Plastic

I just read this article about Togo banning plastic bags. All I could think is what would Burkina look like if this same ban was in place? 

Picture taken just after the vendors from the Yako market packed up for the day. 

 And then I thought of this... 
Although you can buy bottled water in Yako it's far more common to buy a small bag of water. 250ml & 500ml 'sachets' are the way to go for clean, cold, water. The bags are not practical for carrying in your purse, but when it's hot you don't want to carry anyway: just find a child pushing a trolley and hand over 10cents.

You drink by biting a corner and sucking quickly. If you buy a couple you can squirt the water into a plastic bottle and carry it with you.

And then you drop the plastic bag on the ground. 

Crazy right? The first time someone told me to dispose of my garbage this way I panicked. What about the environment? I couldn't litter. And then I discovered I could. And I did.
And sometimes I feel bad admitting that I contributed to the plastic mess that you find on the street. And then I wonder if I go back if I'll do it differently, and I have no answer.

So what happens to the plastic bags?
Kids find them, blow them up and then wrap the broken corner around and around so the air doesn't leak out. Then they put it down again. Sometimes they jump on them and sometimes they leave them for a car to run over. Either way I think of it like Yako style bubble wrap. The satisfaction you get from popping bubble wrap is a little like what the kids get from popping bags.

Although sometimes I think they do it just to see the Nasara jump out of her shoes. 
The noise can be quite startling. 

Junior Stallions

Burkina Faso has just won the U17 Africa Cup! 

The U17 team is called the Junior Stallions (Burkina's national team is simply the Stallions). 

The final score of 2 - 1 against in today's match against Rwanda is a huge moment for Burkina Faso. So was the semi-final against the Ivory Coast (Burkina's neighbour and rival when it comes to soccer).

Burkina will be in the U17 World cup in Mexico this June & July as will the other three semi-finalists (Rwanda, Congo Brazzaville and Cote d'Ivoire). 

For the news see here. 

H2O

(Viewing this video might be easier by clicking on this link). 

Fam Jam

I've introduced you many times to my Burkina family.
Here then, is my family family.
They crack me up. They're an amazing source of encouragement and support. They're awesome. 

Two years ago today (January 4, 2009) I was headed to the airport for my first trip to Burkina. 

I wanted to bring a picture of my family with me. Unfortunately, I didn't think of it until 10 minutes before we left for the airport (and we didn't have a good recent one). A little worried about travelling so far away, for so long, the idea of not having a family photo made me a bit panicky.  (It's silly but it's also true.)

Just as we were trying to figure out how to set a timer and get all 6 of us in the photo, and then out the door to the airport, one of our neighbours knocked on the door. He was stopping by to wish me merry travels from his family to mine, but was more than happy to snap a few family photos too.

I was able to head to the airport, picture in hand, and nerves calmed.

It was definitely, a cool 'thanks God!' moment: He knew exactly what I needed. (Like he always does).

I've commented often on the fact that I simply don't understand time. This is no exception. So much has happened since that January day in 2009 that I can't hardly believe it's been two years. And yet, when I think about it, I can still feel the butterflies of my first time travelling to Africa. I can still remember stepping onto the tarmac in Ouagadougou and smelling the sweet, thick, Burkina air for the first time. It was forever ago, but it wasn't really.