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.