We are alive!
Hello dear friends and family. A LOT has happened since our last post on the blog site. Unfortunately, we all took our turn feeling sick so I didn't have the opportunity to update it. Then we went into Dedougou and had no access to wifi, so once again my apologies. That being said, we are all feeling excellent now and we made it Dedougou with the ambulance! Our number one mission has been completed!
The whole visit to Dedougou seems like a distance memory looking back at it now, but the warm welcomes and gratitude we received we shall remember forever. The community put together a ceremony in honor of our trip and mission with everyone from hospital patients, to the mayor in attendance. Everyone was completely overwhelmed with joy and even finding words to put sentences together was difficult. It was a beautiful day.
Besides having a wonderful ceremony we had the opportunity to visit Hassimi's dearest friends and family members before heading back to Ouagadougou. Each house we visited had its own African charm and welcoming, but something they all had in common were the sincere thank yous from the people. Thank you for being here, thank you for helping, thank you for caring.
I sit here today writing from the airport in Paris wondering how the time could go so fast…but then again, it always does. This trip has taught us about a country, about people, and about ourselves.
I hope to be seeing Africa again someday and share many more experiences with many more people.
Thank you for reading and supporting us until the very end. The endless support from our family, community, and friends made this all possible... and although you were not physically here with us your support pushed us along everyday.
Thank you!
Burkina Faso Travelers.
UWW Optimist Club
Extended UWW Student Optimist Club.
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
Friday, August 22, 2014
Day 5..? 6?
"You haven't truly lived until you've done something for someone whom can never repay you."
This is the quote that was printed on our travelers shirts before leaving the states. We came to Africa with a purpose and a mission. To help as many people as we can.
That being said, today we found out that our supplies will not arrive until Sunday or Monday. Initially we were disappointed, but keeping our minds on that quote is helping us get by. It's not about when we are helping the people, it's the fact that we are helping them. Showing the people how much we care about them with or without supplies means the world to them. Something the people keep saying to us is how grateful they are that we left our homes and families to visit them and they pray for a safe return for us. We hear this with every place that we visit. The people in Africa are some of the most kind and grateful people I've ever met, and it's extraordinary to be able to give to people so deserving.
One person in particular we found extra deserving. It all started the other day when we went to lunch at a restaurant named La Foret. (Which means the forest. No we did not eat in a forest, the whole restaurant was set in a garden and we ate under a straw gazebo). As we sat eating our rice and steak kabobs (Yes, we ate the meat. It was delicious.) we started to ask our server a little bit about his life. It turns out that he has been living in Ouagadougou for a year, but is originally from Mali. He had to leave his country because a war broke out and it was no longer safe for him. Not only did he leave behind his whole family, but he also left behind the opportunity to finish his degree (He is studying accounting). We left the restaurant that day feeling a sense of remorse for the young man, and started to put together a plan for potentially helping him. He already works full time, and any extra money he has at the end of the month he sends back to his parents…so we thought that it would be much deserving if we could pay his tuition for two years to finish off his degree. He may not otherwise ever be able to save the money to pay for collage…to go to the University in Burkina, it costs $50 a year.
Tonight we retuned to the restaurant and told him our thoughts on helping him with schooling. As he sat listening to Hassimi explain the plan, the amount of tears welling up in his eyes was heartbreaking. He said that out of all the people he sees everyday, he has never experienced that kind of kindness. He even denied the money at first stating that he wouldn't be able to work full time and send money home if he went to school. But after Hassimi told him that his life and goals mattered too, he accepted our proposal.
That was the moment when that quote became reality for me, and for all of us. To see the sincere gratitude in a person's eye is the most rewarding feeling you can receive in life. We hope to help him and many others with our supplies, ambulance, and presence. We might not be able to change all of Africa, but Africa has changed all of us.
Much Love,
Burkina Faso Travelers.
Thursday, August 21, 2014
Another day rolling by
Time is a very interesting thing here in Burkina. We've been here for four days now, and it is quite clear that the whole concept of time is very different from the one we are used to in the states. Something as simple as going to the ATM could be an hour long trip, or dinner which usually takes 2.5 hours. The hustle and bustle of sticking to the schedule and getting as many things done as possible, just doesn't happen that way here. The people take their time. They enjoy each moment, and no one's ever in a hurry. Who am I to say one way of life is better than the other, but if one thing is certain, Burkina has shown us how to be patient. This was also the case when trying to visit the orphanages. Their number changed, they moved locations, and the new number wasn't listed. So we patiently waited two days to get a hold of their number so we could visit, but at last we did.
Before going into details of the trip, I should mention that the term "orphan" is a little different here in Africa. They consider an orphan a child that was abandoned, but also a child whose parents don't have the means to support them, so they live at the orphanage and visit home once a year. It's almost like a boarding school for the children who have families, because once they reach a certain age (12 in this case) they go back to live with their families.
