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Only one more week to go for this trip. Eugenie and I accomplished a lot, but it feels like we arrived in Burkina yesterday and not a couple of months ago.

The temperature at night starts to be cool: 22o C. The wind has also picked up and with the dry weather, dust is flying everywhere.

It is the time for harvest for the farmers. In our area, this year’s crops seem to be ok. This means grains in the granary until next year’s harvest.

Political campaign

The political campaign for president and for the parliament has started last Sunday. All monuments are now covered with posters of the 14 candidates for president. Rallies happen in towns but also in smaller villages. Groups of motorbikes going around with posters of their candidate in the front. It is a good time for the printing, chairs / tents renting and sound systems businesses.

Where does the money come from for these campaigns?

Elections will be on November 29th.

Visitors: during this trip twice we had to cancel trips of visitors due to the political instability. Well, a group from France from the Association ‘A Petits Pas’ made it to Burkina.

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From left to right: Jean Francois (ASAP advisor), Steve (friend of Jef’s), Jef (vice president of APP), Odile (ASAP BF director) and Angelique (friend of Jef’s).

Parents meeting at the LAP

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Board of the parents’ association

blog 2015 11 15 3We had a meeting with the board of the parents’ association middle of October. This group had to restitute the minutes of this meeting.

We counted about 100 parents (for 226 students). Taking into account that some parents come for several students we were very pleased with the turn out and also with their participation in the discussion.

 

 

During the meeting we presented to the parents a very simple tool we have at the LAP to make haystack. A lot of interest.

 

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Some pictures of the LAP

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Students in the school yard

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I had brought some melon seeds from my uncle in France. They are growing very well.

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Students preparing some nursery of onions.

You might remember that I talked about Benjamin, a student of fourth year at the LAP in a previous blog. He has lost 4 family members within 4 weeks. He was worried about the harvest of the family fields and was very depressed. Last Sunday all the 34 boys of his class took a bus to the village of Benjamin and in one day they managed to harvest a very large corn field. Nice of them. Benjamin is smiling again.

Visits in the villages

Nursery school of Oualana

blog 2015 11 15 951 children of 5 years old with the personnel of the school.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meeting with the parents association of the primary schools of Kofila

blog 2015 11 15 10Participants at the meeting. There are a lot of difficulties to have a quality education at the primary schools. Mainly the lack of motivation of the teachers, the lack of follow up of the parents and the low level of understanding of the pupils why they have to go to school.

No major breakthrough in this meeting, each of the sides say that they will make some efforts.

 

 

 

Meeting in Nefrelaye about the gardening project

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The gardening project which had started with men, has become mainly a women project. After difficulties with the first board of the association, they seem to be on the right track to make the project work.

Angelique being taught how to use the “daba” (hoe).

Older project

blog 2015 11 15 13In 2009, this water well was made with the support of APP and a French water company called Sicasil.

blog 2015 11 15 14Nice to see that it is in a very good state and working well.

 

 

 

Tribute to Bertrand

blog 2015 11 15 15In June Bertrand (founder of APP) left us. The village of Nefrelaye has decided to pay a tribute to him and a field of 1 hectare has been planted with 300 trees (mainly Teak). Nice of them!

 

 

 

 

Proverb of the week

Do not look where you fell, but where you slipped.
Ne regardez pas où vous êtes tombé, mais où vous avez glissé.

If someone helps you wash your back, you have to wash your face yourself.
Si quelqu’un t’aide à laver ton dos, tu dois laver toi même ton visage.

Have a nice week.

Hervé

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