West Africa is "ground zero" for climate change impacts, said senior UN official Jan Egeland when he visited the region in 2008. Residents of the Arctic might object to that statement, but their numbers are fewer and their countries wealthier (and therefore more adaptible) than is the case in West Africa. Out of the 16 countries that make up West Africa, only Ghana, Nigeria, and Cape Verde are ranked as "middle developed" (http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/).
The region that I'm in now is called the Sahel; it's a dry, scrubby band of land separating West Africa's tropical coast from the Sahara desert. Life for people here is precarious at the best of times: Burkina Faso, Mali, Senegal, and Niger are Sahelian countries and all are at the bottom of the UN's Human Development Index. Their economies are largely agricultural and farmers depend on seasonal rains for survival. These rains usually come at the end of May.
I've been talking with locals about changes in the climate and they report pretty much what you'd expect: rains are coming later, cold weather is coming later, more soil is drying up and being swept away, and accordingly the Sahara is growing every year. When things are too dry, the land can't absorb the rains when they do finally come. In 2008, the rains came so late and the ground was so dry that Burkina Faso suffered from massive flooding. Deforestation is rampant, mostly to make room for cash crops and, to a lesser extent, for use as cooking fuel. Conflict also plays a part in deforestation, as refugees have no alternatives to cutting down trees for fuel. There is good news. Niger is actually greening thanks to an innovative policy that teaches farmers how to return to more sustainable traditional agricultural methods and rewards them for planting trees (Lonely Planet: West Africa, 2009).
In the opinion of the best informed Burkinabe on the issue that I have met, Burkina Faso should get out of cotton production because the global cotton market will never be fair as long as the US continues to subsidize its cotton farmers. Instead, Burkina should invest heavily in solar- and wind-power technology and learn how to provide surplus power to overseas grids. It should also focus on reforestation in an effort to check soil erosion. But Burkina Faso's president, Blaise Compaoré, would have to interested in something more than staying in power and varnishing his international image for any of these policies to take place.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Nasara Bonjour!! And a note on my posting strategy
I've arrived in Yako, Burkina Faso, where the temperature at 9am was a cool 27 degrees Celsius.
First thing's first: I've bought a cell phone and you can reach me at 011 226 7500 2125 if you feel like buying a calling card for Africa. Just please remember that I'm in the same time zone as France and try not to call in the middle of the night!
I've been here exactly one week now and there's a lot to tell. Getting here took 2 days, which was an adventure in itself, and I've barely stopped moving since my lovely host family - the Zidas - picked me up at Ouagadougou International Airport. Well, it feels like I've not stopped moving but the truth is I've probably spent a third of my time prone in bed. I'm healthy, don't worry! I spent one day catching up on sleep after my white night in Charles de Gaulle and another day getting used to the food.
In the last 6 days I've been to Mama Zida's village, attended several funerals, worked at the orphanage, relearned how to survive the midday heat, had some clothes tailored, reunited with my host family from 6 years ago (the Sawadogos), eaten tô (blech), drank dolo (also not great), and eaten more meat than in the last 6 years together. I've also had some interesting, though brief conversations about climate change impacts in the region. I think they deserve a separate blog posting, so I'll ask some more questions, do some more research, and get back to you on that.
As for the title of this post, "nasara" means white person in Mooré, the local language. When I was last here I walked everywhere and strings of children would run behind me calling out "Nasara bonjour!" "Nasara ça va?!" and "Nasara je veux le un franc/bidon/bonbon." This time Mama Zida is driving me everywhere so the calls are muted, but, like energy from the sun, they will never run out.
I've been writing blog posts pretty much every day and saving them with this app I downloaded, but naturally my first chance to access the internet I go and forget my iPod. My plan is to write posts pretty much every day and save them, then post them all every time I can access the internet. Hopefully that will be once a week. So be prepared for two weeks' worth of posts coming in next week!
First thing's first: I've bought a cell phone and you can reach me at 011 226 7500 2125 if you feel like buying a calling card for Africa. Just please remember that I'm in the same time zone as France and try not to call in the middle of the night!
I've been here exactly one week now and there's a lot to tell. Getting here took 2 days, which was an adventure in itself, and I've barely stopped moving since my lovely host family - the Zidas - picked me up at Ouagadougou International Airport. Well, it feels like I've not stopped moving but the truth is I've probably spent a third of my time prone in bed. I'm healthy, don't worry! I spent one day catching up on sleep after my white night in Charles de Gaulle and another day getting used to the food.
In the last 6 days I've been to Mama Zida's village, attended several funerals, worked at the orphanage, relearned how to survive the midday heat, had some clothes tailored, reunited with my host family from 6 years ago (the Sawadogos), eaten tô (blech), drank dolo (also not great), and eaten more meat than in the last 6 years together. I've also had some interesting, though brief conversations about climate change impacts in the region. I think they deserve a separate blog posting, so I'll ask some more questions, do some more research, and get back to you on that.
As for the title of this post, "nasara" means white person in Mooré, the local language. When I was last here I walked everywhere and strings of children would run behind me calling out "Nasara bonjour!" "Nasara ça va?!" and "Nasara je veux le un franc/bidon/bonbon." This time Mama Zida is driving me everywhere so the calls are muted, but, like energy from the sun, they will never run out.
