Alphabet project done...and lots of rain. Finally!

As the school year comes to a close, so do most of my work projects...like one that I've doing for the longest time with the CP2 (1st grade level) students at two primary schools in my town: the Alphabet and Literacy Project! I love working with kids. <3

Aaaand on another note, rainy season is sure upon us. One day, it rained SO hard and for so long that it flooded my courtyard. See the pictures below to what it was like!

Moringa and MSC!

The couple of weeks that I have been able to return to site during this vacation have gone by quickly. What with PST and everything else that's been going on these past couple of months, I still want to keep busy, even if school is now over and everyone has either left to go to their families or is out working the fields (rainy season = cultivating season).

The week before demyst when I was home for a couple of days, my Moringa nursery was sprouting with many leaves. Amazing! Many thanks to Kadidja, one of the leaders of my Girls' Club and probably my favoritest kid!

Kadidja and I with my Moringa nursery. Look how fast they grew in a matter of 3-4 weeks!

Me teaching Kadidja the "slide baby" hand game. I just figured out that it's a fun activity that the kids can do anytime AND practice their numbers in English!

After demyst, I had to leave to work a week of training...I come back and find that the (stupid) goats had eaten ALL the Moringa leaves! Grrrr! Fortunately, Moringa grows relatively quickly but it got me all worried because I was going to do a sensibilisation (community awareness session) with my counterpart, Jean, on the importance of planting Moringa and the high vitamin/nutrient content in its leaves, particularly for malnourished babies and children.

Kadidja and her little sister, Mariam, playing the "slide baby" hand game. In the background, you can see my Moringa nursery all destroyed (stupid goats!!).

Regardless, I still needed to do this sensibilisation because I received a small grant for this (thanks Food Security Committee!) and want to follow through, regardless of any setbacks. So Jean, my counterpart, and I decided to work with two women's groups.

One women's group that meets every Wednesday is in a village about 2km from my house (closer to Jean's house). They weigh their babies (in cooperation with a small community center built by the European Union and the Red Cross) and make enriched porridge for their babies. Unfortunately, most of the babies there are either slightly or severly malnourished. Jean told me about this opportunity and said it would be a great way to introduce Moringa and promote the environment at the same time. Sweet! So I ended up helping to weigh babies and then Jean and I introduced Moringa.

Baby weighings!

It's hilarious...the babies are either terrified of me, complacent or get really giddy and happy.

Jean talked more about the agricultural aspect of it, and with the help of some of the people who coordinate this every Wednesday event, we chose 20 women to give the Moringa plants to. Throughout the month of August while I'm off finishing the rest of training, Jean would check in periodically with these 20 women to see how their Moringa plants were growing and to ensure they were well protected.

Giving the Moringa plantling to one of the 20 women we chose.

Me with some of the 20 women who received the Moringa plantlings. See y'all in a month!

When I come back to site in the beginning of September, it would be part two of this sensibilisation where someone from the CSPS (village medical center) would speak more on the high nutritional value of Moringa and how this could positively alter a baby's health.

The other women's group I want to work with is actually at the CSPS itself. Every Thursday, I weigh babies as a secondary project and thought it would be good to gather some of the women I've been working with for a while now and do this same type of sensibilisation with them as well, so we were thinking when I come back in September, this would be a day-long event.

In other news, my Mid-Service Conference (MSC) just happened. ONE YEAR IN BURKINA FASO! One year as a Peace Corps Volunteer! Absolutely insane. It was mostly medical tests and dental clean-ups, interspersed with a day full of sessions where we discussed our successes/challenges during our first year and some of the things we'd like to accomplish during our second year. I felt really empowered coming from that, motivated to start all the new projects at my site and continue the ones I've found most successful. Jon and I are lucky enough to live so close to each other and have made a pact to do more collaborative work together. Holla! More so, MSC made me realize how close-knit our training group is. I love these people! Seriously, they're yet another group of people I can now consider a part of my (extended) family.

The GEE fam, all smiles. Check out Evan and Devin!

...and I like to title this the "awkward/uncomfortable" picture. Hahaha. I love us.

Year two -- let's go!!

