Hot Season Update!

Once again, hot season is upon us here in Burkina Faso, but thankfully, it hasn’t been too bad!  This second year around, I think my body has acclimated to the temperatures a bit, though my midday bike rides can still be pretty miserable.  Also, I have been busy with my projects, and there’s not much time to complain about the heat when there’s work to do!

Over the school spring break, I completed a second world map at a primary school in another neighborhood.  This time around, many things went smoother, and a more accurate 6 meters X 3 meters map was completed at the end of the week:

Drawing the grid

Labeling countries

Finished product!

ATTA apprentices

I have also been busy teaching French and business classes to the ATTA apprentices.  This is the apprentices’ second year with me, and at the end of the training year in July, most will be finished with the program and open their own workshops.  I have been trying to give them concrete examples of how to use basic accounting and budgeting in their future projects.  So far, so good!

An accounting game!

Centre Kaleniso apprentices

I have also been maintaining some projects at the local primary schools.  I continue with my bi-monthly art class with a class of CP2 students (approximately 1^st-2^nd graders).  Recently, I shared the greatness of Crayola watercolors with them, and they had a wonderful time!  I have also participated in an international art exchange with another class, but more on that in May.

I am still finding time to just enjoy being in village and spending time with my friends and neighbors.  Mango season is upon us, and I love finding time for mango pie, mango jam, mango salsa, basically mango anything!  I even taught all my favorite neighbor kids how to make mango jam the other day!  I also spent a HOT, relaxing Easter here in Toussiana, and I loved seeing everyone dressed up in their holiday best!

Cooking with Mai

Making mango jam on my porch

Easter complets!

Finally, it’s definitely been PC trainings time.  Several weeks ago, I attended a tree planting training in Banfora, with one of my ATTA apprentices along as a counterpart.  We learned all about how to successfully start a nursery, and we are going to use this information to create a garden and tree nursery at our apprentices’ training center.  It was a really great training to get both volunteers and community counterparts motivated to combat Burkina’s problem of desertification.  In addition, I am looking forward to hosting another regional training on modern agriculture in my village in the coming months.  Should keep me busy!

Jacobe planting a cashew tree