Happy New Year!
I hope you are all doing well and 2011 is off to a wonderful start! I wish you a year full of prosperity, longevity, health, success and lots of money! (This is the typical New Year greeting/blessing you would wish someone the first time you see them in the New Year, but it should be accompanied by tapping foreheads four times, alternating side to side.)
It has been brought to my attention by multiple people that I left everyone hanging and haven’t written about Burkina in a very long time. (And blogspot claims I haven't posted anything in 1 year!!) I blame that partly on being busy, partly on prioritizing computer time differently, but mainly on a lack of desire to write anything. Not because there wasn’t anything worth writing-this was far from the situation-, but because termites devoured my journal. Nothing was left, except for 1 square inch that I had taped because it had torn; this killed my motivation to write during the rest of my time in BF.
I am now back in America, but wanted to let you know a bit about how the last few months played out in Burkina. In case you are interested, I’ve also attached a short story I wrote a year ago that gives a more personal look at starting out in the village. (Sorry all this is so long. when I started writing, I didn’t intend to write this much! When it rains, it pours. J Also, I posted a few new photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/28276984@N03/ I’ll try to post more in the next few days.)
Sesame Farmers!
Working with the sesame farmers was by far the best part of my Peace Corps experience. They were very motivated and excited about the collaboration because it targeted what they saw as their primary problem--too little money.
Working with Soria, a government agriculture agent, and the farmers we created Paamiraal, a cooperative of sesame farmers and collectors. We were also collaborating with an export company to develop a collection, documentation and financial process that allowed the farmers to sell directly to the exporter and avoid the 2-3 intermediaries that previously stood between them and export markets. The exporter worked with them to access better quality seed (with sesame, multi-colored seeds are used for oil, white generally for tahini, and really white for pastries, hamburger buns, etc.) and pre-financed their collection. It was essential that we developed a system that allowed us to effectively keep records to present to the exporter along with the sesame they collected/purchased from themselves and other farmers in their village. This is quite challenging with semi-literate and illiterate farmers! (photo: me conducting the original training in November
We piloted this initiative with groups from four villages so we could work out the kinks and build the cooperative during the year so that more groups could collect the following year. Of all the farmers in our pilot group, only one had been to formal school and spoke/read French fairly well. However, in each of our groups, there were a couple people who had been to government sponsored literacy courses. These are 6 week courses where people are taught basic reading/writing skills in their local language. Unfortunately, while a few people could read/write in Fulfulde, other than their textbooks, there was nothing to read in their villages, especially not in Fulfulde. The government’s implementation and follow through on these literacy programs cause me to think that the government’s objective is to increase their literacy rate statistics to impress potential donors (Burkina ranks in the bottom 10 in adult literacy. A couple years ago, Burkina was last) rather than increase the number of people who are functionally literate.
The agriculture agent and I created all our documents (collection and accounting sheets, technical manuals, contracts with the exporter, etc.) in French and Fulfulde. Of course there were hiccups; we were asking people who had attended a literacy course at some point in their life, but never used the skills they developed, to keep records. One group was super successful; others needed lots of coaching and follow up. It was hard and really frustrating for everyone on certain days, but the farmers loved it! The sense of pride that came through the personal transition from being someone who had attended a literacy course to someone who needed to and could read and write in their daily life was incredible!
All of this culminated in an April training for the other members of our sesame cooperative who hadn’t participated in the pilot. Representatives from the record keeping superstar group trained other members on how to keep good records. We also we read through and discussed a sesame technical guide that was in Fulfulde with large, clear pictures intended to communicate the necessary information to semi-literate and illiterate populations. The superstars were young unemployed men who had spent some time as butchers in Cote d’Ivoire-- a neighboring, more developed country. They devoted a lot of energy to making this all work, because they wanted to stay in their village in Burkina, but had no other opportunities for income in their remote village. (As Cote d’Ivoire looks to be possibly on the brink of civil war, I assume their desire to stay in Burkina is even stronger now than when I left).
This was one of the hottest days of the year, easily over 115 degrees in the shade. Between the training and lunch, I rested in a chair for a few minutes, sleepy from the heat. I overheard Asimaou, my favorite old lady and the treasurer of our cooperative who often said little in front of men, was talking to an old man who was a new member of the cooperative and had not participated in the pilot. She proudly informed him that “to do their work, you’ve really gotta know how to read.” If you haven’t spent time with Fulani in rural Burkina, it’s hard to truly grasp the importance of this statement. But for me, this moment made all of my time in Burkina worth it.
In the first year, the four pilot groups collected over 4 tons of sesame; the exporter said our group provided him with the most consistent high-quality white sesame. This year the cooperative has 12 groups (about 300 members) and is expected to collect much more than last year. Because they proved themselves last year, the exporter was willing to provide seed on loan so that more people could participate. In a recent conversation, the exporter said that these farmers are bringing in great quality sesame and are the most diligent about repaying the loan when compared with other groups the exporter sources sesame from across Burkina.
Kids School
The original Kids School of Amsia (the village style pre-school that was run by 5th and 6th graders) was unfortunately not as successful as desired. When I arrived in Amsia to promote girls education, I found that the parents who weren’t against their children going to school (some were, as this meant a loss of someone to help with household chores or watch the animals) were ambivalent. Very few encouraged their children to attend or succeed in school, but didn’t necessarily mind if the kids went. Therefore, it was basically up to the child to motivate him/herself to attend and do well in school. (I’ve written about this a lot in previous emails, so won’t go into it too much). So I felt that the biggest opportunity was to work with the children directly and not count on being able to convince any parents that school was valuable. (If I could, this would be considered an added bonus). The first year in Amsia went so well!The 5th and 6th graders who were leading it were awesome; the children attending were really excited; and the following year the first grade teacher said she could point out which children had participated in our activities because they understood the concept of school so much better and were the quickest learners.
Where I was very unsuccessful was in convincing an adult from the village to co-lead the activities with me. The 5th and 6th graders took care of content, but needed a bit of guidance and definitely a lot of supervision (I can’t imagine any context where 10 12-year olds could manage 40-70 children aged 2 to 8 without some supervision). I spoke to so many adults and multiple times thought I had convinced someone to work with me (it took me quite a while to learn when “yes” means yes and when “yes” just means that person didn’t want to upset you by saying no).
After the first year I had moved to the village of Bani (5 km from Amsia) and couldn’t be in Amsia every weekend. We started things off on a good note, but the adults backed out and the activities stopped.
