I'm writing this entry sitting on my bed at the Centre Zoungrana in Ouagadougou, where there is a light breeze blowing in our room. It is about 37 degrees, and the air is dry. Very early this morning, before the sun rose, the rain came down really hard. Now it is sunny and calm. There are birds continuously chirping in the mango trees, little lizards running up the walls on the outside walls of the buildings of the centre, and red dust on my feet.
I decided to share how I arrived here, and our adventures along the way…
After 4 months of learning about Burkina Faso, the development sector, and EWB’s overseas work, I left for Toronto on May 6th to arrive at EWB’s National Office, where I met the other 23 Junior Fellows from across Canada. During training we learned more about life in Burkina, about health and safety, about strategies for working with Burkinabe farmers, and about dynamics in Burkinabe society.
The Burkina JFs gearing up for pre-departure training
Streetcar traffic in Toronto
We had a field trip to Food Share, a local NGO in Toronto. If you find yourself in Toronto at any time, I'd definitely suggest visiting Food Share. I learned about how an NGO supports the community, about differences in challenges and opportunities for NGOs like Food Share, NGOs like EWB, and our overseas partner organizations. We also had the chance to get our hands dirty!
On the morning of May 13, we packed up, got on a streetcar and headed to Pearson International Airport. Next stop: Burkina Faso. We flew off of Canadian soil at 5:00 pm, had a 5-hour lay-over in Paris, a short stop in Niamey, and then touched ground in Ouagadougou.
After an intense week, the JFs take a little nap at Charles-de-Gaulle airport in Paris
Stepping off the plane, I was eager to walk away from the aircraft as I thought the heat was coming from the plane… turns out it wasn’t! Once we passed through customs, we retrieved our baggage and bargained with a taxi driver to take us to Centre Zoungrana, where we would be spending the next few nights. Sharing the passenger seat with another EWB volunteer, I got a front row seat to the exciting spectacle that is driving in Ouaga. The rule is simple: drive where there’s space, and pray to God you don’t hit something, or something doesn’t hit you.
Our room at the Centre Zoungrana
Our next few nights in Ouaga, we had the opportunity to work with EWB’s long-term overseas volunteers and learn more about our placements and on the strategy we are using in Burkina. After 3 days in Ouaga, along with 2 fellow JFs, we jumped head first into our placements with a meeting with the president of the FEPA-B. No pressure. The FEPA-B is a new partner to EWB, and this is the first time we are working with them. Along with 2 fellow JFs, a big part of my work this summer will involve building a relationship with our new partner.
After an intense week, the JFs take a little nap at Charles-de-Gaulle airport in ParisStepping off the plane, I was eager to walk away from the aircraft as I thought the heat was coming from the plane… turns out it wasn’t! Once we passed through customs, we retrieved our baggage and bargained with a taxi driver to take us to Centre Zoungrana, where we would be spending the next few nights. Sharing the passenger seat with another EWB volunteer, I got a front row seat to the exciting spectacle that is driving in Ouaga. The rule is simple: drive where there’s space, and pray to God you don’t hit something, or something doesn’t hit you.
Our room at the Centre Zoungrana
Our next few nights in Ouaga, we had the opportunity to work with EWB’s long-term overseas volunteers and learn more about our placements and on the strategy we are using in Burkina. After 3 days in Ouaga, along with 2 fellow JFs, we jumped head first into our placements with a meeting with the president of the FEPA-B. No pressure. The FEPA-B is a new partner to EWB, and this is the first time we are working with them. Along with 2 fellow JFs, a big part of my work this summer will involve building a relationship with our new partner.
