In the beginning of November I worked mainly with the restaurant gearing up for the big inauguration party on November 11th. The week of the 11th I was working 16 hour days and I felt like I was back to my days working at Hershey Park, on my feet all day. The inauguration went over very well and my fried chicken and banana bread was a hit. I had everyone asking me for the recipes. It will be a success if Claris who runs the restaurant actually recreates the chicken without me there.
After 2 months working with Claris at the restaurant I became too frustrated with her that I respectfully told her I could not work at the restaurant anymore. She was never there, not interested in my advice and began taking me for granted, becoming difficult; and I was not having fun with my service anymore. (That is all I will say about that project, of course more was behind my decision to move away from the restaurant and back to helping the agents of ASUDEC).
Before Thanksgiving I hosted two new volunteers (John and Joe) to Burkina Faso for a week straight realizing that I enjoy living alone, ha-ha. They were great and I showed them my favorite places in Diebougou and went over my different projects I work on around the village. John even gave my tailor some business and got a shirt and pants made while he was there. John and I also experimented with making two different types of cheese from scratch since there is no cheese here. It turned out pretty well. :)
In December I went out 40 km in the bush to work the cotton fields and get compost for ASUDEC’s school garden in Navielgane. I shocked all the Burkinabé as I helped them pick cotton and dig up cow manure. It was really fun and since it is “winter” the temperature only gets as high as mid 90s. At night it gets to a cold 60 degrees which I find cold especially since I sleep with no glass windows.
Carrying a ton of cotton over my head which has to be carried 2 km away like this.
Cotton Picker
Women freaking out not believing that I could carry it on my head and walk at the same time.
Getting dirty with cow manure from the summer of 2008, lovely
Aww this calf likes me
School garden in Navielgane the kids are making the garden plots
Spacing out the grain
I also came up with a financing plan for my tailor we conducted a needs assessment discussing what improvements he wanted to make to his business. Now that his room was cemented he broadened his wants to a new embroidery machine. Sadly banks are not available where we live and the interest rate at the Casse Populaire is ridiculous that it is not worth getting credit. Therefore, the night before I left Diebougou to go to Americaland I came up with the plan for me to finance the purchase of a sewing machine. Since I get many things made by him monthly we will keep a log of the price of everything and when all the things that I get made equal the amount of a new embroidery machine we will go to Ouaga and buy one. This way I am his bank (I am a better saver than he) and there is no interest. The embroidery machine will also stay with him after I leave improving his business!!! I was worried that the loss of me as a customer would hinder his progress, this way I am teaching through example, hopefully!! Now I need to get $400 in clothes made, ha-ha. Any requests???It was actually a lot easier than I thought to go back to the USA, it felt like I picked up right where I left off when I left in 2008. My life in Burkina felt like an other-world away and it was sad to think that Burkina will never have something like a Sheetz in my life time. I thought a lot about returning to the US next year and whether it would be advantageous to extend to 2011. At this point I realize that I need to get back to America and continue my professional journey and hope that one day I can come back and do a Fullbright scholarship here in Burkina.
My main goal going back to America was to educate and fund raise for the traveling village library I want to start before the end of my service, to be taken over by my NGO after I leave. I spent two full days talking to the students of Linglestown Middle School telling them about my experience in Burkina and asking them for help with fundraising for books. The kids were amazing and asked very specific and interesting questions and I enjoyed watching their shocked faces when I showed them where I go to the bathroom and take a shower, haha. I also took time and set up a silent auction display with all the Burkinabé goodies I brought back with me from Africa. Over 30 things will be auctioned at Linglestown Middle School with a 100% of the proceeds going to buy books.
Check out www.mrsarmstrong.com for more details and donating options.