Due to the success of the first year, I had wanted to replicate the “kids school” idea in other villages. Someone sent me a check to buy more books, so the second year I worked with more motivated adults. The neighboring village of Bolaré didn’t have a school, so students from this village walked 2km to go to school in Amsia or 1.5km to go to school in the village of Ouro Noma. Bolaré lacked a school, but did have Bah, a man who truly understood the importance of education and sent all his kids to school and encouraged his extended family and neighbors to do the same (In a previous Facebook post, I mentioned his daughter who was the first girl to finish middle school. She was offered a job as a secretary, but it was unclear if she would be allowed to take the job because her husband’s family wanted her at home) Two of Bah’s sons were in the original ten kids who ran the kids school the first year in Amsia. So I worked with Bah and his children to start a “kids school” in their village. This version is smaller, but I think it will continue longer.
Scholarship program
The last project I will talk about is a scholarship program for secondary school students that I started with the financial support of the organization For Granted. We supported 5 students from villages that were more than 10km from the secondary school in Bani. Secondary school poses so many difficulties for rural families (both financial and social), but for the children from the selected villages, distance proved to be an additional problem. The village was too far to commute, so very few students from these villages have ever attended secondary school (actually now that I think about it, I wouldn’t be surprised if some of them were the first from their village to attend secondary school). These children were able to find host families in Bani that could allow them to live in their courtyard, but couldn’t afford to feed them. Family resources were already stretched too thin. For Granted provided funding so that the scholarship recipients could purchase food in Bani. Now the students could eat, had a place to sleep and commuting was no longer an issue.
The first year, I communicated with For Granted on behalf of the scholarship committee. The second year, I repeatedly reminded the committee that I was leaving the following year and that they needed to start communicating directly with For Granted. Bani lacks computers, internet and banks, so reporting to For Granted and transferring funds was difficult. Due to a variety of obstacles and frustrating conversations with the scholarship committee, I didn’t think the committee would communicate with For Granted after I left. No reporting/no communication would kill the scholarship program; however, I recently had dinner with a couple members of the For Granted board in DC who informed me that the Bani Scholarship Committee had recently contacted them by email! I was stunned and so pleasantly surprised that I think I just gushed like an idiot about how happy with them I was.
So it looks like the scholarship program will continue to support these students in their next year of secondary school! If you would like to contribute you can do so at http://forgranted.org/current_projects/bani-scholarship
Ouagadougou!
I completed my service as a volunteer at the end of July and was hired by Peace Corps to develop sites for incoming volunteers and improve the site development process. This was such an awesome job! I traveled around the country in a Peace Corps car, not a bus that frequently brokedown! I met with agricultural associations, women’s groups, artisan groups to determine how/if they could work with PC. It was also great to work on the site development process and work in an effective role for Peace Corps volunteers. Writing the manuals was not as fun, and hosting the 3 hour trainings for the office in French was a bit daunting, but I made it through. I even was awarded the “Etalon” Employee of the Month award (not because of site development, but because I held down the fort while the entire office of permanent staff left on a 3 day retreat)
During this period, I first lived with my boss’s wonderful family for a month (he has the sweetest 2 year old daughter who made me grin every time I saw her). Then I lived in a small 2 bedroom house with David, my best friend from Peace Corps who was also working in Ouaga. Finding a place in Ouagadougou was a nightmare. We ended up with a landlord who was high up in the customs department and was a powerful chief. But let’s just say he was not the most honest and upstanding chief I’ve ever met. He decided he really didn’t like me either! In any case I was thrilled to have electricity and running water!! (Unfortunately there was a cooking gas shortage most of my time in Ouaga, so we didn’t really get to cook much. But we had a working coffee machine, so the most essential thing was coveredJ)
I left with a bang as David and I hosted a goodbye/holiday party we referred to as the “Holiday Throwdown Extravaganza” All our friends joined a holiday team to see who could best represent their holiday (Christmas, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Tabaski, Festivus, etc.) with food, drink, games, music and costumes. It was a blast, a great way to say goodbye to some wonderful friends who I miss already.
What’s Now/Next for Me?
I arrived in America days before Thanksgiving. I spent Thanksgiving and Christmas with extended family and friends in Ohio and the time in between in New Jersey. NYC for New Year’s (but very far from Times Square)
I’m currently living in DC again for the next couple months. My previous boss at Ashoka asked me to come back until April while I’m job hunting. Finding this temporary job and a temporary place to stay in DC worked out quickly and incredibly well. I couldn’t have planned this better! I’m not sure if I will stay in DC, but it’s great to be here for a while to catch up with old friends and colleagues (but I already miss my evening glasses of wine with my parents!)
Living in America seems so easy after living in Burkina. If I want to go somewhere, I hop on the metro. I know where I can find most things I would want to purchase. Customer service exists! (I know many of you may disagree with me, but compared to Burkina, I’ve had great customer service almost everywhere!) However, readjusting is sometimes hard and there are many things I miss about Burkina (I can’t stop myself from saying hello to everyone I pass in the hallway of my apartment building. It feels so odd not to know my neighbors.)
“So what’s next?” many of you have asked. I want to build upon the work I did with the sesame farmers and continue to positively connect small-scale producers (farmers, artisans, fishermen, etc.) to global markets. Perhaps this will be from the private sector or working for an NGO. I’d love to find a way to work with rural communities, but no longer live in one permanently. I’m wrestling with whether I want to remain in the US or move abroad again. I’m in the process of reorienting myself, doing some research, and hopefully having lots of conversations. If you have any suggestions of companies or organizations to look into, I’d love to hear them J
Living and working in rural Burkina was overall a great experience, but almost never a piece of cake. Thanks for all your support during my time in Burkina and for appreciating my stories. Thanks for all the letters and care packages for me and for the stuff you sent for my favorite children in the village. Thanks to those of you who asked me challenging questions. Thanks to those who laughed with me, and especially to those who were there when I needed a shoulder to cry on and someone to vent to.
Best wishes for an incredible 2011! Love and Hugs (now from this side of the ocean!)
Kait
PS. I talked to many Returned Peace Corps Volunteers before deciding to join PC. If you know anyone who is considering Peace Corps and wants to speak with a returned volunteer, feel free to give them my contact info.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Monday, February 1, 2010
Village Kids’ Schools
The Challenge
In rural Burkina Faso, education is often viewed to be connected with the school building and not with life. Because there is generally nothing to read in French or Fulfulde other than school books, literacy also seems unimportant. This situation frequently results in a strong disconnect and lack of cooperation between the school and the village.
