolation ribbon one gets in elementary school for effort.

After digesting this experience I realized that, overall, Peace Corps Community Projects cannot be classified as “high-stakes”. I know that I am here to work and accomplish large and small development projects with my community, but if something fails it’s not unusual. But that’s the price we pay when a majority of our projects are without any funding and stem from our community’s needs and motivation.

Overall, I’m still very proud of our work accomplishments in Ramsa. We’ve been able to achieve more that I originally anticipated due to the hard work of my counterpart and community members.

A great example of this willingness to work is our most recent undertaking – perma-gardening. I was able to observe a quick perma-garden training by chance while helping train the new group of Peace Corps Volunteers who just arrived in June. I immediately realized that this model of gardening – small, low-cost, permanent, bio-intensive household gardens specifically to improve nutrition – is the perfect tool that I’ve been searching for to make improved nutrition feasible in my village. 

Observing a perma-garden training with the new group of PCVs. We infuse the soil with local compost, charcoal and ash to improve the soil throughout the following year.

2 weeks later, our first perma-garden in Ramsa was under way with one of my neighbors. To promote water retention, we built the garden next to his roof to trap all falling water. The four holes at the corners of the garden, along with the 4 exterior berms, will ensure that our garden space stays humid long into the dry season.

Our finished product. Tomato saplings just transplanted and local herbs/trees planted along the edges to protect the garden's interior.

Water retention in the perma-garden.

So, in the place of PECADOM+ we are now transitioning to perma-gardening during the remaining months of rainy season. I’ve already constructed two with my neighbor and counterpart, and the concept is growing in popularity. This gardening technique is modern and new, however it’s not so foreign that it scares away potential users. I hope that my villagers latch-on and start their garden construction ASAP.

In other news, my schedule for the next 6 months is wide open. I know the time is going to pass too fast, but I’m doing to do my best to make the most of it. I’ll try and travel some inside the country but for the most part I’ll be in village, relishing my last months living in a small African Village. 

Until next time,

MB

The first month of rainy season, but I was enjoying the rain elsewhere

Whenever it’s been a long time between blog posts, it can only mean one of two things: either there was nothing new to report or I was too busy to write. In this case it is the latter.

The month of June was a mini mile stone for me. My second hot season was officially over, and it could be my last one in country. From June onwards, I can only be grateful for the upcoming weather. Rain until October and cold weather until March. This for me is great news and brings a smile to my face. No more endless sweating!

I had a few tastes of rain during the month of June, but before the rains picked-up I left Burkina Faso for the second time during my service. Off to Europe I was to see my family for the first time in 18 months. Needless to say, it was a very happy time filled with tasty food, good conversation and fun activities. We first hiked the Dolomite Mountains in Italy for 3 days before heading to Biarritz in south-west France. There we surfed, chilled and ate fresh French cuisine.

First meal: steak

Taking in the green up in the Dolomite Mountains 

I am very gracious of my parents for organizing this trip. Our family has taken many vacations before, but this one was specifically to see me and award me with a two-week hiatus from Africa. It was nice being back with them in a new place where we got to explore and do fun things. My French speaking skills came in handy. I’m nowhere near fluent but I know now that I can manage myself if I find myself in France again.

Not the Venice that I'm used to, but I'll take it 

Could be x-mas card worthy. 

With my mental batteries recharged for the final 7 months in country, I headed back to BF July 9^th. I was in village for a quick week before heading to my regional capital ready to run our annual “Youth Leadership Conference”. I had been planning this conference since January and it was finally time to make it happen.

A gift I got for my Village Chief. He thanked me for about 2 minutes then just started reading. 

During my week at site we did one of our first big moringa leaf harvests. The rains make these trees grow fast! (Here you see our moringa plants, we cut them at the base and they re-sprout again)

Drying the leaves in our nifty drying rack. Afterwards, we pound, sift and then pound some more and then voila...moringa powder is all ready.

I can tell you one thing for sure: planning an entire conference, with all of its logistics, organization and moving parts ain’t no easy thing. Very stressful in fact. Luckily I had plenty of help along the way to ease the burden. I was originally planning this conference with a fellow PCV until they were medically evacuated, leaving me in charge as the only organizer. Our PC Bureau and other local counterparts obviously played a crucial role, helping me navigate through this daunting event and ultimately achieving our goals.

