One Year Checkup

Friday marked my training group’s one year anniversary for arriving in Burkina Faso, and as such calls for a bit of reflection.

Burkina Faso is unlike any other place I have been. Upon first arrival I was shocked or surprised by many things – abject poverty, heat, the multitude of unaccustomed sounds (lots of languages, motorbikes, and the muslim call to prayer, for example). One year later, these things have become a part of my daily life, and while I’m still discovering new things all the time, I’ve become familiar enough with the life and culture here that many previously shocking things have become to seem normal.

Work Progress

While I’m proud of some of the successes I have had, at the same time I feel like I’ve hardly accomplished anything thus far. The good news is that seems to be normal, as it is often said that most volunteers don’t really become particularly effective until year two of their service (I still have another two months before I’m on the downhill stretch). I also feel better when I start to look at it through the lens of how much time I’ve actually spent working. When one adds up the three months of Peace Corps trainings, more than one month of my association’s trainings/meetings, another month of evacuations related to earlier military actions and a month of vacation, it quickly becomes evident that I’ve spent about half of my service in Burkina Faso not directly working on projects.

Going forward, I’m currently on the verge of starting two big projects that will be taking the majority of the rest of my service, my database/GPS map implementation project I’ve written about before (here and here) looks to be going nationwide, as well as working to bring solar lights to Burkina Faso with Unite to Light. Both projects are in the advanced planning stages and I’m currently dealing with logistics of touring around the country as well as international shipping/customs issues. Hopefully I will be posting soon with all of the details.

In addition, ongoing individual consulting projects with borrowers, computer trainings, and appearances with a local English club will likely round out the rest of my free time. Though I’d like to revive interest in making/selling mango jam this coming spring as well as participating in next year’s version of the bike tour as well.

Life and Happiness

Overall, I’d say I’m generally happy, though my usual emotional stoicism is rocked a bit higher or lower than usual every now and then. When I’m busy and accomplishing things I feel amazing, but when I have down time I feel like I’m wasting time. And while downtime is nice sometimes, I on occasion feel like I’m shortchanging my experience here by reverting back to my old American self. I’m online more than I care to admit, and when socializing I’m often hanging out with other expats (Americans, Canadians, French, etc) rather than Burkinabé.

Thankfully, it looks like the majority of the rest of my service is already planned out and I will be incredibly busy for at least the next five months, so that should help me feel happier more often. I’ll have a set schedule and won’t be able to simply vanish inside my house for the evening.

I’m also doing a little planning for the future. My next vacation plans will be tagging along with my folks on a South Africa/Botswana/Namibia trip next summer and hopefully convincing them (or at least guilting them) into to coming to Burkina and perhaps a side trip to Mali.

I’m also thinking more and more about post Peace Corps opportunities. Travel will certainly be a large part of it, but then what? The development field has been interesting, though I’m not sure if I want to be in it for a career. I’m also thinking about grad school, scholarship opportunities, and language study.

In short, things are good. I’ve created a role here for myself, and I enjoy the work that I’m doing and generally the life that I’m leading. I want to change up a few things about my routine (exercise more, less computer time), but for the most part I’m happy with where I am and for where I am going – even if I don’t know exactly where that is sometimes.

On Steve Jobs

Normally I wouldn’t be one to write something about the death of a celebrity or someone I’ve never met, but I can’t let today’s news of Steve Jobs’ death go by without mention. The visionary tech leader engaged in his profession with such passion that one couldn’t help but be drawn in. My hobby interest in technology and subsequent interest in business led me to follow every movement (and rumor) of Apple for the past 10 years while at the same time inspiring me to something great myself.

It was through Apple that I became thoughtful about the details of life. After using its products, one can’t help but look at other items in our daily lives and wonder why they aren’t better or different somehow. When I buy something, no matter how unimportant, I can’t help but think about the design considerations that did or didn’t go into the product and it’s materials. The font of a website, the shape of and the feel of the plastic handle of a tea kettle, or the way something is worded – they all matter. This attention to detail has infused itself into my conscious, and it’s that philosophy that permeates much of my life and work today. I’ll often put as just as much thought into the design aspect of my work as I do on the content (the info window for my map project, for example). Though somehow, at the same time, he was able to be a big picture guy. He had an uncanny ability to enter certain industries at the right time (while not choosing others) and delivering products that we never knew we wanted or thought possible.