This disconnect occurs because most parents have never attended school, thus they don’t see the importance of education and don’t encourage their kids to work hard or study (and in many cases, don’t send all their kids to school in the first place). The lack of parental support means that for many children attendance, continuation and success depends on the individual child’s motivation to come to school and work hard. For girls, add extensive household chores required for family survival as well as early and forced marriages to the lack of parental support and it is no surprise that most girls never begin 5th grade.
Additionally, almost all schools are taught in French, and village kids generally don’t hear French before they arrive at school. This augments the transition shock as children who ran freely through the village one day, find themselves sitting in a classroom “learning” in a language they don’t speak the next day.
These obstacles and many others create an environment where it is incredibly difficult for children to excel in school and complete middle school to pass the exam required to obtain a government job. The lack of local success stories reinforces the belief that education isn’t important. In villages, the benefits of education seem abstract and unattainable, but the opportunity costs are very tangible (loss of labor to tend animals, fetch water and wood, etc)
One Strategy
The establishment of informal “Kids’ Schools” is one strategy to enhance students’ academic performance, facilitate the transition from village life to school, and increase parental understanding of school activities.
Village Kids’ Schools are forums where older primary school students-- a valuable untapped resource-- teach younger students and pre-school children in public settings, such as under a central tree. These schools create a structure for student leaders to prepare the younger children for primary school and assist first year students to master basic French. For children who have not entered school, this forum is one of the very few times they will be exposed to French before beginning primary school. Through participation in the kids’ school, student leaders also improve their own academic performance and develop leadership skills.
By holding the Kids’ School in a public place, such as under a central tree, parents and members of the community are able to observe the activities and enhance their understanding of what occurs in a classroom (both in the Kids’ Schools and the public school)
Pilot Program Results
During the pilot phase, held in the small village of Amsia, student leaders developed the activities that they named “The Kids’ School of Amsia.” In this first Kids’ School, student leaders engage children with picture books by reading to a large group in French and translating to Fulfulde. After story time, the students divide the children into groups and work with them on learning the alphabet, numbers and basic French phrases. Generally children are able to color while in the small groups; for children who have never seen crayons, this is an exciting way to practice writing and improve motor skills.
Student Leaders
Participation as a student leader was a privilege and created an incentive for students to work hard. Students who weren’t selected often came to he Kids’ School to help anyways, some hoping to be chosen the following year. Of the ten student leaders, six were completing their final year of primary school. All six passed the entrance exam and began secondary school this year.
Children
The Kids’ School sparked an interest in learning among most regular attendees and gave them an idea how school functions. Over half of the students in the first year class were regular attendees at kids’ school and their teacher was able to identify them based on their academic abilities which surpassed their peers.
Replication
Participants
The Kids’ School teams will generally consist of one primary school teacher; one to three adults who will supervise the activities and ensure that classes occur regularly; and about ten 5th and 6th year students who will be selected by their teacher and peers.
Process
Villages with motivated school directors and at least a couple strong educational advocates from the village will be targeted for replication. The initial replication will occur in villages where I have personal relationships and have developed the confidence that the Kids’ School could continue without the constant involvement of a Peace Corps Volunteer.
In each village a teacher and I would hold an all day workshop with the “Kids’ School” Team. At the workshop we would discuss how to increase children’s enthusiasm for learning and design the school to fit the needs of that village’s children. Effective outreach to students and parents, teaching strategies and positive reinforcement/non-violent behavior management would also be discussed. During the workshop, the team would receive a Kids’ School Kit including a trunk of books, crayons, paper and supplies to repair books.
I would check up on the Kids’ School randomly to ensure continuation and assist in solving any problems that may arise.
Replication would be targeted to begin at the beginning of the second trimester: early January 2010
Your Help
The supplies required to successfully launch a Kids' School cost about $150. If you are interested in contributing financially to the replication, checks can be sent to
Brighten Burkina
211 Welty Ave
Rockford, IL 61107
In rural Burkina Faso, education is often viewed to be connected with the school building and not with life. Because there is generally nothing to read in French or Fulfulde other than school books, literacy also seems unimportant. This situation frequently results in a strong disconnect and lack of cooperation between the school and the village.
This disconnect occurs because most parents have never attended school, thus they don’t see the importance of education and don’t encourage their kids to work hard or study (and in many cases, don’t send all their kids to school in the first place). The lack of parental support means that for many children attendance, continuation and success depends on the individual child’s motivation to come to school and work hard. For girls, add extensive household chores required for family survival as well as early and forced marriages to the lack of parental support and it is no surprise that most girls never begin 5th grade.
Additionally, almost all schools are taught in French, and village kids generally don’t hear French before they arrive at school. This augments the transition shock as children who ran freely through the village one day, find themselves sitting in a classroom “learning” in a language they don’t speak the next day.
These obstacles and many others create an environment where it is incredibly difficult for children to excel in school and complete middle school to pass the exam required to obtain a government job. The lack of local success stories reinforces the belief that education isn’t important. In villages, the benefits of education seem abstract and unattainable, but the opportunity costs are very tangible (loss of labor to tend animals, fetch water and wood, etc)
One Strategy
The establishment of informal “Kids’ Schools” is one strategy to enhance students’ academic performance, facilitate the transition from village life to school, and increase parental understanding of school activities.
Village Kids’ Schools are forums where older primary school students-- a valuable untapped resource-- teach younger students and pre-school children in public settings, such as under a central tree. These schools create a structure for student leaders to prepare the younger children for primary school and assist first year students to master basic French. For children who have not entered school, this forum is one of the very few times they will be exposed to French before beginning primary school. Through participation in the kids’ school, student leaders also improve their own academic performance and develop leadership skills.
By holding the Kids’ School in a public place, such as under a central tree, parents and members of the community are able to observe the activities and enhance their understanding of what occurs in a classroom (both in the Kids’ Schools and the public school)
Pilot Program Results
During the pilot phase, held in the small village of Amsia, student leaders developed the activities that they named “The Kids’ School of Amsia.” In this first Kids’ School, student leaders engage children with picture books by reading to a large group in French and translating to Fulfulde. After story time, the students divide the children into groups and work with them on learning the alphabet, numbers and basic French phrases. Generally children are able to color while in the small groups; for children who have never seen crayons, this is an exciting way to practice writing and improve motor skills.
Student Leaders
Participation as a student leader was a privilege and created an incentive for students to work hard. Students who weren’t selected often came to he Kids’ School to help anyways, some hoping to be chosen the following year. Of the ten student leaders, six were completing their final year of primary school. All six passed the entrance exam and began secondary school this year.
Children
The Kids’ School sparked an interest in learning among most regular attendees and gave them an idea how school functions. Over half of the students in the first year class were regular attendees at kids’ school and their teacher was able to identify them based on their academic abilities which surpassed their peers.
