FESPACO

FESPACO is Africa's largest film festival, think Cannes for Africa and it happens in Ouagadougou every two years. This busy city gets even busier as tourists from all around the world come to FESPACO, the largest and most famous film festival in Africa. I came up to Ouaga for 3 nights and was able to see 3 films. One Burkinabe film about love and sex in Burkina Faso, hmmm is all i will say. It would have been cool to watch it if I was not living in Burkina, I might feel nostalgic watching it after I leave BF.

The next night I saw a double header two movies back to back. A British documentary on the development of the NGO Peace One Day. An incredible film and made me soo proud of my work here in Burkina Faso. I highly recommend that you check out the website (www.peaceoneday.org) and watch the film, it is in English. The final film I watched was an Egyptian/American film which was such a chick flick with tons of belly dancing called "What Lola Wants." These are the photos that I was able to take of Ouaga as it was in full splender for FESPACO.

Downtown Ouaga, they closed off this road to cars normally this road is crazy busy with motos, taxis, and cars.

Venders come out to sell their goods at the "fair grounds." Ohh and there is nothing at all housed in that big building, oh the efficientcy

A Row of vendor stalls

The French Cultural Center in Ouagadougou. It was like a slice of Europe and development . . .i.e. heaven

The Burkinabe film showing at the French Cultural Center outside theatre, it was great!!

I took this during the day I believe it might be where they have the awards ceremony or something.

Center Ville of Ouagadougou at Night

An outdoor theatre, really cool

Now I am trying to be artsy as I wait for the movie to start

The director is about to talk to the audience

The main FESPACO grounds

FESPACO grounds encore

Centre de Santa and Promotion Sociale

Centre de Santa and Promotion Sociale (CSPS) are the health centers located at the village level. They are normally 3-5 buildings located in the villages and the main source of "health care" for the Burkinabe. Burkinabe also have to find their own transport to the CSPS there is no such thing as ambulances. On February 21, 2009 I headed out 15 km en brousse to the inauguration of a new CSPS in the remote village of Tiankura. Before the CSPS was built they used to have to walk 15 km to the closest CSPS. No mind you that a CSPS is still not a hospital. Hospitals are only in regional capitals or bigger cities.
February 21, 2009: Women standing outside their new CSPS.

The crowd of villagers that came out to celebrate the opening of the CSPS. I sat in the shade with the other functionaires. I know no fare.

After the inauguration of the CSPS we went to the inauguration of the mayors new building. I bet that in order to fund the CSPS the mayor of Tiankura made it a stipulation for the Italian NGO to build him a new office building for the village.

The walk up to the new building for the Mayor.

The line of village kids waiting in a line to greet all of the functionairs and "important people" like ME. Actually I just get stared at.

All of the "important" functionaires standing outside the Mayor's building as the ribbon is cut

The balafone plays and all of the villagers and students watch the ceremony.