Jobs also uniquely introduced the voice of the 1960′s for many in my generation who would of otherwise missed much of the thought from that era. And it was his constant thoughtfulness that always stood out to me as uniquely Steve, even in his famous one-line emails. I look forward to reading his upcoming authorized biography - hopefully it does his legacy justice. For now, I’m going to re-watch this:

Zidisha: True P2P Microfinancing

There’s a new(ish) mircrofinance website out there these days, called Zidisha. It’s similar to Kiva, but a key difference is that Zidisha is the first to have no intermediaries between borrowers and lenders. This way, the borrowers receives the funds directly and does not deal with a local MFI (microfinance institution). By doing this, Zidisha has gotten rid of the overhead associated with MFIs (loan officers, buildings, etc) and can offer low interest rates. Typical rates are about 8% compared to the global average of 35%.

For lenders, the idea isn’t really to make money (though you certainly can), but instead to have a philanthropic bent to simply make capital available to motivated borrowers, and then be paid back. Borrowers propose interest rates and lenders can choose agree to the same rate or propose a different rate (even 0%), though there is a service charge of 5% and one-time sign-up fee for borrowers. Zidisha is quick to point out that it won’t be like US banks during the housing bubble who simply originated loan after loan to shaky borrowers, as the fees are:

…used to cover operating expenses only… This is deducted from borrower repayments, rather than from loan disbursements. Linking fee income to repayments means that Zidisha’s financial interest is in facilitating the financing of quality loans to small business entrepreneurs who are capable of repayment, not in maximizing lending volume at the expense of quality.

Just last week Zidisha has added their first borrower in Burkina Faso, a man starting up a restaurant near the entrance to the waterfalls I visited in the south-west a few months back. My good friend James, another PCV, is working closely with him and is actually acting as a guarantor in this situation because it is the first loan in-country.

I encourage you to take a look at the site, sign up, and make a loan. Even a small loan can go a long way here, and the current repayment rate is 100%. Plus, if you loan to the Burkinabé borrower I mentioned, there’s an incredibly capable PCV working alongside him. I just signed up myself and made a small loan at a 3% interest rate (he’s currently 70% funded for his $1,128 loan –July 21st update: the loan is now 100% funded). For more information, check out the Zidisha FAQ.

Thoughts on Development and Sustainability

Some problems are so complex that you have to be highly intelligent and well informed just to be undecided about them.

-Lawrence J. Peter*

Lawrence almost assuredly wasn’t speaking about development and sustainability, but he eloquently states my uncertain position as to the pros/cons in the development and aid industries that I’ve been initiated into with Peace Corps.

A post over at Waylaid Dialectic describes the three roles for aid out there today and discusses the on-the-ground realities:

1. Development aid – the ideal, sustainably transforming countries
2. Band-aid aid –  improving people’s welfare in the absence of systematic change, makes no pretence at changing societies
3. Keeping it together aid - tries to keep states together and functioning even if it’s not transforming them

The Peace Corps development philosophy focuses squarely on type one aid by teaching the PACA approach (Participatory Analysis for Community Action). In other words, to assist the community in selecting projects that they themselves feel are priorities will be able to continue on their own. I agree with this philosophy whole-heartedly, though of course true sustainability is incredibly hard to get right. Our advantage as Peace Corps Volunteers, is our ability to fully integrate into our communities and our long time horizon.

Waylaid Dialectic’s post says this regarding type one aid:

…it’s [the] aid that most aid agencies and politicians talk about. This is also aid that rarely, I think, succeeds on its own terms. It turns out that development is too complicated, aid too cumbersome, and the ability of external agents to effect change too weak, for this type of aid to succeed often. Not often isn’t the same as never – it probably sometimes works. But success is less common than one would think from the rhetoric of aid. And I think we kid ourselves much of the time regarding the potential for[this type of] aid to work, and end up wasting money.

I myself have been conflicted lately on a few projects where I don’t believe I’m really doing sustainable development, and may be drifting into type two aid. One example: my organization has a lot of data, but organizes it inefficiently. With my background in MS Access, I’ve been working on making a database to enter and track borrower data. And while I don’t anticipate having any problems teaching my colleagues how to use the system, teaching them how to make the actual tables/queries/tables and their interactions might be a little out of their league. But I’ve decided to make it anyway. If I were in the US I’d most likely run into the same problem. Users wouldn’t know how to make the database (or the website or almost anything else), but they’d know how to use it, and that’s what counts. The key will be to fully train my colleagues on the concepts of the system, but not worry about making them all IT professionals.

Waylaid Dialectic’s post continues:

I’m a big fan of the second type of aid. This, I think, can work — and it’s probably where aid has had its most major success in improving welfare. The main argument against it is that you have to give it in perpetuity, or at least for a long time. But, hey that’s what we do with our own welfare state. No one in New Zealand says “we’re funding a health service now so that one day we won’t have to have one”. I’m comfortable with aid as a global social safety net, as part of a global social contact of sorts.

