The Finale

It still hasn’t hit me that I’m not going back.  I have moments of shocking realization but the rest of the time I still feel like I am on a vacation.  I wonder how long it will last.  

Saying goodbye was hard and weird.  In their culture they don’t cry, so I tried my best to do the same.  I gave it a good run but buckled toward the end saying goodbye to my closest friends.  In Burkina they do EVERYTHING with their right hand.  However, one of their traditions is that when someone is leaving, they give a handshake with their left hand.  They consider it an “incorrect handshake” meaning you will need to come back soon to do a proper one.  

Dabre had a party for me on my last night in village.  She spent three days making the local alcohol, dolo, and it was ready around 3pm.  She also borrowed a cd player and some speakers so we drank and danced and people stopped by to say goodbye.  In the evening, I paused from the party to go have dinner with the clinic staff.  We ordered chicken and they gave me some presents.  Later on, I went back to Dabre's and stayed up really late teaching them the Macarena and other dances.  

Dabre Making Dolo 

In the morning, another friend came and picked me up in his car (the one villager I know who has a car) and drove me to the capital.  Leaving my village and watching everyone stare at the car going down the dusty dirt road was an image I will never forget.  Right before I left the boundaries of Komtoega I took this picture.  

I spent the next few days in Ouaga finalizing paperwork and saying goodbye to other volunteers.  On the last day, we had a pinning ceremony for the volunteers that were leaving at the same time as me.  Dabre and the head nurse came to Ouaga for the ceremony and to say goodbye.  We went out for lunch afterwards and then I went to the airport and headed for Cameroon.  

The Pinning Ceremony

The Airport Crew 

I travelled for one month after I left Burkina.  I went to Cameroon to visit a college friend who was doing Peace Corps there, then to Morocco, and then Spain.  It was an awesome trip.  I got to travel with my family in Morocco and a high school friend in Spain.  The rest of the trip I spent traveling with some of my closest volunteer friends.  Cameroon was really cool because I could compare Peace Corps experiences.  Cameroon was way prettier and more developed then Burkina.  Although both countries have their challenges, the West African friendliness was evident all around.  Below are some photos of my month long trip. 

Sevilla, Spain

Limbe, Cameroon 

Marrakech, Morocco 

While I was in Spain I received  great news from a Burkinabe friend.  I’m not sure if you remember a blog post about Ismael.  Ismael was a guest speaker at one of the conferences I organized.  He is a quadriplegic and lost his arms and legs in a train accident at the age of two. Miraculously he lived and is now a university student in the capital, studying human rights.  He is an amazing man who is extremely motivated to change the lives of disabled people in Burkina.  He works hard to make the universities and other public facilities handicap accessible.  (To this day no cabs or buses can accommodate him.)  When I met him I could hear in his voice how passionate he is about making a difference.   Later, I had the opportunity to talk to the ambassador of the USA in Burkina and he mentioned a USA program designed to teach about the Disabilities Awareness Act and other programs and activities we have for the disabled population.  I helped Ismael apply and write a resume.  While in Spain he told me he got the position!  He will be coming here in July for a few weeks and I couldn’t be happier!  

Me and Ismael on My Last Day in Burkina Faso 

It seems crazy but this will be my last blog post for this chapter in my life.  I want to thank everyone who read my blog, called me, sent me cards, care-packages, or emails.  It was so nice to talk to my mom on the phone and hear her say she ran into someone in Alexandria who said they have been following my experience.  Having and blog and friends to share my experience with made it so much more fun and enjoyable.  I am forever grateful.  Many people have been asking if I will ever go back to Burkinabe and I always say absolutely!  I can’t wait to go visit. 

Below is a link to a video I made of my time in Burkina.  Enjoy. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nyn8-_T7K_g

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