After school finished activities really slowed down.
Instead of going off to schools in the outlying
villages, it's been every morning at the maternity building.
There, it's been basically weighing babies to monitor
mal-nutrition and repairing little things around the building.
It's been giving me a lot of time to go out and ride my bicycle
out on the bush trails. There are a myriad of trails going out to
an equal amount of villages.
It is also in the middle of the rainy season and these little
ravines full of flowing water are obstacles along the way.
It is off the bike, take off the flip flops and walk across.
At times there is water to the knees and upon return the
bike is full of mud that if left to dry, turns to brick like
hardness.
By going out on these trails I am getting the chance to meet
villagers and especially where I have become competent in
the local language ... it's becoming fun. I have established
a network of kiosks and little boutiques where I have become
a somewhat regular.
On the list of 'never seen it before' ... in the maternity building
waiting area there was a chicken sitting on her eggs for a few
days. The people were sitting on the bench while the chicken
was underneath sitting on her eggs. It was away from any
area where germs would be of importance.
For my service here I am in the dog days and in a month school
will start and things will pick up.
Last year it was girl's soccer teams and theater troupes and
with luck they will continue. It depends on which teachers
return and so forth.
Hopefully it will be a new season of expanding those projects.
I am in the capital Ouagadougou for a conference this week so
it's a different environment with running water and electricity.
Time to catch up on news and re-charge everything.
But got to say that the life in the village has been ok and it's
like a normal life. Just have to make the adaptations and accept
what's available and what isn't.
It's a good exercise in character building.
So, for now I will have to adapt to running (and hot) water and
electricity. Probably easier to go to ... than from.
Till next time.