And while I agree type one aid is the ideal, there isn’t anything necessarily wrong or evil about type two aid when done right. So while I will always strive for true sustainable development, I am open to the idea that bringing in outside aid and/or expertise that is potentially only sustainable for the short to medium term can still be a good thing. What do you think?

______________

* If this and his other quotes are any indication, I think Lawrence and I would have been friends.

French Progress Checkup

One of my biggest concerns before joining the Peace Corps in a French speaking country was simply my ability (or lack thereof) to pick up the language. I had just a handful of introductory French classes, plus a few hours here and there on Rosetta Stone before arriving, and I would not consider myself a language person. About half of the time in the first nine weeks of PC training in country is dedicated towards language study, and while I made the minimum standards to swear-in as  a PCV, I only just made it. So seven months plus in, how is my French?

Well, amazingly enough it’s fine. Not great mind you, I make grammatical mistakes practically every sentence and my listening comprehension is still worse than I’d like. But the bottom line is that even with all of the time I’ve spent with Americans due to the security situation and living in a regional capital with other volunteers and where others like to visit to resupply, I speak sufficiently well enough to express just about anything I need to express. I’m not having thrilling conversations, but I’m getting all of my needs met, and generally know what’s going on (though miss plenty of detail).

Saliou, my French tutor during training.

And I’ve gotten to this point without a lot of serious study (post Peace Corps training at least). Now that I’ve given the natural technique some time, I have a new plan of attack to use rosetta stone, a local tutor, and make a better attempt to read in French to really get it down. I just found a copy of my favorite book, The Count of Monte Cristo in French. And while it’ll probably take me a few months to get through, and a dictionary constantly in hand, I’m determined to not leave this country without being able to read it. While I am getting more and more comfortable speaking French, my written French is terrible – it’s so laughably bad that at the bank I often cash checks for certain amounts just because I know how to spell soixante-dix (seventy) but not quatre-vingts (eighty) for example (though now that I’ve looked up this example for this post I think I’m good on that one now).

One main obstacle in getting really good at French is the fact that the French spoken here isn’t like the French one would learn in France. In fact, if the person can even speak French, it’s probably their third or fourth language. Thus, there are a lot of shortcuts – few tenses are used, and many colloquialisms that probably wouldn’t get me very far in Paris, such as saying il y a quoi et quoi (literally, “there is what and what”) instead of  the more normal Qu’est-que vous avez (“What do you have”) when asking a waiter what’s on the menu today.

Other times, I’m not sure whether some uses are strange because I’m in Burkina, or if it’s just French generally. For example, no one really uses the nous (we) form, and instead use on (one). So for example, people say, on-voudrait aller a la marché (one would like to go to the market). It makes conjugating easier, but took me a couple of months to figure out that nous and on were used interchangeably. Also, many common expressions here would be considered rude in more classical French, such as saying il fait faire quelque chose (you must do something) instead of pouvez-vous faire quelque chose (can you do something) or je te demande le bidon (I ask for your bottle) instead of puis-je avoir ton bouteille (can I have your bottle).

Grammatical quirks and vocabulary non-withstanding, I am just excited to be able to function in a non-English speaking society (and it’s pretty rare to find English speakers at all). And while I don’t think I’ll ever be able to achieve fluency here, I will be able to speak well enough to confidently navigate life and work. I’m happy to have the chance to learn a language that I can continue to use post Peace Corps, and hope to spend some quality time in France later on to continue my learning.

My French progress was tested once again by the Peace Corps this month during a training, and I was happy to receive a score of “Intermediate-High”, one level above the score I received a few months back. Progress=good.

No matter how well I learn French though, people love it when you speak to them in their local language, and here in the east it’s either Mooré or Gourmanchema. I’ve started to make more of an effort with my greetings, and there’s no better feeling than running through a series of salutations (i.e. Good morning, how’s it going? How’s the family? And your work?) and getting lots of surprised reactions and smiles. Next up is learning to order food.

And as an aside I caught this neat infographic (and I love infographics) on business languages in Africa. So even if you’re a real language-phobe, there are plenty of English speaking countries to visit. Though be warned, I met someone from Ghana the other day and it took me a minute to realize he was actually speaking to me in English!

