I am actually working

I am actually working hard and when I get home at night I am exhausted. This week I helped the office finalize their budget submission in Head office format (UK) which seemed really complicated when they were explaining it to me and during the process itself - it was all new to me – but the final product was pretty simple – it seems we went around the world for something that could of taken 10% of the time – like most African organisations even this office is disorganized and have a difficult time conceptualizing things in simple ways – this, by their own admission, is a cultural trait.

Then we had a seminar on Thursday & Friday and I had to give a presentation on organisational development to 40 people that was basically the heart of the seminar and discussions. I was to meet with the facilitator/moderator on Monday but he never showed up – so then it was scheduled for Tuesday morning and again he did not show up – to find out that he was not going to moderate for some reason– so they called in another moderator and finally Tuesday pm we started getting organized for Thursday & Friday. I had basically 1 day to get the presentation together and practice - On Thursday morning another consultant was to facilitate a brainstorming session and he never showed up (one of his parents passed away during the night) so at 8h30 they called in somebody else last minute to be at the seminar for 9h30 – what a mess – not prepared in the least and never did get to do a brainstorming session. Not a good start but nobody seemed too phased by it – I am told you just need to adjust and no big deal. One thing I will need to master is how to adjust to the unpredictable which seems to be somewhat predictable as something eventually seems to go wrong – due to lack of planning and organisation – but also due to sickness and death in the family which takes people away from other commitments quite often.

Since many volunteers came in from Bobo for the 2 day seminar most of us went out for supper on Friday night to this restaurant/garden called “La Fôret” – cute setting with tables around a pool and really good food – but I would have called the restaurant “La Chauve Souris” – because the bats (big bats) were flying all over our heads and skimming the water of the pool – I seem to be the only one that it bothered – oh well.

On Monday I get to go to a meeting with Monsieur Coulibaly – Ministre Délégué Chargé des Collectivités Territoriales – problem is I have nothing appropriate to wear and when I mentioned that to Gervais (Country Director of VSO BF) he just said “no problem” because everything is permitted for the Nassara. Luckily Amina (she is the Health Program Manager – VSO BF) understood me not feeling overly comfortable with going to a meeting in jeans so she brought me to a boutique and I bought a dressy 2 piece (pant & top) for Monday and I am having another 2 piece (pant & tunic) made to measure which should be ready by Thursday. Now I have another problem – I have no iron – will have to figure out something or go as a wrinkled Nassara.

That’s it for me this week – next weekend is Easter so we are going to Banfora – will let you know how that goes.

27 years ago

Happy Birthday to my daughter Stephanie whose birthday was March 15th. Time does go by quickly at times and for the first time I was not there with her to celebrate (Sniff! Sniff! – I’m allowed).


Bonne Fête à toi aussi Catherine – et on se voit peut-être au mois d’août.

I started working directly with the VSO office here in Ouagadougou – and what a difference air conditioning makes. I can actually work a full day without passing out from heat exhaustion – and I’m hungry for lunch and supper.

My first week has been rather easy – quite a few translations from English to French as most VSO documentation is in English and translators are not easily found here. But the material is very interesting so I am learning at the same time. Next week I have to assist in giving a seminar and possibly even give a presentation to about 40 people (VSO volunteers and Partners) – should be interesting and I hope I don’t blush too much. Then I am to assist in an ICT (In Country Training) were I get to be the expert on Organisational Development. Two of the new volunteers will be working with me for the next few months as we tour the partners to do their baseline diagnostic – that is when the real fun will begin as that is when I will be learning the most about the challenges organisations face in trying to provide sustainable development projects to their respective beneficiaries.

A little note on a conversation I had with some very educated people here – My question to them being on how they thought the country could get out of its misery – the answer “revolution” in order to get rid of the corrupt practices of government and give people back the right to determine their own future by actually electing their government representatives. The elections here have a “democratic look and feel” about them but it is far from the truth. Another issue they have is a lack of quality control of everything from computers (you really don’t know what is inside) to medication (you really don’t know what is inside). No quality control (or it seems any controls) on what comes in from the borders (the border officials are so corrupt they are close to being as wealthy as high ranking government officials) – it seems that even the Chinese Embassy acts as a gateway to getting things into the country that otherwise would be refused (i.e. rice laced with melamine ...). Even their good intentions of decentralising government is full of challenges because the rural government bodies are often illiterate (illiteracy rate in 78% in the country and higher in rural areas than in urban areas) and they cannot read government policies or write council meeting minutes and once they have a little bit of power and finances they become corrupt to survive etc..... Once you dig into things you realize how many layers there are that need to get resolved before they can have a chance to develop.

