Farewell, Simon Godin-Bilodeau

Simon and I arrived in Diebougou together, and today he has left to return home to Canada for some well-earned R&R.  He has left his heart and his soul here;  he will be back.  West Africa has him in thrall.

Seen here drinking a final callebasse of dolo at the station - we tipped out a small quantity for the ancestors, as you are supposed to do, and they will make sure he gets another post here soon, to continue working in international development.  Bon voyage, bon retour, M. Bilodeau.  Thank you for patiently explaining everything to me.

English things ....

The screen on my old Blackberry has finally died so I cannot read your texts, your telephone numbers, or even see who is calling.......  but I can receive your calls. All will be sorted when I return.  In the meantime, you can text to 00 226 61 61 47 31.  Pip pip!

The updates are coming monthly now, just get over it!

So; what do I have to report?  The project has one more week to run and we have managed to complete the mandate which was originally a 2-year undertaking in only 9 months.  Something of a coup, I would say.  There were some things we did not have time for, but over 200 young people received vocational training, and over 100 parents got start-up funding for small businesses like raising chickens, sheep or goats, or making and selling dolo.  We have a workshop next week to give and get feedback from our village contacts, there is a final report to write, photographs and certificates to print as thank-you presents, and then the project will be over.  How will I get on for another two months without my regular intake of dolo and village visits?
 

Marie Madeleine teaches Kounworoma to sew

 

The trainees from Balignar with their certificates

 

In amongst all this frenzied activity I recklessly threw good sense and a week-end’s rest to the winds and travelled to Fada in east Burkina Faso to visit Isabelle, fellow VSO.  We went to the most enormous livestock market imaginable, peopled with Peuhls (Touregs to we Brits) with huge wodges of cash trading massive cows, goats and sheep, and then we climbed up Fada’s sacred hill which is slightly more sacred than the Diébougou version, having real local significance and housing as it does the central fetish of the Gormantché people;  we were accompanied by Noel who took a great deal of time to explain animist beliefs to me in terms I could understand – he is a great communicator.

 

 Fada's cattle market

 

 My favourite

 On top of the sacred hill

 

On the way back from Fada I stopped in Ouagadougou and collected Dominic and she went on to Gaoua, our regional capital here in the south west, where I joined her to visit Loropéni – a UNESCO World Heritage site – and a fétisheur, a sculptor of fetish objects and a basket-weaving village group. Loropéni is one of those places which demand you use your imagination.  It is some walls from the 11^th century.  Quite big walls, enclosing quite a large area.  

Dominic, spoilt for choice!  

 

 The fetisheur's household shrine

 

Me, doing the correct thing at the fetisheur's house

And then, after saying goodbye and promising to visit Canada, I left Dominic on the bus back to Ouagadougou – she is now in London where she and Jessie are staying with darling Nell Corbett and catching up with Thenain – those VSO ties do bind!

Loropeni, very atmospheric walls.  No, really.

 

And this week-end?  I shall be quietly writing a report, sorting pictures and preparing to say goodbye to Simon who leaves for Canada on Thursday afternoon.  I have promised myself a gin and tonic, my last tin of baked beans and fried guinea fowl eggs.  Bet you are all envious!!