 Leadership and Active Youth Citizen Conference

The 25 student participants arrived on Sunday, the 18^th and just left today after a 4 day conference. The goal of this conference was to invite already motivated youth from all over Burkina Faso to get together and learn how to become leaders in their communities. Each session was geared towards preparing students to transmit their newly acquired knowledge back to their village/high-school members, whether it was a health training on mosquito net transformations or a financial literacy session to how to save one’s money.

Our female participants making menstrual pads out of locally available materials. Tampons don't exist in the village and this is a hygienic, affordable alternative. 

Mosquito net reparations using cool designs. I spy a star, fruit and Burkina Faso outline.

Fortunately, we got through the 4 days without any major problems. The students were deeply versed on a variety of health/well-being topics, entrepreneurship and also career planning. Most of the students at this conference, however smart or advanced in their studies, came from secluded villages without much exposure to the outside world. Giving them this opportunity to travel across the country, meet other Burkinabé students and collaborate together in this unique setting provided them with an invaluable experience which can surely change their lives.

We had a very special guest speaker who talked our students about people with disabilities. He is a very accomplished Burkinabe: he heads many associations, just got his university degree in law and is heading to France to get a Masters in Human Rights! His way of motivating the youth..."If I can get where I am now without any legs or arms, what's your excuse?"

We invited local professionals to speak to the youth on the final day. Our mini version of a career fair.

All of the student participants. 25 in total.

With the 3 students that I brought from my village. Can't wait to do some trainings with them back in Ramsa!

Finally now I can rest easy, head back to village and start farming. This year I’ll be doing my own little plot of soybeans while also planting a bunch of trees in our garden space. Rainy season is a peaceful time for me when I’m immersed in nature and get to work all day with my hands.

Until next time,

MB

My Last Hot Season in Ramsa

They say that a picture is worth 1,000 words, so now i'll present you all with fourteen thousand words. Enjoy!

Did a great training with two counterparts, educating the female students at our middle school on the menstrual cycle and how to make menstrual pads out of locally available materials. 

Touching topics like these is very important in these small African villages. The series of trainings that I held was the first time many of our 13-17 year old students were hearing about topics such as "reproductive health" or "contraception". To put it in perspective, our middle school had two 17 year old students give birth (out of wedlock) and there are two more who are pregnant. 

On a positive note, the pharmacist in my village told me that many students went to the Health Clinic after our trainings to seek out some type of birth control. Success!

With the staff at our middle school after our end of the year meeting. They've all been with me since my first months in Ramsa and have given me deep insights into the education system in Burkina Faso. 

With my favorite neighbors. The father owns the two bar establishments in village, and together we've done some cool business related activities. The mother is my unofficial mother away from home - always cooking me food and taking care of anything I need. They only have 4 kids, but when the other neighborhood kids saw the camera they immediately jumped in. 

We took around 10 pictures, and sadly this is the best one haha.

Hot season also comes with dust storms. 

Everything turned orange for this 2 hour storm. I was stuck inside laughing my head off at how powerful and long-lasting it was. 

Finally was able to get UBER to open-up in Burkina Faso. All rides are on bikes - people pay with their smiles. We've yet to make any money.

Hermane and I went to my fellow PCV's neighboring village to give a Soy Transformation training.

Making those bomb brochettes. 

All the women enjoyed the experience and the tastes of the different soy products. Now, all we can do is hope that they'll continue on with this small business in the future. 

They're cute in pictures like these, but not when they're flying out of your latrine in the middle of the night.

Had a training at the beginning of the month in Leo, so of course my buds and I went back to our first bar in BF and had a few. 

Same bar, same people. First, ninth and fifteenth month in country. 

The wind has been extremely strong this hot season as you can see here. It blew off the roof of our newly constructed school, along with many other houses in the village.

And to end on a positive note, electricity has officially come to Ramsa! People will start installing in into their homes on a weekly basis. This is when development will really take off as businesses can evolve and offer a wider range of products. 

Hope you enjoyed this picture-filled post. I'm off in two days to see my family in Europe. It's been a long time coming. Can't wait!

Until next time,

MB