This week my night watchman (Issouf) got his new/refurbished motorcycle and he is really happy and proud

 – so he invited me to meet his mother who gave me a really big hug and thanked me profusely for helping her son out. She does not speak a word of French so Issouf had to translate. It was really nice but also really sad to see in what despair his family is living in. They live in an area that is not walled in which is apparently an indication of their poverty status, they have running water but no electricity – and Issouf’s little house made of banco (kind of clay with mud) crumbled in September when they had severe rainfall so he has been living with friends here and there until now since now he is basically sleeping outside my place as my vigil. He does not have enough money to rebuild yet but eventually – right now he is making his own bricks (as he is a mason). His mother and his brother with wife and 3 children live in a small house – his mother was ill recently and not yet able to work and his brother does not have a stable income (illiterate so it makes it more difficult) – so they live on what I do not know....

For now Issouf gets to take me to work on his motorcycle every morning since work is quite far from where I live and I get a lift back home with the VSO driver. The arrangement with VSO is that they give me 25 000F CFA allowance/month which I in turn give to Issouf for driving me (which takes him 1 hour a day + not quite 1 litre of gas a day) – it works out for everyone concerned. The only inconvenience is the dust – and the Harmatan winds have been blowing quite hard – so you get to work feeling filthy. I was also told that this is the season for meningitis – because of the winds - as bacteria are literally flying about in the air (not to worry I have been vaccinated).

A little update on the donkey cart (pousse-pousse) – the carpenter has recently become a new dad and he was busy with the baptismal so reason for not making his deadline – so we gave him an extra 2 weeks (for now) – it seems this pousse-pousse is very important to him as it is his delivery truck. They put everything in this cart and donkey pulls it anywhere. As a matter of fact that is how I got my closet delivered to me this morning – but not awake enough to take a picture.

Now that Issouf can take me places it gives me a new freedom – I actually went out last night for supper and a play and both were excellent – although no electricity for most of the evening. The Maquis served one of the best fish (on charcoal) and fries I have ever tasted and the service was by far the most enjoyable we have had here in Ouaga (not usually one of their forte). The play was actually really good – subject matter was a comedy about the two faces of politics and people – one being honest and forthright and the other being corrupt and promiscuous. The talent of the acting cast was also quite impressive and it was a most entertaining evening. When I got out of the open air theatre (another nice touch) Issouf was there waiting for me and off we went back home. I feel pretty safe because he knows the city, he knows how to manoeuvre around potholes and other motorists and he does not go excessively fast.

Sorry for the delay in posting this blog but my internet connection was interrupted due to non payment on my part. We do not get invoices here so it happens that due dates get forgotten or you run out of electricity because you did not pre-purchase units in time.

I hear spring has just about sprung in Quebec – should make for an early start to golf season.

Again – if there is anything in particular you want to write about just let me know.

9 weeks into it

It is hard to realize it has only been 9 weeks (2 months). I find time usually flies by with no time to appreciate it - but maybe it goes by so quickly because I am just so use to my little mundane routine day in and day out. For some reason time does not fly by here – 9 weeks feels like 9 months (maybe a bit exaggerated) – because every day is still different and usually pretty intense. It is probably this intensity that makes time that much more real and palpable.


The VSO volunteer from Bobo ( Ève who is a nurse) went back with her very sick friend on Tuesday – the nightmare had just intensified. On Monday her friend nearly died, her brain was so swollen from infection she was convulsing and in a semi-coma – the medication having not quite kicked in yet (and still under the stress of not having enough of it for the full treatment that is required). When the private hospital caring for her realized the patient was getting worst they advised Ève that they could no longer care for her and were to move her to the public hospital here in Ouaga. It seems the private hospital did not want an HIV death on their statistics – but it also seems that moving her to the public hospital was a sure death certificate as this public hospital is very unsanitary. So Ève took the chance her friend could survive the 5 hour bus ride back to Bobo and she would care for her there – at home. The last I heard she is doing much better – no more convulsing or vomiting – medication is working. After several phone calls and medical advice from Canadian doctors Ève also found a sufficient source of medication for her Burkinabè friend.

