Second Day in Ouagadougou

Our first full day in Ouagadougou was incredible! We spent the day going on several outings to gather supplies for our projects and the rest of our time in the country. I started the day by going to get bread from a bakery down the street. Just walking down the street here is truly an experience for all the senses! I saw men chopping raw chickens at a roadside stand while other chickens strutted unsuspectingly at their feet, smelled baking bread and smoke, heard the voices of children playing in the sidewalk amidst the drone of moped engines, and felt the dust from the roadside on my sandaled feet. I was also struck by the many vibrant colors, especially of the women's clothing and the beautiful plants peeping out over compound walls. Burkina Faso is incredibly beautiful and very alive. Other outings included going to the bank, finding bicycle parts for the handicap tricycle project, visiting a local church, and purchasing groceries. Upon leaving the compound at one point, we encountered a man atop a very large camel, which is unusual even in Burkina. People here are very friendly and willing to help. The lady who sells us vegetables offered to find us all the vegetables we need for Mahadaga and Nindangou, and other vendors have offered to have items not in stock available for us the next morning. They are also very patient as we practice using French! Three of us also had the opportunity to see a Moringa tree in a nearby missionary's compound. The leaves of this plant are the focus of the study we are hoping to help set up.

For lunch today, we ate at the International School of Ouagadougou, which is directly across the street from the SIM compound, and had a great selection of American and French items. For dinner we made a stir fry of vegetables sold to us from a lady who sets up shop right inside our compound.

Tomorrow we will continue to collect supplies for our trip to Mahadaga and Nindangou and make preparations.

-Jackie V.