Nazinga

Nazinga Ranch is a "national park which covers 94,000 hectares and contains 20,000 animals".  To get there you have to drive for one hour on, what felt like, the world's bumpiest road - including flooded sections like the one you see below.  Because of the recent rains, most people we talked to here were sceptical that we would see any elephants on this particular visit.  Since water was everywhere, they would not be coming to the waterhole (where they are usually seen).

But we totally lucked out!  We saw 2 small elephant herds, with their babies, and 3 lone bulls.  And they were so close to our truck!!!!  It was awesome!  I have never seen a group of elephants before - I've only seen them as lone zoo attractions.  Only males are ever alone in the wild.  Also, did you know African elephants are black?  I thought they were all grey, but apparently this is because of they mud coating which protects them from flies.  I wish I had a mud coating - these bugs just love me.  It's not really a reciprocated feeling though.

Protecting the babies

Catch a Croc by its Tail

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, that is a real crocodile!  It is alive and snapping.  It took a little while to work up the courage to do it....but I was assured that it does not eat people.  According to village lore, these crocodiles are the reincarnation of their ancestors, and that is why they never eat people.  The village children swim in these waters, and they report that no one has ever been attacked.  Although, when the water rises they do venture into the village and break into the chicken coops.  

My theory is that they feed the crocs so many chickens on a regular basis, and have done so for so many generations, that these croc are somewhat domesticated.  But it didn't really want to test my theory and venture any closer to that mouth!

Village of Naton

Yesterday we went to the village of Naton.  We drove about 40 minutes outside of the city and then another 20 minutes into the interior - the difference being that there is no real road in the interior.  The village has about 3000 people all together but they are spread out over many acres of land. When we arrived, the village leaders convened a meeting to discuss the implementation of a micro-credit program for 10 women in the village. Wow!  What a unique experience!  To be a part of a village meeting!  

Even more special was seeing how we can concretely contribute to the improvement of their community.  The people in this village eat every 2 days.  They faithfully work the land but they lack the finances to put certain structures in place to guarantee a proper harvest.  For instance, they need wire fencing to keep animals out of the garden.  So Tammy and I are returning to the village on Thursday to help install the fence...well we will try to be helpful ;) 

Visiting the village was my favourite experience thus far.  The quiet courage these people exhibit, in the face of all their hardship, is truly inspiring.  They all want to work, they just need a leg up.  I am so happy that Tammy decided to expand her micro-credit program to Francois’ village, Naton.  I believe these small loans will make a huge difference for the whole village.

Village Meeting

Walking through the village to learn about their work

One of the village leaders

Abundance of Entrepreneurship

One of the most shocking things about Ouagadougou is the number of stalls that line the street.  I have been to a number of countries, but the I have never seen this method of survival so clearly etched into the fabric of the city.  We drive about 10 kilometers to get to the school, and there are very few breaks in the river of textile stores, make-shift mechanic shops, barbecues for corn or chicken, and convenience "boutiques" that flow alongside the main road.  This are not stores created for tourist dollars, cause there are none, these are shops for the local people, created by the local people.  They are generating their own economy!

Of course I do not want to misguide you, these are not stores by our standards and they generate little income.  But what is so cool about them is that the stalls serve a social role (people hang out in front of each others businesses) and they demonstrate a culture of entrepreneurship.  Facing a lack of structure from the government, people have carved their own path of survival, and this path is a positive one, from which many people benefit.

Roadside Business

Knowing this, it is with great confidence that we can invest in these women.  So today we met with the second group of women who have applied for a small loan of $200.  These loans are to help them continue and expand their existing business ventures.  The women meet with Francois (the director of the school) twice a month to troubleshoot and give updates on their progress.  Once a  woman has repaid her loan and has attended these meetings, she can reapply for another loan.  The women are very happy to have this opportunity.  This also guarantees that their children stay in school because they are able to generate more income and pay school fees.  These women have also requested to have night classes so that they can learn to read and write.  This is great progress :)

The second group of mothers in the micro-credit program

On a side note: The women took a while to smile for their photos. At first they were soooo serious!  They were smiling right up until the moment they stood in front of the camera, and suddenly the smile vanished! But as I was showing them their photos on the digital camera, I saw that they really liked seeing the photos of their children.  I offered to print off the photos downtown and Francois would give them to them the next day.  Well they couldn't get in front of the camera fast enough after that, and they were all smiles.  This has been my favourite experience so far.  I like that I could give them something tangible; something that they wanted and clearly valued.  It was a good day.

Rain Day

In Ouagadougou, the world comes to a stand still when it rains.  So we had a rain day today, similar to our Canadian snow days, but a lot messier.  As much as this country is in need of rain and would be considered a blessing by most, in the city, it is a less welcome impediment to commerce.  Market stall and road-side businesses depend on traffic.  Transportation is 80% motorbike and bicycle.  Only the main roads have a form of pavement, the rest of the roads have random mini canyons.  SO when it rains....everything stops or significantly slows down.

This is a good road!!!

When the rain stopped, the humidity began.  Thankfully, the temperature was lowered by the rain. It took a long time to puddle jump to the main city.  Tomorrow we will be meeting with the mothers are are receiving the micro-credit, if the roads dry out ;)

First Impressions

I have re-wrote the opening sentence for this blog about 10 times.  I can't seem to find the words to convey my experience here so far.  As an outsider, there seems to be so much chaos.  But there is an underlying tranquility that I cannot put my finger on.  Maybe I will be better able to explain it later on, but for now, this paradox is a bit mystical.

This morning we went to the school and met all of the classes.  Each class rose in unison when we enter the room, and greeted us in chorus, "Bonjour Madame.  Bienvenue a notre class." The teachers were lovely, an even mix of men and women.  Each class has 60 students!  I can't imagine the corrections that come with that!!! There were many smiles, some wariness, and the youngest ones were a bit afraid of the white lady ;)

After meeting all the classes and taking pictures (which they loved) the classes were released for morning recess.  It is amazing to witness that no matter where you are, recess kind of looks the same.  Kids run, the play games, invent new ones.  There are pouters and screamers, wallflowers and leaders and that kid with boundless energy who seems to be everywhere on the playground all at once.

I have some great pics, but it took me 10 minutes to upload this one.  The internet is slow here.  I will try again tomorrow!

Off to the Airport!!

On my way to the airport! I will be arriving in Ouagadougou,Burkina Faso on Monday evening. Watch for updates on Tuesday! A special thanks to all the people who have been so supportive of this endeavor. All in all, Swansea School has raised $3000.00 to give to L'Ecole les Amis du Monde! It has been an inspiring experience to be a part of such generosity. I am looking forward to sharing my experiences with you.