Peace Corps Packing – What Not to Bring

I previously detailed the essential items I brought to Burkina Faso, and now as a follow-up I’ve detailed a few things that you should definitely NOT bring.  Pro tip: if you aren’t sure about some things, set them aside and give a bag to a friend or family member who can send it over later if you decide you really want it. I did this and found that a number of the things I thought would be essential were in fact not necessary once I got here.

Clothes/Shoes

• As many shirts as you think – I brought a ton of shirts, but only wear these: five casual button ups, four polos, and three t-shirts (and two of those shirts were made/bought here). And as a cultural aside, plenty of Burkinabe wear the same outfit two days in a row. Embrace this.
• As many pants as you think – I brought too many of these as well, but only wear two quickdry pants, one pair of khakis and a pair of jeans.
• >1 Sweatshirt/Fleece – I’m one of those people who are perennially warm, so take this with a grain of salt, but I brought one light fleece, and that has been plenty for me even on the coldest nights during “cold season.”
• >3 shoes – Bring a good pair of sandals, one pair of dressier shoes, and running shoes if you run. That’s it. Sneakers, additional dress shoes, and simple shower sandals are everywhere here. I brought a couple pairs of sandals, plus a couple pairs of casual shoes and they just sit unused.
• Shorts – By shorts, I mean shorts that you plan on wearing outside of your house/courtyard as they’re culturally a no go. But do bring a couple pairs of running or lounge shorts to hang out in when you’re at home. And do bring a bathing suit (who knew you’d swim in Burkina Faso?)
• Sewing kit – Every Peace Corps packing guide includes one of these, but one out of every five business I pass by is a tailoring shop. So unless you really like to sew, you can avoid this one. If something rips or tears, just swing it by the shop and have it fixed on the cheap. Plus, practice your language skills.

Electronics

• Power converters – I found that all of my electronics’ (and I brought a lot) power adapters were already dual voltage and will work just fine with simple (and cheap!) power adapters. It’s unlikely you’ll need one of those expensive converters unless you plan on bringing your hair-dryer (and in that case we’ll need to talk). Check out your gear and see if you need one before assuming you need one.

 

Outdoor Items

• Too much “backpacking stuff” – Yes, you’ll probably be living in a small village in Africa, but no matter how remote your village things are more normal here than you’d think. Don’t get too crazy with the gear. There’s no need for expensive, heavy duty backpacking backpacks, UV water filters, fancy watches, or tools (besides a knife or leatherman). And while I’m a full supporter of quickdry type clothing, get the those that won’t make you look like you’re on a safari. The manner of dress here is much more western than you’d think.

Toiletries

• Most over the counter medications – your Peace Corps medical kit will have most everything you could want (and will be so full that you won’t be able to re-close it). Obviously bring your prescription stuff if you’re supposed to, but no need to bring pepto, immodium, asprin, daily vitamins, band-aids, hand sanitizer, condoms, lip balm, etc.
• Too many toiletries – training is in a large regional capital (Koudougou), so you’ll be able to find things like toothpaste, soap, q-tips, etc. Bring enough to get you through training, but no more unless you just can’t live without something.
• Hair product – basically a total waste with the combination of your bike helmet and lots of sweat.

Food/Drink

• Don’t waste precious packing space with food besides a few granola bars and some Gatorade mix. Mail yourself a box with some snacks before you go.

Miscellaneous

• Small US denomination currency – Want to bring some US currency just in case? A good idea actually, but don’t bring small bills. Money exchangers don’t like anything less than a twenty.

Modern Life in the Peace Corps

I sometimes feel like I’m missing out on the “traditional Peace Corps experience” even here in Burkina Faso where it is still actually possible to have one. I live in a regional capital, travel to the capital often both for work and fun, have a computer with internet access, and am pondering a refrigerator purchase. I also work for a fairly high level government organization and spend my days working in and teaching Access/Excel and tracking GPS coordinates. Virtually all of my communication is in French rather than a local language such as Mooré, Jula, or Gourmanchéma. And while I could be (and most volunteers here do) farming in the fields, learning an obscure language, or eating tô for every meal, my specific work and location doesn’t necessitate it. Of course, life certainly isn’t easy, and I deal with a lot of change and differences, but because it’s easier for me than most of what I see, I feel relatively privileged. And I don’t feel like I’m suffering. Shouldn’t I be?