I am not so sure this story is interesting for my readers but, since this is also my journal in some sorts, I want to document my experiences. It also puts into perspective how life does not have the same value here – maybe because they are use to death and feel so powerless against it – even though there are alternatives to death with the right diagnostic and medication.

I met with VSO on Wednesday and it went really well – I have a new mandate that seems pretty interesting. Starting Monday and for the next few months I will be working directly with the VSO BF office – at first to help them prepare and animate a 2 day workshop on March 25-26; then to help them translate their County Program in English for the UK and Canada; and then for the next few months I will be visiting all their active and potential partners and will be conducting diagnostics that will serve as a baseline for each of them. One weakness with VSO BF is that they do not have enough knowledge about their partners and with these partner diagnostics it will be much easier to assess needs, identify volunteers better qualified to fulfill those needs and also measure progress compared to baseline. Once this is done I will have met with all partners and hopefully feel compelled to work more closely with 1 or 2 of them until the end of my term here. So right now I am pretty excited – the only unknown right now is whether they will have me move or not because the office is really far and expensive to get to by taxi.

When I went back to my current employer on Thursday and Friday the mood towards me was a little tense – they have had CUSO volunteers since 1986 and I think I am the first one to leave – and some of them were pretty upset. I will continue to support them in their strategic planning process but since they will take forever (they need to slowly come out of their coma) I think I will be able to absorb the extra workload. Maybe/hopefully they will realize they need to work at making their situation better.

I sold my house – well Stephanie sold my house. So I am now homeless and it is a bit strange because right now I have no keys to anything in Canada. Funny how we relate things at times – no car keys and no house keys.... it’s like I am going to be a little bit lost when I get back.

As I write this blog and thinking about home I have the morning sounds of donkeys, dogs and roosters and realize I am in such a different reality.

My night watchman Issouf is a class 4 mason but is convinced he cannot find regular work because he has an old beat up bike and employers give him no credibility – too poor to be good. So we made up a nice contract were I lent him 175 000F CFA (not quite $500) and with this money he is buying himself a second hand refurbished motorcycle and he will pay me back in 12 monthly instalments. He can now get around to different construction sites and get work a lot easier because they will consider him differently now that he has a motorbike. I lent him the money so he has a sense of pride to the bike and will take care of it properly – and a sense of responsibility to look for work. Once he pays it off I think I will give it back to him (as a cushion for him and his family) but we will see because he may pull off the same stunt the carpenter pulled on me. By the way the carpenter had until yesterday to pay me back the 19 000F CFA but I think I am now the proud owner of a donkey cart (pousse-pousse).

I stole this graph form another VSO volunteer’s blog (Gabriel thank you) because it pretty much translates how I feel also – I think (hope) I am coming out of the worst of my culture shock and that it will be up hill and more positive from now on

Another week full of experiences and still very much in the learning curve.

Une autre semaine

Pour faire différent un blog en français (mais je risque de faire plus d’erreurs d’orthographes et de grammaires).


Une autre semaine ou je m’ennuie au travail et je n’ai toujours pas rencontré VSO pour discuter de ma situation.

J’avais demandé une rencontre avec VSO car j’avais des décisions sérieuses à prendre ( dont est-ce que je vends ou je ne vends pas ma maison sur laquelle j’ai une offre – ne sachant pas si je reste au BF ?) donc mardi passé on m’a convoqué à une réunion et on m’avait avisé que l’on viendrait me prendre à 11h00 – puis un coup de téléphone à 11h10 pour me dire que l’on viendrait me chercher à 12h00 – puis un dernier coup de téléphone à 12h15 pour me dire que le Directeur Pays (Gervais), le Program Manager (Amina) et l’Assistant Program Manager (Ousmane) se sont rencontrés et qu’en fin de compte on me verrait que la semaine prochaine. Me voilà dans les limbes et vous me connaissez assez bien pour savoir que frustrations (me faire « flusher » comme çà) par dessus frustrations (au travail) n’est pas une combinaison gagnante pour ma patience. Je leur ai fait savoir ma déception de ne pas pouvoir les rencontrer sur lequel on m’a répondu que je devais assumer ma frustration comme eux tous dans un pays en développement. Après quelques courriels ou je leur demandais de bien fixer un rendez-vous que nous pourrions tous respecter nous avons enfin conclu que nous nous rencontrons mercredi prochain le 10 mars à 10 heure. Ça fait juste 3 semaines que j’essaie de les rencontrer pour discuter – patience Michelle – patience.