I've been writing blog posts pretty much every day and saving them with this app I downloaded, but naturally my first chance to access the internet I go and forget my iPod. My plan is to write posts pretty much every day and save them, then post them all every time I can access the internet. Hopefully that will be once a week. So be prepared for two weeks' worth of posts coming in next week!
Monday, January 11, 2010
Oh my God I Leave Tomorrow!
At least I've finished packing. I am bringing enough gifts to weigh down the entire plane. I've got chocolate, cookies, scotch, clothing, and toys and stickers for all! The only thing I'm missing is my orthotics. My foot doctor didn't finish tuning them up in time, so I'm going to be without them for the first portion of my trip. To his credit, he's promised to courier them to me in Burkina Faso. I'll let you know how that goes.
On another note, thank you to all of you who were in town and came to my going away party last night or have seen me some other time, or called or e-mailed to wish me bon voyage. I am so touched by all of your well-wishes and I love being surrounded by you all (or your voices) just before leaving.
On another note, thank you to all of you who were in town and came to my going away party last night or have seen me some other time, or called or e-mailed to wish me bon voyage. I am so touched by all of your well-wishes and I love being surrounded by you all (or your voices) just before leaving.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Lions and Tigers and Mom
So my mom became the fifth follower of my blog last night (yay!), and you may have noticed that I've changed my picture today. Basically, she didn't like the picture that had been posted before - "you should find something that shows how pretty and smart you are, Erica." Her maternal instincts kept her from telling me her opinion that the other photo made me look like a cretin no man could ever love. Perhaps because she knew I wouldn't care...
But a dutiful daughter tries to please her mother, so I looked through my photos to find one that would make me appear both beautiful and intelligent. I failed. So instead I posted photo that captures everything I wish the men of Africa to understand before they propose marriage.* I am to be feared and revered. I am powerful, beautiful, and I could eat them for breakfast.
*Sorry if this sounds like a broad stereotype, but it's really not. Last time I was in Africa I got proposed to every day. Literally every day. One day 4 different men proposed and only one of them knew my name.
But a dutiful daughter tries to please her mother, so I looked through my photos to find one that would make me appear both beautiful and intelligent. I failed. So instead I posted photo that captures everything I wish the men of Africa to understand before they propose marriage.* I am to be feared and revered. I am powerful, beautiful, and I could eat them for breakfast.
*Sorry if this sounds like a broad stereotype, but it's really not. Last time I was in Africa I got proposed to every day. Literally every day. One day 4 different men proposed and only one of them knew my name.
Friday, January 1, 2010
Vaccines and Sunscreen
Warning: If you are squeamish about bodily functions, or think that they should not be discussed publicly, then this blog posting is not for you and you have obviously never travelled to Africa
The last time I was in West Africa, my biggest problem was keeping my weight at a healthy level. I shed the pounds when I got malaria, but they stayed off because of Montezuma's Revenge (aka traveller's diarrhea).
This time I've gotten all the required vaccines, and I've gone the extra mile with Dukoral. It's an anti-cholera vaccine that supposedly does wonders against traveller's diarrhea as well. My parents used it when they travelled in Vietnam and Cambodia and they seem to be fine. The real test will be when I succumb to my addiction to frozen bissap bags, as I inevitably will. Frozen bissap bags, for those who don't know, are the most delicious concoctions ever to tempt white travellers with weak digestive systems. They're made by boiling hibiscus (bissap) flowers and pouring huge amounts of sugar into the resulting syrup. Dilute it with a little water and you get juice. This juice is then bagged and frozen. When it's 45 degrees outside, there is nothing better than those bags of frozen bissap juice... but they're not exactly pasteurized.
And then there's malaria. I was on the best antimalarials when I got it, so this time I've opted for a cheaper brand - Doxy - that will probably do a better job. Unfortunately, one of its side effects is increased sensitivity to sunshine. I'm already about as sensitive to sunlight as you can get without being albino. The guy at the drugstore gave me a weird look when I walked up to the cash register with the store's remaining stock of SPF 60. I'm just disappointed they didn't have anything stronger.
12 days to go before take off!
The last time I was in West Africa, my biggest problem was keeping my weight at a healthy level. I shed the pounds when I got malaria, but they stayed off because of Montezuma's Revenge (aka traveller's diarrhea).
This time I've gotten all the required vaccines, and I've gone the extra mile with Dukoral. It's an anti-cholera vaccine that supposedly does wonders against traveller's diarrhea as well. My parents used it when they travelled in Vietnam and Cambodia and they seem to be fine. The real test will be when I succumb to my addiction to frozen bissap bags, as I inevitably will. Frozen bissap bags, for those who don't know, are the most delicious concoctions ever to tempt white travellers with weak digestive systems. They're made by boiling hibiscus (bissap) flowers and pouring huge amounts of sugar into the resulting syrup. Dilute it with a little water and you get juice. This juice is then bagged and frozen. When it's 45 degrees outside, there is nothing better than those bags of frozen bissap juice... but they're not exactly pasteurized.
And then there's malaria. I was on the best antimalarials when I got it, so this time I've opted for a cheaper brand - Doxy - that will probably do a better job. Unfortunately, one of its side effects is increased sensitivity to sunshine. I'm already about as sensitive to sunlight as you can get without being albino. The guy at the drugstore gave me a weird look when I walked up to the cash register with the store's remaining stock of SPF 60. I'm just disappointed they didn't have anything stronger.
12 days to go before take off!
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