In the wake of Peace Corps’ 50th anniversary and some surprised reactions to my packing list post where I detail a lot of the technological products I have here, I’ve realized that the modern volunteer experience differs from the iconic Peace Corps life of the past mostly due to the transformational powers of technology. No longer are the majority of volunteers cut-off from the outside world, or even some amenities. Burkina Faso is amongst the poorest countries Peace Corps serves worldwide, and with the recent closing of the Peace Corps program in Niger, perhaps is now the the poorest (though there are many ways to measure such things). And while I’d argue that a traditional experience is actually had by many volunteers here, all PCVs have cell phones (though not everyone has service directly in their village), and we are expected to check our email every couple of weeks for Peace Corps communications. Most of us have computers. A few of us, like me, even splurge on USB cellular modems and have net access at our leisure.  Even though you can still have a traditional experience here in Burkina, PCVs still straddle the past and the modern. Of course, compared to most other Peace Corps countries, our experience is still amenity-poor. Google “Posh Corps” to see that not everyone is roughing it these days, and that  even my idealic setup here in Burkina pales in comparison to those in most other countries (TVs/DVD players/Microwaves/Washing Machines oh my!)

But do you need to feel like you’re suffering to be a good volunteer? I know that in my situation I am being more impactful than I would be otherwise. Technology perhaps provides comforts, but it also makes me much more resourceful in my job. Almost everything that I’m doing would not have been possible just a decade ago, and maybe not even two years ago in some cases. Instead of just helping a handful of people make a slightly better living, I can now (hopefully) enable an entire agency to better impact almost two thousand Burkinabé. Of course, the additional amenities make me happy, but being happy helps me be a good PCV too.

In the end, semantics and sentiments aren’t important. I’m doing exactly what I should be here. But it doesn’t mean that I don’t think about and occasionally yearn for a more disconnected experience. Thankfully those types of situations are just a short bike ride away. I’m thinking a few excursions to meet up with other PCVs living en brusee are in order. And don’t worry, I still poop in a hole. That brings me back down to earth.

Peace Corps Packing List Essentials

We have a new group of volunteers gearing up to come to Burkina soon, so I thought I’d throw together a packing guide of the essentials I brought from the US to help them out. This isn’t an all inclusive guide, (check out the official PCBurkina packing list for more details), but instead these are the things that I use frequently and can’t find substitutes for here. The majority of this list would probably work for just about any Peace Corps country, though it’s obviously tailored for West Africa. I’ve tried to throw in links to the actual things I brought (mostly on Amazon), but apologies in advance if the links break in the future or if the product becomes out of date. Since I’m a guy this list might be a bit man-centric, so ladies, check out Molly’s recommendations as well.

Clothes/Shoes
I love whoever invented wicking clothing – bring as much of it as you can, though try to avoid looking like you’re on a backpacking trip. Washing your clothes is pretty annoying, but this way you can take a shower (read: bucket bath) with  them on and wash them at the same time – they’ll dry fast here! Stay with dark colors as much as possible, it’s dusty, and when you sweat the dirt just sticks to you. Plaids and other busy designs can somewhat hide the sweat I find. Casual and dress shoes can be bought here, but bring a good pair of sandals and a pair of running shoes if you think you’d like to run or play soccer. I actually wear topsiders most days – purchased here, very popular, who would’ve known? With clothes you can pretty much find or have made anything you need, so really just focus on bringing clothes to get you through training and the fabrics that you can’t find in Burkina. I work in a fairly formal office (though my job is a bit atypical) so for shirts I wear casual button-ups most days.

• Northface Paramount Pants – I bought two pairs and basically just wear these on alternating days. They dry amazingly fast, and let’s just say that’s important with the amount you’ll be sweating. They have cargo pockets, but they don’t stick out, so they look like normal casual pants for the most part. They can zip off into shorts, but sadly local customs prevent me from ever wearing them as such outside of my house. I brought jeans and khakis as well, and wear them on occasion, but these two pairs probably pull at least 80% of the load.
• Merrell Rockford Pants – If you’re looking for some pants that aren’t of the “zip into shorts” variety, then go with these. They have a bit a give to them, which is great for biking, and seem to look/smell relatively clean even after getting put through a lot. You’ll be all set when combined with the Northface pants above.
• NAU Merino T-Shirt – I live in this thing. I can sweat in it for days without it smelling, it dries quickly, and it looks good even after being crumpled at the bottom of my bag.  If I could afford it, I’d have one in every color. Merino wool is a wonder product.
• Patagonia Capilene Underwear – Just like the pants, these are all about the quickdry and easy wash. Grab a few pairs and wash them during your nightly bucket bath.
• New Balance Minimus running shoes – Whatever you used back in the US will work, but I really like these since they’re really small and light (good for packing), can be worn sockless, and are a neat hybrid of a normal running shoe and those shoes with the separate toes.
• Running shorts – Even if you don’t run, these are pretty much all I wear while I’m hanging out at home.
• Weekend size duffel bag – You’ll probably make a lot of 2-4 day trips visiting other volunteers, heading into the capital, etc. Bring a bag that’ll fit the essentials, but isn’t so big that you have to put it under the bus. Think of overhead compartment size, then dial it down a few inches.
• Messenger bag – Training is like being in school again, you’ll need something tough to carry all of your supplies. You’ll also need it for life at site to pick up stuff around town. The perfect size is something that’ll fit your netbook, nalgene, and camera with just a little space left over. I brought a giant XL sized Timbuk2 bag that I already had. It’s handy, but a bit big for normal day-to-day use. I’d go with a medium or large if i could do it all over again. Though it has worked great as a small weekend bag, or when carrying a ton of stuff back from the marché.