Au travail j’ai eu deux personnes qui sont venus me voir pour me dire que je ne devais pas lâcher (ils me sentent de moins en moins motivé) – que je devais continuer à essayer de les motivés, de les accompagner dans le processus de développement organisationnel primordial à leur survie et je devais dire les choses telles quelles sont même si pas nécessairement facile à entendre. Un des cadres m’a avoué que ça faisait 4 ans qu’il essayait de changer les choses mais sans grand succès. Que l’organisation est dans un coma et qu’il faut être patient et de les sortir tranquillement du coma. (Par contre il ne veut pas s’impliquer dans le comité de gestion que j’essaie de mettre en place – et en fait personne ne veut s’impliquer dans le comité de gestion). Puisque je n’ai rien à perdre et on m’encourage de dire la vérité tel que je l’ai analysé je lui dis que je ne pouvais pas faire plus qu’ils sont prêts à faire et que si après 4 ans il n’a pas réussi à faire des changements que mes chances en 2 ans sont minces – car il fallait non seulement sortir du coma mais il fallait courir le marathon considérant la situation excessivement précaire dans lequel ils sont. Je ne peux pas croire en leur projet quand eux-mêmes ni croient plus et que tout ce qu’ils attendent c’est un financement de la société mère au Cameroun pour enfin être remboursé leurs arrérages de salaires et pouvoir enfin quitter (financement peu probable selon moi). Les employés n’ont plus le goût de travaillé – ils n’ont pas le cœur au ventre pour s’en sortir – en fait ils sont victimes de leur propre lâcheté - et moi je veux aider une organisation qui a la volonté de s’améliorer car je sais qu’un africain qui veut est prêt à travailler fort et il apprend vite – pas le cas ou je suis. Je crois que ses 2 messieurs n’ont pas tellement aimé ce que j’avais à leur dire – et de perdre un coopérant ne figurera pas bien sur le bilan de l’organisation mais il faut rendre à César ce qui est dû à César.

Hier j’ai assisté à la séance de clôture d’une session de formation d’un groupe de femmes qui veulent créer des produits et services génératrices de revenus (Mouvement des femmes EBSS). Un groupe super dynamique qui m’a donné espoir qu’il y a quelque chose que je peux faire ici au BF qui va valoir la peine – il faut juste que je trouve la bonne place pour mon cœur car je sais que j’ai le cœur à la bonne place.

Une petite mise à jour sur le menuisier – on lui a remis ses outils pour qu’ils puissent travailler mais en échange j’ai un contrat et un pousse-pousse (sans l’âne) en garantie de sa dette envers moi de 19 000F CFA. Il a jusqu’au 12 mars pour me rembourser ou si non je deviens propriétaire d’un pousse-pousse (acheté en 2007 pour 35 000F CFA). À suivre….

Une coopérant infirmière de Bobo est venue d’urgence à une clinique de Ouaga avec son amie très malade (infection au cerveau) et son enfer se continue – son amie est allergique au produit disponible au BF (genre de réaction allergique comme à la pénicilline) et après avoir fait la plupart des hôpitaux et pharmacies de Ouaga pour trouver un substitut ils ont trouvé suffisamment de médication pour suffire 2 jours de traitement (1 boite) – par contre elle a besoin de 7 jours de traitement. Amina (de VSO) est médecin et elle a contacté un autre médecin du Sénégal – qui a trouvé 2 autres boites – qui sera envoyé d’urgence par avion pour dimanche – donc traitement suffisant pour 6 jours. Il semblerait que l’infection est une maladie opportune dû à sa condition de VIH+ mais qui se traite passablement bien avec les bons médicaments. Donc non seulement il faut trouver la bonne clinique (pas en quantité abondante) – le bon spécialiste (non plus en quantité abondante) il faut aussi trouver le bon médicament (pas nécessairement disponible) – et il est presque impossible d’évacuer une Burkinabè car le coût est énorme et aucune assurance maladie ici – même avant de t’admettre à l’hôpital il faut payer la chambre, les traitements, les médicaments etc… mourant pas mourant peu importe.

