A Much-Delayed Update

First off, an apology for those waiting during the last two months for an update from Burkina.  I have been very busy (re: lazy) and have failed to send any interesting information back to the States.  Everything is going really well in this forgotten corner of West Africa these days, and I'll give you all a concise summary of my current life...enjoy!

To start off with, I left off with September's entry talking about our 50th anniversary fair.  I am not going to go into details (as it was three months ago) but overall, it was a roaring success.  If anyone is interested in seeing a bit of the festivities, head over to www.pcburkina.org/fair for great videos (also found on Youtube under "Burkina Faso Peace Corps 50th Anniversary Fair" for all those struggling Youtube users).  On the home page, scroll down, and you will see a box titled "PC Burkina Videos."  Bingo.  In fact, this PC volunteer-maintained website is the best place to find out what all 160ish volunteers in country are up to.  Other amusing, but also educational videos include "So you want to use a latrine" and "Language is your friend."  All volunteer created...quite the intimate and honest glimpse into the challenges that come with life as a volunteer in Burkina.  As a sidenote, for another realistic account of the life of a PCV, check out this article :http://www.huffingtonpost.com/maya-lau/what-the-peace-corp-taugh_b_1099202.html  (all of us volunteers can relate ALOT to her experience).

Anyways, from September on, my life has been absolutely crazy.  I have been back and forth from Ouaga countless times (not an easy trip).  I spent a week teaching the new trainees that arrived in country in October, spent a wild and wonderful week with my parents touring Burkina, caught up with my own training group at our Mid-service Conference (YES, I have been here for OVER A YEAR), and am currently planning a Leadership Conference with my PC committee (Youth Development) in Ouaga this weekend.  Thankfully, after this weekend is over, I am going to get back to Toussiana, stay in Toussiana, and get some legitimate site work done.

Things on the plate at site currently:

• The World Map Project that I keep mentioning has yet to happen, but we are getting close to starting.  I am trying to finalize funding and then Toussiamba's primary school A will have a big bright new geography resource to use.  Plus, a world map is a great way for me to foster cultural exchange with the students.
• My business classes with the apprentices are going to starting up again in early January.  Half of ATTA's apprentices went home for the vacation and just got back to Toussiana in mid-November.  We just had a great entrepreneurship training last week with a Burkinabe Ministry of Youth and Employment director, and afterwards, all the apprentices were really motivated and excited to think about their future businesses.  It was amazing to see their enthusiasm for business basics, and I am feeling pretty pumped up for our upcoming sessions too.  
• Building on my business sessions with the apprentices, I am hoping to start giving entrepreneurship trainings for other young adults in the Toussiana area.  The specifics haven't been decided yet, but I am currently compiling a business manual to use with this demographic. 
• I am also continuing with my 2nd grade weekly art sessions (we had a great Halloween, mask-creating session two weeks ago with guest helpers, Mom and Dad) and my 6th grade girls club.  Both activities have been pretty successful and fulfilling, whether it's watching (and encouraging) the little kids vivid and imaginative coloring projects (while their teacher chatises them for the unrealistic color choices) or facilitating sessions on the stereotypes of girls in Burkina with my fifteen blossoming young women.  Lesson planning can be a pain sometime, but I love the satisfaction after another great experience with the youth.
• Other ideas in the back of my head include: tree planting at the large community garden, collaborating with a compost association in the area, forming a health topic club (based on the "Pay It Forward" concept, using the power of exponentials), organizing game and movie nights with ATTA's apprentices, continuing individual computer and internet tutoring but trying to expand to a larger scale, and giving more English cultural lectures at the high schools in town.

Between all my projects and our committee's upcoming events, studying for the GRE, reading as much as I can in my spare time (I have literally read fifty books in 2011), brushing up on my statistics, planning a potential Ghana-Togo-Benin vacation, and spending time with my PCV and Burkinabe friends, I think the next couple months will fly by.  Not to mention, holiday season is coming up, and with that has come vivid (probably due to my malaria meds) dreams of snow and Christmas.  Leaving the frigid South Bend two yearrs ago, I never thought I would miss those cold days...

That's about all my news thus far.  Definitely catch up with my parents and hear how their trip to Burkina went (see Facebook for pictures).  Maybe if you're lucky, they will model their new traditional Burkinabe clothes????!!!!????  I hope all is well back at home for everyone and know that during this holiday season, thoughts of family and friends are always in my mind.  Enjoy holiday season and those snuggly nights next to fireplace.  You can think of me biking away in the dusty desert :)  A bientot!