Replication
Participants
The Kids’ School teams will generally consist of one primary school teacher; one to three adults who will supervise the activities and ensure that classes occur regularly; and about ten 5th and 6th year students who will be selected by their teacher and peers.
Process
Villages with motivated school directors and at least a couple strong educational advocates from the village will be targeted for replication. The initial replication will occur in villages where I have personal relationships and have developed the confidence that the Kids’ School could continue without the constant involvement of a Peace Corps Volunteer.
In each village a teacher and I would hold an all day workshop with the “Kids’ School” Team. At the workshop we would discuss how to increase children’s enthusiasm for learning and design the school to fit the needs of that village’s children. Effective outreach to students and parents, teaching strategies and positive reinforcement/non-violent behavior management would also be discussed. During the workshop, the team would receive a Kids’ School Kit including a trunk of books, crayons, paper and supplies to repair books.
I would check up on the Kids’ School randomly to ensure continuation and assist in solving any problems that may arise.
Replication would be targeted to begin at the beginning of the second trimester: early January 2010
Your Help
The supplies required to successfully launch a Kids' School cost about $150. If you are interested in contributing financially to the replication, checks can be sent to
Brighten Burkina
211 Welty Ave
Rockford, IL 61107
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Ode to African Moms
Damn, African women are impressive!! Surtout working mothers!
A friend is a teacher who had twins in September. She is from the city, but after her maternity leave, she brought her babies “en brousse” to the small village where she teaches. She is lucky because her husband teaches in the same village. If both are civil servants, it is common for couples to be split up and working in different regions of the country.
After returning to her home for summer vacation, she came back to my village on the other end of the country to take a certification exam required at this point in her career. She asked if she could stay with me for a couple days during the exam. It was only when I met her at the bus stop that I realized it meant she would be bringing the 10 month old twins and the maid/nanny (at 12 years old, she is a child herself). To get to this exam she brought 2 babies and a nanny 9 hours on two buses over two days.
Three people caring for two babies should be a breeze, right? Not when you don’t have electricity, a dish washer, laundry machine and you have to pump all the water you use! We all worked constantly- cooking, entertaining babies, washing dishes, chasing babies, washing baby clothes, pulling rocks from babies’ mouths, washing babies, sweeping/washing the porch, and of course pumping water for all the washing,.. All the more difficult at my dirty, non baby proof house! For the first time in their lives, the mom put her babies in diapers. I was incredibly thankful that cleaning baby poop off my porch was not on our list of chores.
The night before the exam she tried to cram in her first few minutes of studying since leaving her home 3 days ago while simultaneously breastfeeding one baby and fanning the other.
On the day of the exam, the nanny and I babysat. Previously, I had been amazed by women who were able to complete their work with a baby tied to on the back. It was this day that I realized it is only when the baby is tied on your back that you are able to compete any work! By the end of the day I felt slightly more confident that the baby wouldn’t fall off my back, and was especially proud of myself when I went to the bathroom in my latrine with a squirming baby strapped to me (it was at this moment that I most wished for a playpen or high chair!) At the end of the day when the mom returned home I was by far the most excited to see her. My neighbors thought my excitement was hilarious and continued to bless/curse me with their wishes that I would also give birth to twins someday.
Kudos to mothers everywhere, especially full-time moms with full time jobs! Also be thankful of playpens and running water!
A friend is a teacher who had twins in September. She is from the city, but after her maternity leave, she brought her babies “en brousse” to the small village where she teaches. She is lucky because her husband teaches in the same village. If both are civil servants, it is common for couples to be split up and working in different regions of the country.
After returning to her home for summer vacation, she came back to my village on the other end of the country to take a certification exam required at this point in her career. She asked if she could stay with me for a couple days during the exam. It was only when I met her at the bus stop that I realized it meant she would be bringing the 10 month old twins and the maid/nanny (at 12 years old, she is a child herself). To get to this exam she brought 2 babies and a nanny 9 hours on two buses over two days.
Three people caring for two babies should be a breeze, right? Not when you don’t have electricity, a dish washer, laundry machine and you have to pump all the water you use! We all worked constantly- cooking, entertaining babies, washing dishes, chasing babies, washing baby clothes, pulling rocks from babies’ mouths, washing babies, sweeping/washing the porch, and of course pumping water for all the washing,.. All the more difficult at my dirty, non baby proof house! For the first time in their lives, the mom put her babies in diapers. I was incredibly thankful that cleaning baby poop off my porch was not on our list of chores.
The night before the exam she tried to cram in her first few minutes of studying since leaving her home 3 days ago while simultaneously breastfeeding one baby and fanning the other.
On the day of the exam, the nanny and I babysat. Previously, I had been amazed by women who were able to complete their work with a baby tied to on the back. It was this day that I realized it is only when the baby is tied on your back that you are able to compete any work! By the end of the day I felt slightly more confident that the baby wouldn’t fall off my back, and was especially proud of myself when I went to the bathroom in my latrine with a squirming baby strapped to me (it was at this moment that I most wished for a playpen or high chair!) At the end of the day when the mom returned home I was by far the most excited to see her. My neighbors thought my excitement was hilarious and continued to bless/curse me with their wishes that I would also give birth to twins someday.
Kudos to mothers everywhere, especially full-time moms with full time jobs! Also be thankful of playpens and running water!
Saturday, April 4, 2009
What we've been trying
Why I believe Burkina Faso has a brighter future
My village kids have amazing untapped potential! We decided to try an informal preschool/tutoring program that would be fun and interactive with the goals of fostering an interest in reading and writing and of teaching some basic French to kids before they begin school. Our target audience is kids that are in their first or second year of school, or haven’t yet started.
The 5th/6h grade teacher selected 10 of the strongest and most dynamic readers in his class to be “les petits maîtres” (the little teachers). One afternoon, they came to my house to plan our program. They proposed the activities and the rules (such as we must not teach the kids bad things, we must like kids, etc) and created the schedule for the first two meetings with the kids. Their excitement was apparent as they jostled each other to propose ideas and write on the board and the “official notebook”.
They chose the name “Ecole des Enfants d’Amsia”-the School of the Kids of Amsia. I especially like the translation in Fulfulde when contrasted to the Fulfulde word for student which translates to “kids of the school.” Here we are trying to build a type of informal school that fits the kids’ needs. The kids have ownership of our “school” rather than the other way around.