All donations will be used to purchase books locally to avoid shipping and handling costs. This will ensure that every dollar donated will be used to buy books. As donations come in and books are bought, a list of book titles and prices will be made available on this website. Checks may be made out to Linglestown Middle School (note: write ALP- African Literacy Project in the memo line) or cash is acceptable. Checks and money can be sent to:
Linglestown Middle School
c/o Kathryn Armstrong,
1200 North Mountain Road,
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, 17112 USA.
Once all the money is collected I will go to the capital in Ouagadougou and buy the books and then post on www.mrsarmstrong.com the price list and titles to all the books purchased with donations. ASUDEC will then transport the books back to Diebougou where the empty shelves are waiting to be filled. PLEASE help increase the literacy in Burkina and donate!! You'll feel warm and fuzzy inside..it'll keep you warm this winter.
Linglestown Middle School: Service Project 2009-2010!
PURPOSE:
The objective of the African Literacy Project 2009/2010 is to help improve literacy with the local children and teenagers in and around Diebougou, Burkina Faso -West Africa.
WHY THIS PROJECT?
Last year Mrs. Armstrong’s daughter, Gwen, began serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in one of the poorest countries in the world, Burkina Faso (West Africa). Before she left last October, she met and discussed the Peace Corps and life in West Africa with the Silver Knight students. Throughout the school year 2008 -2009, Gwen and the team wrote letters back and forth discussing the culture and what it was like to live in a developing country. Many students wrote and received letters throughout the year. She will continue to be pen pals with the Silver Knights during the 2009-2010 school year. Gwen will be returning home for a vacation in the states, her first time back in over a year. Arrangements were made to address the entire student body at Linglestown Middle School in small group settings to discuss her experiences and this project with the school on December 22 and 23rd.
SUSTAINABILITY OF THE LIBRARY
As a volunteer, one is associated with a local organization or group, that entity sponsors and helps the volunteer throughout their service. Gwen has had the incredible luck to be working with a Burkinabe NGO called ASUDEC. Feel free to check out their website at www.asudec.org, in the upper right corner you can click to make it English. ASUDEC is a grassroots organization that works at the village level to help communities and farmers elevate beyond subsistent farming.
One of the many projects Gwen is spearheading during her two years is to create a regional traveling library for the children and teenagers in and around Diebougou. The NGO Gwen has partnered with, ASUDEC, has generously donated a building for the library, ensuring that they are deeply involved in the outcome as well as the long-term success of the project. Gwen presently has a room filled with handmade bookshelves but no books. ASUDEC would like to aid Gwen in the management of the library after her two years of service.
The literacy rate in Diebougou is approximately 12% of the population, this percentage decreases drastically as one moves farther away from Diebougou. This library would not only serve the students of Diebougou but would travel to the villages 20-40 miles away with help from ASUDEC and their satellite literacy schools (Alphabetations) at the village level.. With the aid of ASUDEC these books could reach children and students who would never have the opportunity to read.
THE GOAL
The goal of this project is to provide funds to purchase children’s books written in French and local languages to donate to the town’s library. By providing books written in French, many children will begin to understand the language before attending primary school. Our goal is to raise $3000 or more for the books.
PROJECT PRESENTATION
Gwen will offer incentives for students with handmade crafts brought back from Diebougou. Many local craftsmen have given products to be auctioned off in January. The items are on display in the main showcase at Linglestown Middle School (nearest the office).
INCENTIVES
For every $10.00+ donation, the student will receive a handmade bracelet from Diebougou* while supplies last.
The silent auction of donated items will begin January 11- 22 during lunches for handmade products brought back from Diebougou.
DONATIONS
All donations will be used to purchase books locally to avoid shipping and handling costs. This will ensure that every dollar donated will be used to buy books. As donations come in and books are bought, a list of book titles and prices will be made available on this website. Also, photos will be added to this page to show some of the books. Checks may be made out to Linglestown Middle School (note: write ALP- African Literacy Project in the memo line) or cash is acceptable.
RECEIPTS
If you would like a receipt for your donation, please email karmstrong@cdschools.org or you may request a receipt in person at the LMS office.
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