Electronics
I’m a techie, so unsurprisingly you’ll see a number of gadgets on my list. Also, I live in a large regional capital and have electricity, so I can use these things as much as I’d like. But even if I lived without electricity I wouldn’t hesitate to bring all of the gadgets I brought. But don’t go out and buy all of these things just to come here, you can certainly do without a few of these things. I already had most of this (or sold old gear to directly replace it).

• HP 5103 Mini Netbook – The cheap laptop du jour seems to change very frequently, so I’m sure there’s a better model out by now, so you should probably just check out The Verge for the latest and greatest. I love the battery life on this guy, and once I uninstalled Norton Antivirus, it actually feels quite speedy. I’m a little jealous of folks who brought real computers (bigger screens, more storage, etc), and I miss my Macbook that I sold before coming, but this does the job. And if it dies I won’t feel too bad at $400. Definitely bring a computer. Even if you end up in a small village without electricity, you’ll be places where there is electricity enough that it’ll still be worth it.
• Panasonic GF1 Camera – Seriously the best travel camera out there (at the time I left at least). DSLR quality in a small package and makes me look much better at photography than I actually am. Because of its size, I feel like I can take it out more often, especially compared to a giant Canon or Nikon traditional DSLR that would attract a lot of attention. Check here and here for some of my photo samples. The just announced successor Panasonic GX1 looks to be even better. Check out the 20mm prime and 14-42 X lenses. Sony’s recent NEX series and Olympus’ E-P3 series also look great if you like this type of camera. If those prices are a bit too steep, check out the Canon S100 for a non-DSLR option.
• Apple iPod Touch – Besides being an awesome music player, this sucker has apps – don’t leave home without a French dictionary app installed. It’s also got an HD video camera on the back which makes some high quality videos (though not great normal camera), and I use it to jot down notes all of the time while I’m out around town. Plus there are games which can entertain. Great battery life, and tiny. If you’re already sporting an iPhone, just bring that. You can get it to work over here with just a little configuration.
• Kindle 3 with Case/Light – I love my Kindle. I’ll never forget the “ah-ha” moment of being able to download a reference book to help me with my work while en brusse in just a couple of hours. Obviously good for normal books too – take your whole library of books with one small device. Classics are free, plus you can share some of your other purchases. Battery life is great.  The latest Kindle Touch looks to be even better and cheaper. No need for the 3G version here as there’s no reception.
• External Hard Drive – Good for backups, and even better for swapping movies/music with all of the other volunteers.
• Flash Drives – Absolutely necessary for transporting files. Bring a few.
• Altec Lansing Orbit Portable Speaker – There are a million types of “iPod speakers” floating around there on the internet, but I love this one. It’s cheap, tiny, and has surprisingly good sound, even bass!
• Sanyo Eneloop Rechargeable AAs and AAAs – Generally regarded as the best rechargeables out there.
• Power adapters – Use these simple (and cheap!) adapters rather than more expensive power converters. I found that all of my electronics’ (and I brought a lot) power adapters were already dual voltage and will work just fine with just an adapter. It’s unlikely you’ll need one of those expensive converters.

Outdoor Items
I packed for a 2 year backpacking trip, which was overdoing it (I even brought rope). The reality here is that it’s not actually anything that extreme, but there are still a few of these outdoorsy things that’ll come in handy.

