First off, I want everyone to know that I am doing well and am not depressed no matter how much it might have come across that way in my blog from a month ago. I really didn't mean to sound so down and was shocked at the number of e-mails and notes I have gotten from people trying to cheer me up and wanting to make sure I was ok. I think its important to share what I am really going through as a Peace Corps Volunteer though and its not all wonderful. I feel like its important to talk about the challenges of adjusting to site and don't want future volunteers or anyone reading this to think that this is an easy experience. I am still facing challenges on an almost daily basis but I would say everything is getting easier overall. I have gotten to know people in village better and there are a few I would almost consider friends. I am also finding it easier to express myself with my co-workers. I have been away from site for a week now and know that it is going to be strange and difficult when I return home tomorrow. Yes, my village is starting to feel like home and I didn't really want to leave last Monday though I have had some great experiences this past week.
I posted two blogs earlier in the week that I had composed in my head and in jumbled notes while at site. I think I might try to do that from now on since I often think of things I want to share when I am nowhere near a computer or internet. No pictures to post this time though because I wasn't planning on having access to a decent internet connection so don't have the cable to connect my camera.
OK so why have I been away from site so long you ask? I attended an HIV/AIDS Training of Trainers Conference in Koupela during the week. From what I understand, Peace Corps Burkina was awarded grant money from PEPFAR so decided to put on four regional conferences throughout the country for volunteers to attend with people from their communities. Koupela is a fairly small city with about 18,000 inhabitants but it is located at a major crossroads for those traveling between Ouaga, Fada in the east, and Tenkodogo and the Togo border in the south. For this reason, there is a lot of activity in the city and we were able to enjoy some great food including pizza, brochettes (like meat kabobs--yes I am now eating meat when I get to the city), and cold beer, soda, and yogurt. (It seems like all I do is talk about food but I hope everyone understands how much pleasure I get from eating these days!)
I took four women with me to learn about HIV/AIDS with the goal that they will return to village and share the information with others. (Thats why its called a Training of Trainers.) My participants were all village women with little education including the assistant midwife, my Bissa tutor and all-around amazing woman, the 19 year old daughter of the president of the health center board, and a woman from one of my satellite villages that is located pretty far away from the health center. There were eight other volunteers at the conference along with their community members. I was surprised at how little the participants knew about HIV/AIDS and am excited to see how they share the information they received when back in the villages.
We covered a variety of topics including: modes of transmission, body fluids that transmit the virus, social & biological vulnerability for females, how to care for people living with HIV/AIDS, and prevention of mother to child transmission. Other sessions included coming up with responses to saying no to sex and refusing sex without a condom and role plays for what to do in a variety of situations including topics such as teaching condom use in schools and doctor/patient confidentiality when an HIV positive individual refuses to share his status with his partners. (Just a quick note that a recent law in Burkina allows doctors to share a patient's status with his/her partners if he/she refuses to do it him/herself.) A favorite activity was male and female condom demonstrations. None of the participants knew there was such a thing as a female condom so were excited to learn how they work. Each group was also given a wooden penis to take back to village for future demonstrations on how to correctly use a male condom. My women were very embarrassed by this but did promise me that they will help with information sessions including demonstrations. The conference ended with each group putting together an action plan. My women decided that we will conduct sensibilizations (French word meaning something like educational workshop or session) for pregnant women coming to the maternity for prenatal exams, at the schools after getting approval from the parent teacher association, and to each quartier (like a small neighborhood) served by the health center. I also said I wanted to work with the theatre and dance groups in the village to see about the possibility of including health topics in their skits and/or doing condom demonstrations before performances. I think these are some ambitious goals so we'll have to see what actually is accomplished. No matter what, these women had an opportunity to gain so much knowledge and I am sure will share it in small ways with those around them.
After the conference ended, I made an unexpected trip to Ouaga to deal with some medical issues. I am doing fine and its nice to enjoy a relaxing, quiet weekend in the city. Friday night I was even able to attend a party at the Ambassador's house with two other PCVs. The US Ambassador to Burkina Faso is taking a new post in Iraq so will be leaving in about two weeks. In order to say good-bye, she had a potluck for all Americans living in Burkina. There was so much amazing food including desserts and we all gorged ourselves silly! Probably not the best idea but once again I took great pleasure in enjoying some American food! We walked home from the embassy (about 45 minutes) in order to let our stomachs settle a bit!
Tomorrow I am hoping to head back to site and help with the end of the tetanus vaccination campaign that I have missed most of this weekend. We then will be starting round two of the polio campaign and I will be headed back to Ouaga next weekend for FESPACO, a biannual film festival. I have another two weeks at site and then will be attending three weeks of In-Service Training. All of this travelling seems crazy but everything just happened to fall so close together.
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