I have finished IST and am definetly ready to return to village after three weeks of classes. Overall I think the training was fairly productive and I learned some new things to use at site but it just got long! The first week I was in Koupela with five other volunteers for language training. I just did French because our teacher didn't speak Bissa. It was very relaxed and we had fun hanging out.
Second week was in Ouaga and included a two day workshop with our COGES presidents on Project Design & Management. Not as useful as I had hoped but I know that our counterparts enjoyed learning more about Peace Corps. We visited several NGO's and other offices in the big city including: UNICEF, World Food Program, UNFPA, PLAN, Catholic Relief Services, and I think I am forgetting somewhere. We also had safety and security, medical, and admin sessions plus two amazing dinners! One night was Mexican at our Country Director's and another was Thai Curry at the SED APCD's! Thanks for keeping us so well fed!!
This last week we were back in Ouahigouya. We spent two days learning about the Hearth Model, a positive deviance program to improve childhood nutrition. I am hoping to do a workshop in village in the next few months and will describe more then. We also did sensibizations in my host village about a variety of health topics. They were trying to give us experience working in front of a group. I saw my host dad and several other family members so that was nice.
We were very excited to welcome a new member to our training group. PC Madagascar was closed a few weeks ago due to political tension and all of the volunteers were sent home or are being transferred. A health volunteer that started a week before us transferred to Burkina Faso. It is exciting that she could arrive during our IST so we could all get to know her. The crazy thing is that Christie-Anne happened to be a high school friend of Christie, a girl in my group. What a small world!!
Along with all the meetings and classes, we had time for some fun. It feels like I did a lot of shopping and got a few things made at the tailor. Also went to a concert at the French Cultural Center that was great. It was a local musician that sang in four different languages including a song about HIV/AIDS in English!
I also attended a Burkina-Guinea World Cup Qualifying Soccer Game. I ended up having to get to the stadium on my own because I was running late and my friends went earlier to buy tickets. I made a friend in the taxi who was also going to the game and he insisted I buy a jersey and talked down the price by more than half as we were trying to get in. I got there right at 6 when the game was suppose to start and for the first time since I arrived, something actually started on time! And they closed the doors locking everyone else out! My friend slipped my ticket through the gate but the guards still wouldn't open the doors for me. There were quite a few people with tickets that were getting really upset that they couldn't get in. Some tried breaking down the gates and others wanted to fight with the guards. Finally, after Burkina scored their first goal, the guard opened the door saying ten people could get in. Everyone mobbed the door and pushed to get in. My taxi friend helped me get through and I eventually found my friends. They were sitting in the cheap seat section and there were a bunch of guys with a bongo drum right behind us. I enjoyed having a beat to dance to as I cheered! Burkina won 4-2. I hear the next game is at the end of June and I hope to attend. I plan to go early though!
No comments:
Post a Comment