• Headlamp – Gets used for all of my nighttime bike riding and of course late night runs to the latrine. Any model will do for general purposes, but I was disappointed in brightness of  the model I originally brought and had my folks send me a Black Diamond Icon Headlamp. It’s bulkier than your typical headlamp, as it uses 3 AAs instead of 3AAAs, so the battery component is on the back of your head instead of behind the light. But wow, this sucker is bright! Great for nighttime rides en brusse, and is much safer. If this is too bulky for you, check out this minimalist Petzl model. You can strap it to anything, which comes in handy, and you’ll look less like a miner.
• Black Diamond Apollo Lantern – Great for when the power goes out, and would be extra helpful of course if you don’t have power at all. Side note – all of the lights here are those long (1 meter) fluorescents that are really harsh. It’s nice to be able to have a little ambient light that is a little easier on the eyes.
• REI Bug Hut 2 – As Molly says, “Get this tent. Do not get any other tent. Do not get the bug hut 1. Get this one.”
• Nalgene – Bring two of these to carry around your filtered water.
• Sleeping Pad – Great for sleeping on when in your Bug Hut. This isn’t minimalist backpacking, so bring the thickest one that’ll fit in your luggage, your back will thank you. I made the mistake of bringing a very small one, but thankfully my folks were amazing and shipped me this incredibly comfortable REI 3.5” model. However, I think it’s a bit large considering all of the other things you’ll want to fit it in your luggage. Maybe the 2.5” or 1.75” models would work better? After a phone call, REI was awesome and shipped in directly to me here in Burkina. Thermarest also makes good ones.
• Thermarest Compressible Pillow – Pillows here suck. They are hard and uncomfortable. Bring this.
• Knife – handy for opening up those avocados and mangos that you’ll buy on the street and for other random tasks around the house. I found mine on sale on SteepAndCheep, an addicting outdoor gear deal website. No real need to have anything too heavy duty, so just find a cheap one and go for it.

Toiletries
Between Peace Corps’ free medical supplies and stores here (at least in Ouaga or other regional capitals) you can find just about everything you need. Though you should bring a couple month supply to get you through training. But, there are a few things, no matter how hard you look, that don’t have replacements over here. Bring extra of these:

• Deodorant
• Face wash
• Razor blades
• Gold Bond

Miscellaneous

• Moleskine journal or two
• Good pens
• Accordion folder for storing documents
• Watch

Food/Drink
Most of food/drink stuff can be sent later by family and friends, and isn’t really needed until you’re at site, but definitely bring some sort of granola/energy bars and some drink mix (like gatorade, propel, or crystal light) while you’re adjusting to the cuisine. Seasonings/spices are great things to ask for, and I really appreciate the protein powder I was sent (I eat a lot less meat here).

Superfluous, but I Love Them

• French Press – You can find real coffee in Ouaga to use it with.
• Starbucks Via Instant Coffee – When you don’t want a lot, but need something better than Nescafe.
• Business Cards – My fellow PCVs give me a hard time, but these have come in really handy for giving out my email/mobile/blog to Burkinabés and other ex-Pats. Just print some up that have your name, US Peace Corps, and your email address. You can write in the other info selectively when you give out your cards.

Another good way to see what people like is to check out people’s package wish lists (here, and here for example). Most of this stuff isn’t what you’d pack on your way over, but you might find some gems from others this way.

Ouaga

After just two weeks at site, I left for Ouagadougou for what was supposed to have been a one-week training at FAIJ headquarters. It turned out to be a three week stay where I worked 40+ hour weeks in an office and even wore a tie most days. It was a great introduction to office life in the capital and was exciting to get started on actual work.  But at the same time it was bizarre. Here I am in the Peace Corps, in one of the poorest countries in the world, yet I’m taking taxis to work while suited up and working on Access databases all day in an air conditioned office.

The main task that I’ll be working on for the next few months will be designing and implementing a database in MS Access to track all of the applicants and borrowers as well as generating reporting documentation and other analytics. The current method of tracking all of the information is very manual, but thorough, so I have quite a bit to work with. Plus my colleagues are already used to working in Excel in at least a limited manner. It appears that a good portion of my job will entail training them how to use and implement the database in their current workflows. Now I’ll have to learn how to use Access and Excel in French. For example, did you know that VLOOKUP = RECHERCHEV? I don’t even want to think about talking about linking fields and groupby in Access. The ministry gave me a nice laptop, a cell phone, and the promise of a usb cell modem to use to get online while not in Ouaga. A pretty nice setup for a PCV.

The big surprise to me was that office life in a Burkinabe government office is actually quite similar to that in the states. Everyone had a desk with a computer, there were filing systems, a water cooler, and coffee. One main difference is the siesta from 12:30 to 15:00. However, since the office was a bit far from where I was staying it was too much of a pain to eat lunch, taxi home, rest, and taxi back. So instead we would either just relax at a restaurant for a couple of hours, or we would take walks around downtown Ouaga. It turned out to be a great way to get to know the city, and I’m happy that I was in town during the cold season – I can’t imagine I’d want to take lunchtime walks during March/April.