Going to the centers we weren't sure what to expect, but we were pleasantly surprised when we arrived. The first orphanage not only had a school system set up for the children, but they had their own farm, playground, farm life (cows, donkeys, and chickens). It was beautiful. Carefully being placed outside of the city lights, the center was in the country where it allowed more space for the kids to play and grow. We also learned that that specific orphanage has the number one schooling for orphans in the country. When it is time to take your exams to enter into middle school (Like the French system, all kids must pass a test to enter into the next level of education), they have a 100% success rate. Overall we were very impressed by the systems to aid the children that the orphanage offered.
The other orphanage was more in the city, but also tucked away from the traffic of people and cars. This one housed children from infancy to two years old. At first that doesn't seem like a long time, but that lady in charge informed us that the adoption rate was very good. Also, special needs children sometimes stay longer. We came a little late to that orphanage so there is not much to say, but tomorrow we will be back and I will update everyone!
NOW without further delay. The BIG BIG BIG NEWS of the day… The ambulance arrived to Ouagadougou! We were so excited for its arrival (in one piece) ! Now all we are waiting for are the supplies then it's off to Dedougou to deliver everything! With things being finalized we need prayers and good vibes being sent our way that the supplies arrive safely and promptly as well!
Thats all for now!
-Burkina Faso Travelers
Time is a very interesting thing here in Burkina. We've been here for four days now, and it is quite clear that the whole concept of time is very different from the one we are used to in the states. Something as simple as going to the ATM could be an hour long trip, or dinner which usually takes 2.5 hours. The hustle and bustle of sticking to the schedule and getting as many things done as possible, just doesn't happen that way here. The people take their time. They enjoy each moment, and no one's ever in a hurry. Who am I to say one way of life is better than the other, but if one thing is certain, Burkina has shown us how to be patient. This was also the case when trying to visit the orphanages. Their number changed, they moved locations, and the new number wasn't listed. So we patiently waited two days to get a hold of their number so we could visit, but at last we did.
Before going into details of the trip, I should mention that the term "orphan" is a little different here in Africa. They consider an orphan a child that was abandoned, but also a child whose parents don't have the means to support them, so they live at the orphanage and visit home once a year. It's almost like a boarding school for the children who have families, because once they reach a certain age (12 in this case) they go back to live with their families.
Going to the centers we weren't sure what to expect, but we were pleasantly surprised when we arrived. The first orphanage not only had a school system set up for the children, but they had their own farm, playground, farm life (cows, donkeys, and chickens). It was beautiful. Carefully being placed outside of the city lights, the center was in the country where it allowed more space for the kids to play and grow. We also learned that that specific orphanage has the number one schooling for orphans in the country. When it is time to take your exams to enter into middle school (Like the French system, all kids must pass a test to enter into the next level of education), they have a 100% success rate. Overall we were very impressed by the systems to aid the children that the orphanage offered.
The other orphanage was more in the city, but also tucked away from the traffic of people and cars. This one housed children from infancy to two years old. At first that doesn't seem like a long time, but that lady in charge informed us that the adoption rate was very good. Also, special needs children sometimes stay longer. We came a little late to that orphanage so there is not much to say, but tomorrow we will be back and I will update everyone!
NOW without further delay. The BIG BIG BIG NEWS of the day… The ambulance arrived to Ouagadougou! We were so excited for its arrival (in one piece) ! Now all we are waiting for are the supplies then it's off to Dedougou to deliver everything! With things being finalized we need prayers and good vibes being sent our way that the supplies arrive safely and promptly as well!
Thats all for now!
-Burkina Faso Travelers
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
Day 2
Salut! (Or as we say, Hi! in English)
Day number two.
We woke up to a beautiful sunrise and went down to our hotel's pool for our first African breakfast. As we sat pool side eating our chocolate bread and sipping or orange lemon juice, we started our day joyfully chatting about the day's itinerary.
After breakfast, we drove around Ouagadougou a bit and witnessed the city first hand. From street vendors, to flea markets Africa is full of life and very different from the small town we've traveled from. Today we had the opportunity to meet a friend of Hassimi's, Awa. She happens to also be the artist who allowed us to sell her c.d. to fundraise money to ship the ambulance. She, along with everyone we've met so far, is very nice and welcoming.
We made our way to an art market today that was truly amazing. We witnessed first hand the beauty and skill it takes to create things like drums, scarves, sculptures, and jewelry. It is easy to go to the store and buy a scarf, but not very often do you think of the person who thread the cotton together to create that scarf for you. The time and dedication that these artist put into their work is incredible. We had the opportunity to play a traditional Africa drum today, and as we were playing we watched the men carve the wood base, stretch the cow hid, and tie the strings together to create a drum. Africa takes craftsmanship to a new level, and all of us were in absolute awe as we watched each piece of art come together.
After the art market, it started to rain. The sewer system in Burkina Faso isn't quite as functional as in the US, so we watched as vendors scurried to pack up their items before the rain swept it away. Being that the ground is clay and not dirt, the rain soon become a river flooding the streets. Not one local flinched for a second, but us travelers couldn't even imagine how they function everyday in the rainy season (May-September) with flash floods. They even laughed watching us take pictures of what was happening.
