Burkina Faso: The Land of the Upright (Honorable) People

I guess I should begin with this: I'm going to Burkina Faso for the Peace Corps! Yay!



It happened quickly: I would like to think it was because my qualifications, my motivation and commitment, and my maturity and cultural awareness spoke for itself. Instead, I'm sure it was because I left three voice mails on my Placement Officer's (PO) answering machine all before 1 pm this past Monday. Most likely, a combination of the two.

I was driving home from work when my PO returned my call(s), so I managed to pull over in a parking lot to give her my complete attention (and to rip through my purse to find a speech I prepared, an attempt to convince her that I should be sent immediately...aka, late September...preferably to Mozambique). Instead, I got the following from her:

• Getting an invitation to a program in late September was not an option
• There IS a program leaving mid-October that is a good fit
• This program entails: working with a very (very) rural clinic, completely isolated, far (far) away from other volunteers and major cities. This program is not for everyone.
• I need to start learning French. Immediately.

You would think, after waiting 7 months for an invitation, that I would be thrilled to get so much information. Instead, my stomach sunk and I had difficulty swallowing. Was I up for the challenge? I told her I was. I had a headache for the rest of the evening and couldn't sleep at all that night. Is this something I can really do? Will I be happy, or will this be one long, two-year struggle? I tried to picture myself hot, sweaty, covered with dust and dirt with only a bucket and a limited source of water to bathe myself. I tried to picture myself in my hut, alone, missing friends and family and all of life's familiarities. I tried to picture myself with some kind of stomach parasite....and a latrine. I tried to picture myself speaking French. It wasn't pretty.

But the more I thought about it--about the opportunities for challenges, growth, lessons learned and experiences gained, about the friendships made and impact I can make--I quickly realized how lucky I am to have this chance in life, and I would be silly not to take it. Burkina Faso is the second poorest country in the world (http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/); the average Burkinabe makes approximately $300 US dollars per year (http://ouagadougou.usembassy.gov/economic_trends_and_outlook.html); they have one of the highest infant mortality rates of 86.02 deaths/1,000 live births; the Burkinabe people suffer from AIDS, malaria, hepatitis, typhoid, malnutrition, drought and desertification; most are illiterate (80.2% are illiterate), unemployed (77% unemployment rate), and in poverty (46.4% below the poverty line) (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/uv.html).

These are the people who need help the MOST. Like I said before, I would be silly not to take this job. This is exactly what I've wanted to do.

If that wasn't enough to help me re-discover my passion and eagerness to do this, I found this: An opinion article written by a Peace Corps Volunteer in Burkina Faso, entitled "A Lesson in Giving (http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9505EFD81739F930A1575BC0A9659C8B63). I hope you read this piece in its entirety, but the jist is that this PCV (Dorothy) was beginning her 7km bike ride back to her village when her bike breaks. Its unbearably hot, and shes already tired. A villager appears in the distance, and without thinking twice, straps her broken bike on to his, convinces her to get on her bike, and LUGS both HER and her BIKE 7km back to her village in the sweltering heat. Here are the last two paragraphs to help emphasize the incredibly generous, honorable nature of the Burkinabe people:

Two years ago, at the age of 27, I volunteered for Peace Corps service to ''give back'' to the world. Today, I realize I gained much more in return. I am no longer a volunteer, but I continue to work in the western part of the country. When I think back on that moment when I was stranded on that deserted cow path, there was a part of me that was calm, because I knew where I was. I was in a place where you never feel alone or abandoned because someone will always come along to help you; where a starving woman would give her last bowl of food to a stranger; where kids are elated to play with an old tire and a stick. A place where family unity is everything and the guest is paramount.

To the Burkinabé, these principles are more than just cultural values, they are a way of life. Burkina Faso means ''the land of the upright and courageous people.'' It is one of the poorest countries in the world, but a place where I learned what giving truly means.

Here's another quick story: a woman I was working with this week mentioned to me that her daughter's friend was in Ghana for the Peace Corps (just below Burkina Faso). During her two years spent in her rural village, 11 children were named after her. ELEVEN! That just goes to show how much of a positive impact one person can make on a village.

So by the time I received my invitation yesterday, I knew I would accept it (at this time, still didn't know where I was going, so it was quite appropriate I came across that Burkina Faso article). Only smiles, squeals, and tears of joy (literally, I was choking up) when I read what my assignment will be for the next two years! Here's some info about what exactly I'll be doing:

Program: Community Health Development Program
Orientation Dates: October 12-14
Pre-Service Training (in BF): October 15-December 19, 2008
Dates of Service: December 19, 2008 - December 19, 2010
Primary Responsibilities: Training and ensuring the continued function of a village health center management committee; Establish partnerships with community based organizations, train CBOs and ensure ongoing support to undertake health promotion and disease prevention activities (HIV/AIDs and reproductive health, Malaria and malnutrition); Educate and build the capacity of individuals, community peer educators and students on HIV/AIDS and reproductive health, Malaria and malnutrition.

I'll be learning French, as well as another native language of my village. I will be the only volunteer at my post. I may be 25-50 Km away from internet or major cities.

Despite my initial bout of fear (which I'm sure is normal), I could not be happier with my assignment. I think its exactly what I've been looking for: an opportunity to help some genuinely deserving people in need and to learn more that I ever thought I could about myself, my strengths and limitations, other people, another culture, everything. I am so thrilled.

And come on, it's capital is Ouagadougou. That's incredible, I don't even know how to pronounce it, but it sounds amazing!