During my time in Ouaga I stayed at the Transit House, a Peace Corps owned house that functions as a sort of hotel for PCVs – though I’d probably liken it more to a bit of a frat house. It was a great way to meet many of the volunteers who have been around longer than I have, and for the most part I had a great time staying there. After a while, the lack of personal space and sharing bedrooms/bathrooms gets a little old, but the amenities were amazing – couches, wi-fi, real mattresses, and my very first hot showers in-country!

I loved exploring, and tried to go out every night to one of the many downright first-world restaurants available. Plus on the weekends I took a few multi hour bike rides around town. I was able to sample an amazing variety of cuisine, including Austrian, Chinese, Lebanese, and of course American. I found real Kentucky bourbon (Wild Turkey to be exact), legit nice fabric to be made into dress pants at Eurotext, and even went to an amazing concert at the French Cultural Center.

Suffice to say, I’m going to miss Ouaga. I kept busy with work, and there were always things to do in the evenings and on weekends. Thankfully, work and other activities will bring me back quite often it appears. I’ll need to come back to update headquarters on my database progress and work with them on requests over the next couple of months. I’ll also need to run occasional trainings on MS Access and Excel. Plus, the director told me that a lot of the ideas I had for site can be implemented on a more national level and hopefully be more impactful in Ouaga. And of course there are always cultural events, like the upcoming FESPACO film festival and Peace Corps trainings that will bring me into the capital from time to time.

After all of the work and social events, coming back to my apartment at site was a little depressing. No more friends around all of the time, downgraded food options, and dust everywhere. And at this point, I’ve actually spent more time in Ouaga than at site so everything is still pretty new. But it’s nice to get back into the swing of things again, and thankfully I don’t think I’ll ever be able to say I don’t have things to keep me busy.

This week I have a Peace Corps supplied French tutor in town so will be doing a lot of language training for the next few days and less on the database front. This is good as I spent two days last week in meetings where I didn’t understand a lot. My tutor is really awesome and we basically just go around town and chat all day. He tells me he’s really impressed by my French, but I think that’s just because I was a functioning mute during training, so any progress to him is probably amazing. I really need to get back on the language train…. For the other French speakers out there, my big breakthrough so far this week is that I finally learned how to use the inversion to ask questions!

On Food/Drink

As another volunteer put it when sitting down at a fairly western restaurant: “I guarantee that this menu is the greatest work of fiction in all of Burkina.” He was right. The menu was huge – five pages of items, including burgers and pizza! However, once we tried to order things we soon realized that they only really had about five items available.

So at a typical restaurant, what is available you ask? Here are the staples:

• White Rice and Sauce (peanut or tomato)
• Cous-Cous with Sauce (peanut or tomato)
• Flavored Rice (that has been boiled in a tomato sauce)
• Spaghetti with tomato sauce
• Benga (Basically rice and black beans)
• Brochettes (kebabs of beef/lamb and onions) with a spicy powder

Brochettes are my favorite by far, we’ve even found one guy who has a spicy mustard to go along with the normal spices. Usually the brochette guys don’t work at a restaurant, but just operate a grill next door to a restaurant and you order from him directly.  Benga is my next favorite, and while a traditional dish, has been somewhat difficult for me to track down.

The price of a meal varies quite a bit, but to give you a sense, an expensive meal will be is anything over a dollar. Sometimes I am able to find big lunches of rice and sauce for the equivalent of about 30 cents.

One big cultural difference that really takes some getting used to is the process of calling for a waiter. Here in Burkina, one snaps and/or hisses in the direction of the waiter. I feel pretty rude while doing it, but when in Rome… I’ll definitely have to unlearn this before coming back home.

On Drink

My nalgene is my constant companion, and is always filled with my double filtered water. Occasionally when I feel like spoiling myself I use one of my drink mix packets such as Gatorade or crystal lite.  When I feel like something else, street vendors often sell “sachets”, since bottles are expensive in Burkina. Sachets are small bags filled with water or fruit juice. You then bite the corner of the bag and suck out the contents. My favorite juice so far is called Bissap, which is made from hibiscus. I’ve also had tamarind, orange, and some sort of ginger drink.

There are a surprisingly large number of beers available, and while none of them are particularly amazing, none are noticeably poor. My go-to is called “Brakina”, which is usually the cheapest of the decent stuff. The best part about the beers is that they are huge! A normal beer is 750ml and runs about $1.20.

And while the prices seem laughably low, my salary is equally laughable, so I can’t live the high life all of the time.