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

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