Randomness…

We’re in the Ouahigouya again and I figure I’d comment on some random things I’ve been wanting to blog about but haven’t been able to yet…

Ading (Felicia!), here are some quick answers to some questions you wrote a while back:

1) I live in a hut that’s part of my family’s compound. Depending on your family’s ethnic group, that usually determines what type of housing situation you’re in. For example, my host family is Peulh, so they normally consist of multiple huts clustered in one compound.
2) TMI but I pee/poop and bathe in two separate areas (which are right next to each other). My latrine is essentially a huge hole in the ground and the place where I bathe is simply an enclosed area for me to bring in my bucket full of water.
3) HAHAHA! No, you don’t (and probably wouldn’t) want to send me bottled water. PC provides us with water purifiers and we can also purchase bottled water/water sachets around here. Thanks, though!
4) Internet access is infrequent for me since I live in village. I only get to use it when I get to Ouahigouya (the city) and will become more infrequent as training progresses since we’re getting busier and busier. Hopefully at my site, I’ll have frequent (and fast!) Internet access!
5) Unlike most other trainees, I don’t have many kids in my family…in fact, I don’t have any at all (maybe for a couple that may wander through). The other trainees in my village and I play soccer and Frisbee with some of the other kids every once in a while at the school after our training sessions.

About a week ago, all 32 of us were invited to a wedding between a current Peace Corps volunteer and a Burkinabè woman. It was so interesting to be a part of it and definitely a cross-cultural experience you can’t get elsewhere! I didn’t take many pictures except for a few with some fellow trainees.

Devin and I at the wedding reception. Love this girl! West and East Coast represent!

Marita and I at the wedding. Love this girl too! She's in my same host/training village.

I’ve been here for about a month, so naturally, I’m beginning to feel a pull toward certain people in our training group. It’s the inexplicable feeling you get when you know that you’re probably going to be visiting these friends more than others because you feel more of a connection with them. And taking trips with them to various place (like Ghana!!). All in all, however, I love our group dynamic and how we’re from everywhere in the US! We talk about food ALL the time during training – Chinese, Mexican, Thai, American, Italian, etc. etc. – you name it, we’ve probably already drooled over it. We’ve heard Ouaga has some ethnic restaurants so I’m dying to eat at some of them soon! Speaking of training, I’m super excited about many of the things we can implement in our communities – radio programs (since many people here get their info from the radio), French and English clubs, book clubs, HIV/AIDS sensibilizations…the list is pretty much endless!

As I’ve mentioned before, the weather here is straight up CRAZY because it’s rainy season. It’ll be ridiculously hot and somewhat humid for a few days and all of a sudden, you feel the winds picking up, the clouds are dark and ominous-looking, and then you hear the thunder from a distance. When you start to see everyone run back to their houses/huts, it’s a good sign that you do the same, too.

Rachel, fellow trainee, and the impending rain storm.

Being caught up in one of these rain/wind storms is no joke and I remember it being full of dust and dirt everywhere…visibility is almost at zero and all of that dirt gets in your teeth. Yuck! Then the rain starts to pour and I mean POUR. There have been 2 instances where I’ve been outside in the pre-rain ‘fun’…fortunately, I was within my compound’s reach and was able to rush back home and head into my hut! The good thing is that after it rains and the clouds have cleared, it feels so good and me sweating every second doesn’t happen anymore! Another positive (not related to weather) is that I’m acclimating fairly well when it comes to biking. I know I first mentioned that I hated it but I’m really starting to enjoy it and am glad I’m getting the exercise I need…now to tone up those thighs and calves (and abs...okay, maybe I'm asking for too much...). And I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think I'd prefer biking over walking.

Integration is generally going well. I only know the very basic greetings in the local language of my village (Mooré) so it’s funny when I’m walking around village or around town and I greet people in Moore. They usually laugh and smile so hard…it’s really cool, actually! Coleman’s host dad is convinced that I’m Peulh/Fulani (one of the other ethnic groups here in Burkina Faso) which cracks me up! I’m thinking it’s because I’m getting increasingly dark but whatever…I’m taking it as another sign of integrating well with the community. Since we’re pretty much halfway done with training, it’s starting to feel a little surreal again!

While I am enjoying it here, making new friends, and definitely growing exponentially everyday, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss anyone at home! Some nights, I’ll be dreaming about home or being around friends or family, wake up with a smile, and realize I’m actually in my hut by myself. That said, I think about you all often so you all must be biting your tongues all the time (got that one from Maria). Please write me letters/send packages if you can (and often)! My address is:

Michael Berino, PCT

S/c Corps de la Paix

01 B.P. 6031

Ouagadougou 01, Burkina Faso

Haaaay!