VOMAYAGE: 01.2009

1.30.2009

Environmental Education

Since January 19, I teach 4 classes about environment at a private college EvéliqueⅡ (junior high and high school level).

Once a week on Tuesday 7:00 (too early for me...)-9：00 and 10：00-11：00. Wednesday 10：00-11：00.

There are 60 students in one class "at least".

In the photos class, there are 88...!!!

Honestly it is impossible to control the class. (see ? how small I look in the class !)

One class is for 55mins but can you imagine how long it takes to calm kids down...

But at the same time, many of them are so active and want to answer to my questions with saying " Madame, moi (me) ! Madame, moi !!!" The atmosphere is very different from that in Japan where many kids don't react, say nothing until the teacher ask one of them to answer.

Their age in the same class varies about 11-15 years old.

That is because (I imagine) in Burkina, kids have to pass an exam to go on to the next grade from the primary school.

That day's subject was "Deforestation and forest(tree) protection".

Q1. Why there is less forests (trees)?

Q2. Why we cut trees, how we use these trees in daily life ?

If there is feu or no more trees, how it will be our life ?

Q3. So what should we do ?

At each class, I take some time to let them work on group and present their answers.

My purpose is to let them think spontaneously about different environmental problems and take action eventually.

During group work (discussion)

Some examples:

Q1's answers ;

- we cut lots of trees but we don't plant new ones,

- (especially domestic) animals walk around freely and eat up plants and trees (leaves),

-put fire on the grass to get more fields and hunt wild animals or because people believe that burn grass help to get more fertile soil.

Q2's answers ;

- firewood, charcoal,

- tables, chairs, furniture, cooking tools,

- paper, notebooks, kleenex, pencils,

- to build houses,

- a tool to throw rocks in order to hunt birds (kids do often)

I use these drawings to visualize their answers instead of writing down words.

Q3's answers ;

- do not cut too many trees,

- plant trees and take care of them,

- suggest their mother to use "improved oven" which consumes less firewood,

- do not waste paper, notebooks,

- use carefully tables, chairs,

- Control domestic animals etc.

Other (future) subjects are sanitation (washing hands, using toilets), waste (garbage), energy, water, pollution etc...

The challenges are not only to organise a active&interesting class content but also to control the whole class and to participate maximum number of students in the class.

Besides, I hope that the school teachers take these environmental issues in their class and I do that in hours when there is no other class by myself.

I am thinking how to do this...

1.22.2009

Compost vol.2

On January 12, the second compost workshop started with an association which is based in a district where one of last workshop participants lives. The association members had asked me to organise it.

I learned a lesson from the last workshop.

In Burkina, when you participate in a workshop or conference which lasts whole day or a couple of days, you can learn new things and also "receive" some money for their participation, instead of paying the fee.

It can never happen in Japan and no one expect it !

HoweverAt the last meeting of my workshop where each meeting lasted only for 2-3 hours, I gave only some vegetable seeds to the women to appreciate their great work and active participation.

At that time I felt only something different from other meetings. The women seemed tired or unmotivated.

A couple of days later, I went to one of the participants house to give her a papaya tree. She wanted to grow it with compost and show its effect to her neighbours.

Then she told me that many of the participants were disappointed because I didn't give them any money.

I was shocked. because I believed that they were very motivated to make compost. But it ended with the question of money...

But 2 of 10 promissed me to teach composting to another member of her association or her neighbours who are interested in it. So I told myself that there was at least a tiny positive outcome.

Yes, so the lesson learned from the last workshop :

Explain my intention and objective of compost workshop before starting it

1.　They can learn how to make compost with home wastes,

2.　No participation money will be offered, and

3.　They prepare all needed materials. (with the 1st training, I learned that it was possible for women to find all materials by themselves)

A bit after 8a.m., (almost on time !) all participants came then I explained these 3 points.

Then the secretary of the association who speaks French said :

"No, no we really want to learn composting. We are all farmers but the soil is so poor that there aren't many crops every year. Gathering many crops by using compost means like making money. So we don't expect any money from you !"

The association president sitting next to me told me also in dioula :

"fields yield many crops means we get food. Food is money !"

My dioula is not so great but I think she repeated something like this.

I was very happy to hear these and assured then we started the workshop with 120% motivation!

The woman who participated at the last workshop helped me by answering directly to the questions from other participants in dioula or in morré (the 1st national language) with confidence and starting the compost base (soil) preparation.

She (in the bottom photo) is already a compost master and played very well the role of instructor (assistant) that I wished.

When we finished the workshop, the association's secretary came toward me then...

"Here, this is our contribution."

She said so and gave me a bill of 1000fcfa !

I was too surprised to say anything for a couple of seconds. 1000fcfa= 200yen = 1.5euro = 2.5 USD. But for them, it is something ! They could buy many vegetables for their kids with it ! Even for me to live here, it is something. (for lunch, one full plate of riz gras is 200-300fcfa)

Besides, at the beginning of the workshop I told them absolutely the opposite thing !

Of course, I refused to accept it because

this is my job :

as a volunteer, I can't support them financially but at least I can offer them some knowledge or techniques that I have.

Well, that is the only thing I can do really...

But they refused also to receive the money again with saying :

"you came to teach us the composting till here far from your home (30mins by bike). Buy something to eat on the way back."

I tried to give back the money for about 5min but it was impossible. I felt also it might be rude to refuse too much.

Therefore we or I decided to buy vegetable seeds before the rainy season if they succeed the composting.

Anyway, I was so touched by their spirit or attitude.

At the same time, I felt very embarrassed and ashamed of my words at the beginning...

I might hurt their dignity and kindness (warm heart)...

I learned another thing.

On 26th, it's the 2nd meeting. This time, I will attend to it with an university student who does research on utility of urban wastes for (peri) urban agriculture and its impact to the soil. He will give comments about our methods from the point of view of technical expert.

Eventually I hope to analyse the compost quality with him.

Viva compost !

1.07.2009

New Year Trip

Just After a couple of hours of sleep on Jan 1st, I headed to southern part of Burkina (touristy area) with some friends.

@Banfora :80km from Bobo

Dômes

There used to be water until the top of these rocks...

2009, 1st sunset

At night, we had japanese new year dinner (Azoni : soy sauce based soupe with mochi and veggies and salmon sushi) at a volunteer's house in Banfora☆

Hippo lake

Hippos show up only early morning usually so we went there at 6 on 2nd.

But we didn't have luck. They weren't there...

However, a beautiful sunrise welcomed us.

Cascades(waterfall)

The water was very cool and refreshed us!

Niansogoni : A village, about 80 km from Banfora, 8km from Mali border.

We stayed one night at this village.

with village kids

There were many baobab trees on the cliff

An abandoned village (houses and about 40 years ago because of hard life style. It is preserved well just because they are located under the cliff and avoid rain and too strong sun.