PST & More!

Okay, so we readily admit that finding the time to blog has proved to be much more difficult than we originally planned. How to catch you all up on two plus weeks?!

Last we reported, we were eating mangoes and it was hot. Since then, we continue to eat mangoes, and yes... it is hot! PST, or Pre-service training, however, is much more than that.

As many of you already know, Tyler and I live with seperate host families. Tyler lives in the city of Ouahigouya where our main training center is located. I live in a small village called Bogoya F - about 7 km from the city (about a 35-40 min bike ride one way). I live with a very nice family called the Kindos. My host-father, Oussman, has already re-named me with the Mooré name Zallisa. Whenever I sleep outside to escape the insulated heat of my house, Oussman is sleeping close by to make sure I feel safe. My host-mother Salimata, takes good care to make sure I am fed, have a clean hangar (i.e. porch), have hot water for my morning bucket baths, and anything else to make me comfortable. My host sister Mariam is always smiling and laughing with me when I try to make her little boy Issouf smile. She is so bright and has a way of making me feel quite welcomed (as do they all). And then there is Adama, my 17-yr old host-brother. He is my cultural guide, French & Mooré teacher, my meal buddy, and friend. I do not know what I would do without him!

When I am not with my family in village, playing Mancala or frisbee with the neighborhood kids, or watching the Burkina Faso vs Coté d`Ivoire fùtbol match on one of the only TVs in the village, then it is all about PST. As a GEE (Girl's empowerement and education) trainee, I switch off between three different villages and the city for language and technical training. French is going better than expected, but I am still far from where I need to be before training ends (I will be required to have an intermediate low comprehension to be sworn in as a volunteer in August). Technical training is diverse and includes topics such as the Burkinabé education system, social issues concerning Burkinabé women and girls, how to start and maintain girl's clubs, and more.

Training with solely GEE trainees occurs about 4 days a week in our villages. For 2 days a week, myself and the other GEE gang join the SE (Secondary Education) trainees, including Tyler, in the city for group training on topics of health, security, culture, and other relevant subjects to help us navigate Burkinabé society. PST is very very helpful, but intense and often times exaughsting. Sundays we have the day off and are able to spend our time as we choose. When I go to the city for group training, I am able to stay with Tyler and his family (who are amazing - though I'll let him tell you about them).

Well, there are a zillion other things I could say, but my lunch break is over and I need to head back to PST. We miss you all tremendoulsy and hope to write more soon!

- Jessi