On the day of our first meeting, the 10 students ran around the village rounding up kids, who came skipping and running to the tree where we were starting our class. The students explained the idea of our program and asked who wanted to be there. 30 little hands shot into the air. We had a couple kids hanging out of the tree and parents stopped by to watch and hopefully start to develop a clearer idea of what their kids do in the school building during the day.
Under our tree, our activities kicked off with two girls reading a story book in French and translating into Fulfulde while a third engaged kids with the images. The students were brilliant at adapting to on the ground challenges. Kids were getting bored, so they made the story more interactive. Little kids were in the back, so they were picked up and plopped in the front where they could see. Fighting kids were separated. Then we broke into small groups so that the students could work with the kids on learning numbers and letters and encouraging them to write and draw.
I would have been proud of these kids had then been American students who were frequently asked to think critically and creatively. Highly impressed had they been Ouagalais, kids from the capital. But I was blown away that my village kids who are generally only asked to memorize, repeat and follow instructions were brilliant, creative problem solvers when faced with real life situations. If you want to see photos check out my flickr account
Some of the other projects on the drawing board and in the works
So you don’t think I’m just “bouffing” your tax money sitting around drinking tea and learning Fulfulde, I’ve outlined a couple other education projects below. I, the girl who can’t even grow tomatoes on her DC balcony, have somehow gotten involved in a few agro-projects as well…but I’ll save those for another day. If you have ideas, questions, resource suggestions, I’d love to hear them all.
Scholarship Program- Thanks to For Granted, an organization founded by a former Peace Corps Volunteer, we have started a scholarship program to pay for lodging and meals for students who attend the middle school in Bani, but come from far away villages. www.forgranted.org
Library- we are working on creating a library and a system to get books into the smaller surrounding villages as well. The community has donated a building and will be fixing it up, but does not have the funds to buy books. We have begun searching for start up funds and have a couple ideas, but if you have any suggestions, they are always appreciated!
Revolving Fund to Support Schools-the US embassy gave us about $1000 worth of pagnes, brightly printed fabric depicting “Burkina-US Friendship.” (Pagnes are bought and brought to tailors with instructions to make custom designed clothes) We are going to sell the pagnes and use the money to start an interest-free revolving fund for the Mothers of Students associations in the district to start small income generating projects to support the schools.
Massive Moringa Planting-we are organizing an Earth Day moringa tree planting in at least 20 of the 33 schools in the district. Moringa leaves are incredibly high in vitamins, minerals, protein, etc. The leaves will be added to school lunches of couscous and beans to supplement students’ nutrition
My village kids have amazing untapped potential! We decided to try an informal preschool/tutoring program that would be fun and interactive with the goals of fostering an interest in reading and writing and of teaching some basic French to kids before they begin school. Our target audience is kids that are in their first or second year of school, or haven’t yet started.
The 5th/6h grade teacher selected 10 of the strongest and most dynamic readers in his class to be “les petits maîtres” (the little teachers). One afternoon, they came to my house to plan our program. They proposed the activities and the rules (such as we must not teach the kids bad things, we must like kids, etc) and created the schedule for the first two meetings with the kids. Their excitement was apparent as they jostled each other to propose ideas and write on the board and the “official notebook”.
They chose the name “Ecole des Enfants d’Amsia”-the School of the Kids of Amsia. I especially like the translation in Fulfulde when contrasted to the Fulfulde word for student which translates to “kids of the school.” Here we are trying to build a type of informal school that fits the kids’ needs. The kids have ownership of our “school” rather than the other way around.
On the day of our first meeting, the 10 students ran around the village rounding up kids, who came skipping and running to the tree where we were starting our class. The students explained the idea of our program and asked who wanted to be there. 30 little hands shot into the air. We had a couple kids hanging out of the tree and parents stopped by to watch and hopefully start to develop a clearer idea of what their kids do in the school building during the day.
Under our tree, our activities kicked off with two girls reading a story book in French and translating into Fulfulde while a third engaged kids with the images. The students were brilliant at adapting to on the ground challenges. Kids were getting bored, so they made the story more interactive. Little kids were in the back, so they were picked up and plopped in the front where they could see. Fighting kids were separated. Then we broke into small groups so that the students could work with the kids on learning numbers and letters and encouraging them to write and draw.
I would have been proud of these kids had then been American students who were frequently asked to think critically and creatively. Highly impressed had they been Ouagalais, kids from the capital. But I was blown away that my village kids who are generally only asked to memorize, repeat and follow instructions were brilliant, creative problem solvers when faced with real life situations. If you want to see photos check out my flickr account
Some of the other projects on the drawing board and in the works
So you don’t think I’m just “bouffing” your tax money sitting around drinking tea and learning Fulfulde, I’ve outlined a couple other education projects below. I, the girl who can’t even grow tomatoes on her DC balcony, have somehow gotten involved in a few agro-projects as well…but I’ll save those for another day. If you have ideas, questions, resource suggestions, I’d love to hear them all.
Scholarship Program- Thanks to For Granted, an organization founded by a former Peace Corps Volunteer, we have started a scholarship program to pay for lodging and meals for students who attend the middle school in Bani, but come from far away villages. www.forgranted.org
Library- we are working on creating a library and a system to get books into the smaller surrounding villages as well. The community has donated a building and will be fixing it up, but does not have the funds to buy books. We have begun searching for start up funds and have a couple ideas, but if you have any suggestions, they are always appreciated!
Revolving Fund to Support Schools-the US embassy gave us about $1000 worth of pagnes, brightly printed fabric depicting “Burkina-US Friendship.” (Pagnes are bought and brought to tailors with instructions to make custom designed clothes) We are going to sell the pagnes and use the money to start an interest-free revolving fund for the Mothers of Students associations in the district to start small income generating projects to support the schools.
Massive Moringa Planting-we are organizing an Earth Day moringa tree planting in at least 20 of the 33 schools in the district. Moringa leaves are incredibly high in vitamins, minerals, protein, etc. The leaves will be added to school lunches of couscous and beans to supplement students’ nutrition
Learning Curves
The beginning
Ok, so I never really thought it would be easy to convince tiny traditional, semi-nomadic rural communities that education is important; however, I think deep down I was arrogant enough to hang on to a slight hope that if I really got to know people (and was liked and trusted by my village) I would find a magic touch and it wouldn’t actually be that difficult.
Before arriving at my site, I was most worried about the first 3 months in village, the so called “Etude de Mileu” During this period new PC Volunteers are supposed to minimize travel and spend almost all their time in village in order to get to know people and learn how things work. Let’s just say I lost more than a little sleep over the thought of being the only foreigner in a tiny village where history is told in terms of residents’ ancestors.