Through the rain we made our way to a restaurant for lunch. The waitress came up to us and explained that they didn't have menus but we could order rice, chicken, fish, or french fries. We ordered the chicken. After waiting what seemed a long time, as asked the waitress where our food was and she explained that they ran out of chicken so someone had to go buy chicken for them to cook. That action to me, was very impressive. I would never imagine someone buying a chicken for the sake of keeping a customer. Although we ended up waiting for about two hours, the thought of helping a local business keep its doors open kept us all patient.
Later tonight we went to a local music restaurant a block from our hotel. The musicians had to cancel their show because of the ran, but as soon as we walked in they stood up and welcomed us with open-hearts. They immediately started playing traditional African music for us and it wasn't long until we were all up and dancing to the beat.
We have only been here for two days, but Africa already has all of us wanting to see and learn more. Tomorrow is another adventure and we can't wait to share our experiences with you all!
Thank you for reading and caring!
Burkina Faso Travelers
Day number two.
We woke up to a beautiful sunrise and went down to our hotel's pool for our first African breakfast. As we sat pool side eating our chocolate bread and sipping or orange lemon juice, we started our day joyfully chatting about the day's itinerary.
After breakfast, we drove around Ouagadougou a bit and witnessed the city first hand. From street vendors, to flea markets Africa is full of life and very different from the small town we've traveled from. Today we had the opportunity to meet a friend of Hassimi's, Awa. She happens to also be the artist who allowed us to sell her c.d. to fundraise money to ship the ambulance. She, along with everyone we've met so far, is very nice and welcoming.
We made our way to an art market today that was truly amazing. We witnessed first hand the beauty and skill it takes to create things like drums, scarves, sculptures, and jewelry. It is easy to go to the store and buy a scarf, but not very often do you think of the person who thread the cotton together to create that scarf for you. The time and dedication that these artist put into their work is incredible. We had the opportunity to play a traditional Africa drum today, and as we were playing we watched the men carve the wood base, stretch the cow hid, and tie the strings together to create a drum. Africa takes craftsmanship to a new level, and all of us were in absolute awe as we watched each piece of art come together.
After the art market, it started to rain. The sewer system in Burkina Faso isn't quite as functional as in the US, so we watched as vendors scurried to pack up their items before the rain swept it away. Being that the ground is clay and not dirt, the rain soon become a river flooding the streets. Not one local flinched for a second, but us travelers couldn't even imagine how they function everyday in the rainy season (May-September) with flash floods. They even laughed watching us take pictures of what was happening.
Through the rain we made our way to a restaurant for lunch. The waitress came up to us and explained that they didn't have menus but we could order rice, chicken, fish, or french fries. We ordered the chicken. After waiting what seemed a long time, as asked the waitress where our food was and she explained that they ran out of chicken so someone had to go buy chicken for them to cook. That action to me, was very impressive. I would never imagine someone buying a chicken for the sake of keeping a customer. Although we ended up waiting for about two hours, the thought of helping a local business keep its doors open kept us all patient.
Later tonight we went to a local music restaurant a block from our hotel. The musicians had to cancel their show because of the ran, but as soon as we walked in they stood up and welcomed us with open-hearts. They immediately started playing traditional African music for us and it wasn't long until we were all up and dancing to the beat.
We have only been here for two days, but Africa already has all of us wanting to see and learn more. Tomorrow is another adventure and we can't wait to share our experiences with you all!
Thank you for reading and caring!
Burkina Faso Travelers
Monday, August 18, 2014
We Made it!
As of today, we have made a few minor changes with the delivery of the supplies and the ambulance. The port took longer than expected to process the paper work, but after many confusing hours, the ambulance is en route to Ouagadougou and the supplies will be following it shortly! So everything will make its journey to the city, medical centers, and orphanages…just a few days later. This is a huge relief because one of the obstacles we worried most about when we shipped the supplies and ambulance was delivering it safely from Ghana to Burkina Faso.
Our time zone has now changed three times in the last three days, but we have settled with a time difference of 5 hours ahead of Wisconsin. Also, since leaving Chicago we have flown about 17 hours (Chicago to Paris, Paris to Burkina Faso). That being said, I'll have to wish you all well and goodnight.
Please continue to support and follow our mission as we make our journey through West Africa!
Lots of Love!
Burkina Faso Travelers
Friday, August 15, 2014
All our bags are packed and we're ready to go…
Today is the day we finally depart for our journey across the world! We will head out of O'hare International Airport today for Paris! After two days in Paris, we will depart for Ouagadougou Bukina Faso where we will meet Hassimi and the ambulance! This day has been on everyone's minds for the past few months and we are just so excited it has finally arrived.
I know many people have been concerned about the Ebola outbreak happening in Western Africa, but as of today it continues to not be a threat in the places we will be traveling to. That being said, we are educated and aware of the virus and will proceed cautiously into Africa!
Please wish us safe travels and a beautiful trip! I will try to update the blog as much as I can each day, but WIFI will be very limited.
As always, endless thank yous to the people who have supported and rooted for us throughout this journey.
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