Il ne faut pas croire ce que le gouvernement veut nous faire croire – selon les statistiques du gouvernement le taux de VIH/SIDA au BF n’est que de 1.6% mais à tout ceux avec qui j’ai parlé (dans le système santé et en dehors) ils avouent que le taux est plus de 35%.

Voilà ma petite semaine – ici des fois j’aimerais que la vie ne sois qu’un rêve et non pas folie.

Health Care in Burkina Faso

From what I hear and the little I know it is a myth to think there is health care in this country.


My first experience was when my colleague got malaria and hospitalized for 3 days – they could have given him pills and send him home but it was far more lucrative to have him hospitalized and given intravenous medication since he has a health insurance plan that will pay for it. However they did not provide any meals – and it was a private clinic/hospital. You are sick and feeling very weak and alone – and you have no food or drink for the duration unless you can get someone to go fetch something for you – that is if someone is around when you’re awake and not in too much pain to be able to ask or even have the wits to ask.

But that is such a mild case compared to what a couple who are both VSO volunteers (both nurses) with 3 children and a maid, living in Bobo-Dioulasso, are experiencing. Their 3 year old got very ill a few weeks ago and either the hospital they showed up at did not have a doctor on hand or the hospital was so filthy you were sure to come out worst off – so being a nurse the mother went to several pharmacies to find medication to give her daughter – at least to reduce the high fever. She spent 4 hours running around Bobo at night to find a clinic or a hospital with a doctor and could not find one. It took many more days of bickering between nurses and doctors and clandestine interventions by the parents to finally get Manu back at home in a healthy state.

Now this same family is trying to help a friend who found out 2 weeks ago she was HIV + and since last Thursday has been fainting regularly – they think it may be a cerebral haemorrhage but could be something else. Since this person is Burkinabè she cannot be evacuated out of the country but she is in a very precarious situation. The public hospitals again are filled with incompetent nurses and condescending doctors who do nothing to help a patient unless they pay first and then the patient or family or friends need to go buy everything for the treatment – and there is no pharmacy in the hospital. Here is a little description of how it is written by one of the nurses in Bobo:

« Les patients ici doivent fournir literie, repas, papier de toilette, eau, thermomètre, etc. Ils doivent se déplacer sans arrêt pour aller chercher un nouveau soluté, un nouveau médicament, payer la radio, etc. À l’extérieur des chambres, la mère prépare le repas du malade, sa sœur nettoie son linge, son oncle part payer les factures médicales. Sans famille ici, un malade grave passera des jours dans un lit sans drap dans lequel il chiera, faute de bassine, d’aide, de toilette à portée. Il mourra de faim aussi. Et ne pourra renouveler son soluté C’est comme ca, il n’y a aucune empathie envers le malade. »

So now she is on her way to Ouaga to meet a neurologist and hopefully get treated. This story is not finished but hopefully the horror is.

I hope to God I do not get sick here – because I am alone.

What a confusing life

I went to Bobo-Dioulasso this week-end and it was most interesting on so many levels. The volunteers in Bobo have challenges that we do not have here in Ouaga. They seem to be more confronted with personality issues amongst themselves which do not make their integration easy. Some are not happy with their situation – others are very happy with their mandate but have other issues to contend with. Not necessarily easy for any of them.

One of the highlights of the day we arrived was a tour of an organization of women who actually recycle plastic bags into practical stuff such as handbags, wallets, grocery bags, key chains, even clothes. They have raw material more than what they know what to do with it because plastic bags are a big part of the rubbish in this country - not comestible so animals do not eat them and they are everywhere.

The city is somewhat different but not all that different. Bobo is a lot nicer visually at first glance – a lot more trees, a lot more paved roads and not so much dust. But Burkina Faso is Burkina Faso and much the same no matter where you go. The roads that are not paved (which are most roads) are still difficult to travel and still infested with garbage. The advantage is that they have fabulous mango trees that are plentiful in the city – but the security issues are the same – necessity of having a vigil (night watchman) and difficulties getting around at night (which basically starts at 6h30 pm). The aggressiveness between women & men is evident and disturbing.

