Third Goal

Bintou

Some things are universal – like children’s distaste for baths.  Every evening Adama, the mother of the family with which I shared a courtyard, would try to convince Bintou, the family’s 3 year-old, to cooperate while an older sister gave her a bucket bath.  Sometimes the promise of a photo would help.  

Computer Camp in Koudougou

"Last night a semi-truck collapsed the bridge just up the road. You're not going anywhere today." This was not the news I was hoping to hear the morning I was supposed to take 16 of my best eighth grade students from our village to the regional capital for a computer camp. "Oh, and on top of that, 80% of the cell phone service in the country is out today." Even better. Somehow I managed to get a hold of a friend in the city who miraculously sweet-talked a bush taxi into c...

Thinking in village

This picture was taken in a small village in Burkina Faso. 

Mask festival Dedougou

My village performed in the bi-annual west african mask festival in Burkina Faso 

A Woman's Place?

“Ko ko ko!” I look up from my book while anxiously waiting for students to arrive on the first day of the student-run “kids’ school.” “Ayo. Fofoo. Wariga.” “Yes. Hello. Come in,” I reply to the voice announcing a girl’s arrival at my courtyard gate. I wait in the shade of my straw porch, lazily deciding not to face the brutal Sahelian sun since custom doesn’t require me to rise to greet her. Since moving to Burkina Faso last year, I have found that the temperature seems to intensify...

Of Drumming and Lightning in the Faso

It wasn’t the drumming that woke me.  This was, after all, “funeral season” in Burkina Faso.  A period well after the harvest that this west African country of mostly subsistence farmers has the time and money to mourn the death – and celebrate the life – of those who passed away in the last year with all night drumming and dancing sessions.  Having lived in this village in southeast Burkina as a Peace Corps volunteer for the past 20 months, I was used to going to bed to the rhythm of the dru...

A Wonderful African Success Story

A Wonderful African Success Story  Richard P. Phelps   Two decades ago, I traveled to Burkina Faso, in the African Sahel region, to teach mathematics. There, I would enjoy the company of extraordinarily friendly people and cooperative students, improve my woeful French, and travel across the gorgeous and historically significant West Africa some as a tourist. Also, I would experience dust storms, heat rashes, a scorpion sting, and several illnesses, some of which I could identify and...

A Peace Corps Song

The Bah Bah Bah Song

Lyrics: Things here get kind of surreal It's hard to explain how I feelMy vocabulary is laughably small. But if I don't know a word. It's not a problem at allI just say "Bah, Bah, Bah!"You can't understand meWhen I say "pool party"But if I grab my guitar and my fancy red pantsWe know how to sing and we know how to danceWe all say "Bah Bah Bah"Crazy Dance! Dance Bizarre!Crazy Dance! Dance Bizarre!The lyrics come through as clear as a bellThis language is universal...

Burkina Faso Artisan Ismaël Cissé

Here in Burkina Faso the ICT committee is working on promoting the 3rd goal. ICT memebers Emily Bruton(G26), David Gonzalez (G25) and Tyler Lloyd (G26) created a video highlighting the talented young artisan Ismaël Cissé.  Ismaël works and lives in Ouagadougou, you can find him and his artwork at the Artisan Village nest to SIAO. For more videos check out our vimeo page at: https://vimeo.com/peacecorpsbf and follow us on twitter @PeaceCorpsBF.