I was very pleased to find that the first three months actually went really well. As the only White in the village, I quickly became the local celebrity (nothing special, so did all my PC friends in their own villages). Honestly, in villages it’s hard to find someone who doesn’t want a white friend (or an American wife for that matter), so greeting people in their first language, holding their 7 day old babies during baptisms (and not exclaiming when the baby pees on me) and drinking tea with people goes a long way.
About halfway through the “Etude” Period, I started getting antsy. I had been in BF many months and had learnt a lot, but hadn’t done much.
What I’ve learned thus far
(This is generalized and of course there are rare exceptions…but they are hard to find) In many ways education is viewed to be connected with the school building and not with life. The majority of people don’t view school as a way to improve life. Why?
Well, most parents never went to school and don’t understand it, thus don’t see why education is important and don’t encourage their kids to try or study (and in many cases, don’t send all their kids to school in the first place). In many cases, attendance, continuation and success depends on the individual child’s motivation to come to school and work hard. Unfortunately, almost all schools are taught in French, and village kids generally don’t hear French before they arrive at school. So kids, who days before had only spent their time running around barefoot (and probably at least half naked) are expected to spend 7 hours a day sitting on benches “learning” in a language they don’t speak. You see the problem. (In stark contrast to most theoretical French language schools that depend on rote memorization, there is a “non-formal education” school that is practical, interactive and taught in Fulfulde. When observing, I didn’t understand much of what was said, but I’ve never felt more at home in Burkinabe classrooms. Unfortunately these schools are few and far between and are seen as a last resort for kids who didn’t attend the regular school.)
For girls, add extensive household chores required for family survival and early and forced marriages to the lack of parental support and it is no surprise that most girls don’t make it to 5th grade.
These factors, compounded by many others, result in obstacles so great that so few students succeed (boys or girls). In my village in particular no one has passed the test to complete junior high (the minimum requirement for formal employment) and no one has used their education to dramatically improve their life. We have no local role models, thus the word on the cowpath isn’t “Sambo has a new moto because his son went to school and now has a job and helps the family”, but often is “Hama’s son went to school for a few years and now is scraping by selling meat in Ouaga with my son who never set foot in a school building.” With the exception of Bani (the central and administrative village in the department), which has slightly better success rates, this scenario reflects the situation in most (I’m afraid to say all) villages in the department, if not the region.
An additional factor is that in most tiny villages there is nothing to read in French or Fulfulde other than school books. With nothing to read, literacy seems unimportant (again connected to school and not life), people can’t practice and improve their reading abilities, and reading for fun seems unimaginable.
Furthermore, much of life is unreliable and depends on external factors. Will it rain enough so that I can harvest enough millet to sufficiently feed my family? Will the government send enough notebooks for schools as promised, so I don’t need to buy them for my kids? Will the World Food Programme send enough food so my kids who I do send to school can eat lunch there everyday? In Amsia, the answer to all of these questions was NO this year. This results in feelings of lack of control, lack of agency in one’s own life.
So now let’s look at financial restraints. In my village, families could easily spend 162 000 cfa (about $324USD) to put a child through school until the end of junior high. However, this estimate is based on the unrealistic assumptions hat the student will never repeat a grade, only needs to purchase a new junior high uniform every other year, and already has a bike to pedal the 5km to the junior high. Most men have at least 2 wives, with at least 5 kids each. I guess you could say there are financial restraints to sending all the kids to school.
When so much seems undependable, the benefits of education seem abstract and unattainable, but the opportunity costs so tangible (loss of labor to tend animals, fetch water and wood, etc) it is no surprise so few parents are willing to make the minimum $324 and 10 year investment required per child to complete junior high and potentially get a job.
Ok, so I never really thought it would be easy to convince tiny traditional, semi-nomadic rural communities that education is important; however, I think deep down I was arrogant enough to hang on to a slight hope that if I really got to know people (and was liked and trusted by my village) I would find a magic touch and it wouldn’t actually be that difficult.
Before arriving at my site, I was most worried about the first 3 months in village, the so called “Etude de Mileu” During this period new PC Volunteers are supposed to minimize travel and spend almost all their time in village in order to get to know people and learn how things work. Let’s just say I lost more than a little sleep over the thought of being the only foreigner in a tiny village where history is told in terms of residents’ ancestors.
I was very pleased to find that the first three months actually went really well. As the only White in the village, I quickly became the local celebrity (nothing special, so did all my PC friends in their own villages). Honestly, in villages it’s hard to find someone who doesn’t want a white friend (or an American wife for that matter), so greeting people in their first language, holding their 7 day old babies during baptisms (and not exclaiming when the baby pees on me) and drinking tea with people goes a long way.
About halfway through the “Etude” Period, I started getting antsy. I had been in BF many months and had learnt a lot, but hadn’t done much.
What I’ve learned thus far
(This is generalized and of course there are rare exceptions…but they are hard to find) In many ways education is viewed to be connected with the school building and not with life. The majority of people don’t view school as a way to improve life. Why?
Well, most parents never went to school and don’t understand it, thus don’t see why education is important and don’t encourage their kids to try or study (and in many cases, don’t send all their kids to school in the first place). In many cases, attendance, continuation and success depends on the individual child’s motivation to come to school and work hard. Unfortunately, almost all schools are taught in French, and village kids generally don’t hear French before they arrive at school. So kids, who days before had only spent their time running around barefoot (and probably at least half naked) are expected to spend 7 hours a day sitting on benches “learning” in a language they don’t speak. You see the problem. (In stark contrast to most theoretical French language schools that depend on rote memorization, there is a “non-formal education” school that is practical, interactive and taught in Fulfulde. When observing, I didn’t understand much of what was said, but I’ve never felt more at home in Burkinabe classrooms. Unfortunately these schools are few and far between and are seen as a last resort for kids who didn’t attend the regular school.)
For girls, add extensive household chores required for family survival and early and forced marriages to the lack of parental support and it is no surprise that most girls don’t make it to 5th grade.
These factors, compounded by many others, result in obstacles so great that so few students succeed (boys or girls). In my village in particular no one has passed the test to complete junior high (the minimum requirement for formal employment) and no one has used their education to dramatically improve their life. We have no local role models, thus the word on the cowpath isn’t “Sambo has a new moto because his son went to school and now has a job and helps the family”, but often is “Hama’s son went to school for a few years and now is scraping by selling meat in Ouaga with my son who never set foot in a school building.” With the exception of Bani (the central and administrative village in the department), which has slightly better success rates, this scenario reflects the situation in most (I’m afraid to say all) villages in the department, if not the region.