Gabriel (my host in Bobo) and I had a great afternoon on Sunday in the old city of Bobo. We hired a guide by the Old Mosque and had not only a history lesson but many life lessons. The old city is divided in 4 castes – the Muslims are of the higher hierarchy and responsible for the law and order of the village – the big chief is Muslim; the “griots” are those that are responsible for marital issues i.e. marriages ( must go through the “griot” to ask someone in marriage) and divorces or anything in between such as family disputes or marital discord – they are also the musicians and social workers; the animists “fetish” are responsible for curing the ills, bad spirits and disease of the community and also those that are responsible for burials – the small chief is a fetish ; the steelworkers “forgerons” are at the bottom of the heap and are responsible for tools (for harvesting; for cooking; for initiations; for excision...). Although they all get along and have their respective tasks in the community intermarriages are forbidden. Our guide Oumar brought us through the many little alleys of the old city to witness their daily lives. We were entertained by musicians (jambalaya, balafone, tam-tam) for a good 30 minutes and children just gathered around to dance. So funny to see 3 year olds dance to the music in a sort of trance letting their infantile hips move like adults – or young boys go all out in energetic moves with big smiles on their faces. Quite the spectacle.

But life as it is we also saw the uglier side of their lives – no toilets so the alleys are also full of piss and shit ( the smells) – the river were they wash their clothes and bathe is infested with garbage and who knows what

- kids and adults are continuously asking for a “gift” of money with their hands begging. Oumar brought us to his place – a very small place with a bed, a TV, a chair and a 2 place bench (for when he entertains the girls) – no toilet or kitchen or running water to be seen. All that misery and at the center of it all is a party – people gathered around to celebrate the birthday party of the chief's son. Amongst them those who are brewing mill beer

or going about their hard daily shores. This country is full of contrasts. The very well to do and more privileged right beside the most in need and not the more generous for it – and it seems accepted by them all – that is the way it is.

After our tour in the old city we treated ourselves to a really good lunch by the pool at “L’Auberge” – great fish for me and what seemed a really good Calzone for Gabriel. On our way back to Gabriel’s this “crazy” man – “le fou” was walking about bare naked – a 60 year old just strolling around the city with nothing on him – and nobody to stop him. You can do anything here. (SIDEBAR: if our male species looked that good at 60 in Canada I do not know what would happen..... but maybe, just maybe our birthrate would go up just a bit).

Back in Ouaga and the shit hit my fan – my Program Manager with whom I am suppose to discuss my re-affectation has left VSO (not sure who decided what) so now I have no idea what my future holds here. I was supposed to meet with somebody else at VSO tonight but he did not show up and rescheduled for tomorrow. In the meantime my house in St-Sauveur is being sold and I do not even know if I really want to move now – so complicated, everything is so complicated.

My furniture never arrived – and the person (Abdulai) who recommended this carpenter really feels bad so he went to get the carpenter’s tools – with a machete. He (Abdulai) will keep the carpenter’s tools until the carpenter pays me back – but the story really goes like this: the carpenter’s wife is pregnant and he tells me she is in the hospital ready to give birth – he needs his tools to earn a living and cannot pay me back or provide for his family without his tools – so I should let him have his tools back and he will pay me back as soon as possible – promise (the nth promise) – to please, please, please forgive him as he sees the error of his way. I received 6 text messages and about 12 phone calls from him today – this carpenter has never worked as hard in his life as he is right now trying to get his tools back. Abdulai has no pity and tells me that he can borrow from somebody else to pay me back – his problem and not to be worried about any violent reaction on his part. Such a sad story when you think that all I wanted was to encourage this young carpenter.

I do not know what I am doing here but I met two young adults who are exceptional – one is studying at night (female 23) and still has 3 years to go before she finishes high school. The other (27 male) stopped school in 9th grade (8 years ago) because of family obligations when his dad passed away. They both have aspirations of going to university but know it is impossible for them – and I have the audacity to tell them not to let go of their dreams because you never know (maybe a Nassara like me may help them out to fulfill those dreams and they in turn will help others). Can you imagine that for 500 000F CFA ($1,250) a year they can actually change their entire life – and we flush that kind of money on a 1 week all inclusive. It is hard sometimes to put things in perspective.