An additional factor is that in most tiny villages there is nothing to read in French or Fulfulde other than school books. With nothing to read, literacy seems unimportant (again connected to school and not life), people can’t practice and improve their reading abilities, and reading for fun seems unimaginable.
Furthermore, much of life is unreliable and depends on external factors. Will it rain enough so that I can harvest enough millet to sufficiently feed my family? Will the government send enough notebooks for schools as promised, so I don’t need to buy them for my kids? Will the World Food Programme send enough food so my kids who I do send to school can eat lunch there everyday? In Amsia, the answer to all of these questions was NO this year. This results in feelings of lack of control, lack of agency in one’s own life.
So now let’s look at financial restraints. In my village, families could easily spend 162 000 cfa (about $324USD) to put a child through school until the end of junior high. However, this estimate is based on the unrealistic assumptions hat the student will never repeat a grade, only needs to purchase a new junior high uniform every other year, and already has a bike to pedal the 5km to the junior high. Most men have at least 2 wives, with at least 5 kids each. I guess you could say there are financial restraints to sending all the kids to school.
When so much seems undependable, the benefits of education seem abstract and unattainable, but the opportunity costs so tangible (loss of labor to tend animals, fetch water and wood, etc) it is no surprise so few parents are willing to make the minimum $324 and 10 year investment required per child to complete junior high and potentially get a job.
Friday, December 5, 2008
What an Obama Victory Means in One Tiny Fulani Village
To say that my village supports Barack Obama is an understatement. The night of the election, we held a party in an open area between the village mosque and the blacksmith's house. The blacksmith has a TV and I was gifted a small solar panel, so we tried to show election coverage (without any luck due to the time difference) to the many people who had gathered. At one point, I briefly told the story of Barack Obama's family. Grandfather was a Kenyan herder (Cattle are incredibly important to the Fulani ethnic group who are mainly herders), father grew up in Kenya, went to school and studied hard, and now Barack is (at that time) a candidate to be the next President of the United States.
I had cut out pictures of Obama, Biden, McCain and Palin and pasted on a piece of paper to show who was running. Most had heard of this Obama guy, heard that he was possibly "a balejo" (a black man) but had never seen a photo. Luckily the Newsweek I had contained photos of his father, mother and other family members and really helped my story. (Look for pictures on my flickr account in the coming weeks)
We had a mock election and people voted by making a tear on their ballot next to the stick figures of 2 men or a man and a woman. Obama won 57-0. Not surprising considering 1. Obama's family comes from a herding ethnic group. 2. the only Americans they know (me and previous volunteer) support Obama 3. McCain's running mate is a woman (Someone asked me if she really would be able to be the VP)
The next morning when I pranced around the village sharing results, the reactions were priceless. Everyone was thrilled that "a balejo" would be the next president of the US, but for some it went far beyond that. Multiple people clasped their hands to their mouth, grinning somewhat bashfully, their eyes sparkling with possibility; overjoyed and not sure how to react to the news that the grandson of African herders was gong to be the next President of the US. For some, this seemed to signify that for them to, the world may have an opportunity, not to be an American president, but maybe a teacher, a nurse, or a policeman.
I have no idea of the long term effects, but for now I'm trying to jump through the open door and promote education anytime someone wants to see my now tattered Newsweek with pictures of Barack Obama.
I would love to get a hold of Obama stickers, pens, or small items to give as incentives to the kids in my school for working hard. If you have any left over campaign stuff you are trying to get rid of, let me know and we can figure out how to get it to Burkina.
I had cut out pictures of Obama, Biden, McCain and Palin and pasted on a piece of paper to show who was running. Most had heard of this Obama guy, heard that he was possibly "a balejo" (a black man) but had never seen a photo. Luckily the Newsweek I had contained photos of his father, mother and other family members and really helped my story. (Look for pictures on my flickr account in the coming weeks)
We had a mock election and people voted by making a tear on their ballot next to the stick figures of 2 men or a man and a woman. Obama won 57-0. Not surprising considering 1. Obama's family comes from a herding ethnic group. 2. the only Americans they know (me and previous volunteer) support Obama 3. McCain's running mate is a woman (Someone asked me if she really would be able to be the VP)
The next morning when I pranced around the village sharing results, the reactions were priceless. Everyone was thrilled that "a balejo" would be the next president of the US, but for some it went far beyond that. Multiple people clasped their hands to their mouth, grinning somewhat bashfully, their eyes sparkling with possibility; overjoyed and not sure how to react to the news that the grandson of African herders was gong to be the next President of the US. For some, this seemed to signify that for them to, the world may have an opportunity, not to be an American president, but maybe a teacher, a nurse, or a policeman.
I have no idea of the long term effects, but for now I'm trying to jump through the open door and promote education anytime someone wants to see my now tattered Newsweek with pictures of Barack Obama.
I would love to get a hold of Obama stickers, pens, or small items to give as incentives to the kids in my school for working hard. If you have any left over campaign stuff you are trying to get rid of, let me know and we can figure out how to get it to Burkina.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Collective Survival
In Burkina I live with the Fulani, a previously nomadic (and currently semi-nomadic) ethnic group that is scattered across West and Central Africa. In my village there are "vrai Peulh" (real Fulani) and the "machube"-the descendants of those captured and enslaved by the Fulani. The machube originate from a variety of ethnic groups but have abandoned their languages and cultures and have assimilated into Fulani communities. They generally eat the same foods as Fulani.
CUISINE
Fulani mainly obtain food by cultivating (corn, millet, sorghum, beans) raising animals (cows, goats, sheep, chickens and guinea fowl-an awkward looking bird that makes an obnoxious noise like a squeaking wheel). They also gather wild fruits (grapes, tamarinds, and others) and leaves for sauce. From time to time they hunt small birds to supplement their diets-I've even seen kids hunt mice.
The main staple of most groups in Burkina is to, a stiff porridge made of millet or corn flour. Everyone sitting around the bowl and tears of hunks of to and dips it in a sauce most frequently made of okra or baobab leaves (the okra sauce is really slimy, but is unfortunately for me very popular). Beans and rice are eaten as well, but many Fulani prefer to sell the beans they harvest. In my village Fulani eat to because it is prevalent in the region, but I assume that Fulani in other countries have different diets based on foods readily available there.
Unlike in the US, everything truly has a season-good luck getting mangoes, watermelons, etc outside their season; outside Ouaga even milk and eggs are only available during the rainy season
The Fulani are herders, but rarely eat meat other than on holidays. Fulani take great pride in their animals- especially their cows, which they hate to sell. often families have hundreds of goats and sheep, which act like insurance; they are only sold when necessary, such as when the family has run out of millet, or someone is really sick (selling a goat to buy school supplies is often not seen as an expense worthy of selling a goat). I sense that culturally there is pride in being able to keep many beings alive, despite the harsh landscape, thus big herds and families are prestigious.
FOOD RELATED RESPONSIBILITIES
Daily responsibilities for the majority of people revolve around food production and preparation. These responsibilities are very segregated by gender.
Socially, men have the responsibility to provide food for the family and meet there other basic needs. women have their own fields, (but still work in their husbands fields) and in theory can sell their crops and spend their money as desired.
MEN- during the rainy season (June-Sept) men work in the fields to break up the earth, plant seeds, remove weeds, and eventually harvest in October. When necessary men are responsible for building graneries to store millet throughout the year.
WOMEN- women also work in the fields, but have the added daily responsibilities of preparing food. They collect wood, pump water, cop and dry veggies and leaves, pound and sift millet, as well as cook food and wash dishes.
watching African women pound millet is really impressive. frequently they will pound the millet rhythmically, with 2 or 3 women pounding in a sngle mortar. sometimes they sing, cluck, or throw the pestle above their heads and clap before catching it-all without missing a beat! Women are almost always working, so social time and work are often combined.
Herding is a major responsibility of youth and men. kids as young as 6 will take goats out to the buh to eat grass and spend the entire day out in the sun. By age 8 many move on to herding cattle. (Unfortunately, cultural importance placed on herding conflicts with education and the current public school system)
I've only lived in BF during cultivating months, so I' not quite sure what men do the rest of the year. Women, on the the other hand, have daily household responsibilities that vary less seasonly.
CULTURE OF FOOD
In Burkina, there is a collective responsibility for everyone's survival. If you have extra, you give food to your neighbors; if you don't have enough, you ask. It is incredibly impolite to eat without offering to share with those around you (even strangers on the bus!) Most people in Burkina don't have enough to eat, so it is expected that food will be shared so everyone can (hopefully) survive.
For most families in my village, there is only enough food to eat twice a day, so lunch is frequently skipped. Men drink lots of tea throughout the day, they say to keep away hunger.
When preparing meals, women prepare a lot, but not for a certain number of people, because you never know who will stop by for dinner.
Meals are eaten with the right hand-the left is used to clean yourself after going to the bathroom) from a communal bowl shared with your peer group (men, women, kids). Once you have eaten enough, you turn away from the bowl to indicate you are finished eating.Whatever food remains is eaten the next day, including remains that can be scraped from the bottom of the pot and dried. One of my favorite Fulani foods is bits of dried to mixed with day old milk and sugar. sounds odd, but is tasty!
CUISINE
Fulani mainly obtain food by cultivating (corn, millet, sorghum, beans) raising animals (cows, goats, sheep, chickens and guinea fowl-an awkward looking bird that makes an obnoxious noise like a squeaking wheel). They also gather wild fruits (grapes, tamarinds, and others) and leaves for sauce. From time to time they hunt small birds to supplement their diets-I've even seen kids hunt mice.
The main staple of most groups in Burkina is to, a stiff porridge made of millet or corn flour. Everyone sitting around the bowl and tears of hunks of to and dips it in a sauce most frequently made of okra or baobab leaves (the okra sauce is really slimy, but is unfortunately for me very popular). Beans and rice are eaten as well, but many Fulani prefer to sell the beans they harvest. In my village Fulani eat to because it is prevalent in the region, but I assume that Fulani in other countries have different diets based on foods readily available there.
Unlike in the US, everything truly has a season-good luck getting mangoes, watermelons, etc outside their season; outside Ouaga even milk and eggs are only available during the rainy season
The Fulani are herders, but rarely eat meat other than on holidays. Fulani take great pride in their animals- especially their cows, which they hate to sell. often families have hundreds of goats and sheep, which act like insurance; they are only sold when necessary, such as when the family has run out of millet, or someone is really sick (selling a goat to buy school supplies is often not seen as an expense worthy of selling a goat). I sense that culturally there is pride in being able to keep many beings alive, despite the harsh landscape, thus big herds and families are prestigious.
FOOD RELATED RESPONSIBILITIES
Daily responsibilities for the majority of people revolve around food production and preparation. These responsibilities are very segregated by gender.
Socially, men have the responsibility to provide food for the family and meet there other basic needs. women have their own fields, (but still work in their husbands fields) and in theory can sell their crops and spend their money as desired.
MEN- during the rainy season (June-Sept) men work in the fields to break up the earth, plant seeds, remove weeds, and eventually harvest in October. When necessary men are responsible for building graneries to store millet throughout the year.
WOMEN- women also work in the fields, but have the added daily responsibilities of preparing food. They collect wood, pump water, cop and dry veggies and leaves, pound and sift millet, as well as cook food and wash dishes.
watching African women pound millet is really impressive. frequently they will pound the millet rhythmically, with 2 or 3 women pounding in a sngle mortar. sometimes they sing, cluck, or throw the pestle above their heads and clap before catching it-all without missing a beat! Women are almost always working, so social time and work are often combined.
Herding is a major responsibility of youth and men. kids as young as 6 will take goats out to the buh to eat grass and spend the entire day out in the sun. By age 8 many move on to herding cattle. (Unfortunately, cultural importance placed on herding conflicts with education and the current public school system)
I've only lived in BF during cultivating months, so I' not quite sure what men do the rest of the year. Women, on the the other hand, have daily household responsibilities that vary less seasonly.
CULTURE OF FOOD
In Burkina, there is a collective responsibility for everyone's survival. If you have extra, you give food to your neighbors; if you don't have enough, you ask. It is incredibly impolite to eat without offering to share with those around you (even strangers on the bus!) Most people in Burkina don't have enough to eat, so it is expected that food will be shared so everyone can (hopefully) survive.
For most families in my village, there is only enough food to eat twice a day, so lunch is frequently skipped. Men drink lots of tea throughout the day, they say to keep away hunger.
When preparing meals, women prepare a lot, but not for a certain number of people, because you never know who will stop by for dinner.
Meals are eaten with the right hand-the left is used to clean yourself after going to the bathroom) from a communal bowl shared with your peer group (men, women, kids). Once you have eaten enough, you turn away from the bowl to indicate you are finished eating.Whatever food remains is eaten the next day, including remains that can be scraped from the bottom of the pot and dried. One of my favorite Fulani foods is bits of dried to mixed with day old milk and sugar. sounds odd, but is tasty!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)