It’s been a long time coming, but here is my first post from Burkina Faso. As you may have deduced from my delayed start to this blog, internet is something to be desired when traveling around Burkina, as I have been doing for the past 2 weeks. From team leader training to visiting my Host-Family for the next 6 months, to greeting and training the volunteers, I have been here and there, and I am now finally settled in the wonderful village of Guiloungou, Ziniare, Burkina Faso. So, first impressions: it’s hot, its dusty, it’s windy. But it is so much more. Originally called Haute Volta, Burkina Faso was renamed thus in 1984. Its translation is ‘Land of the Upright People.’ And from my first impression it’s not hard to see why. Everybody is incredibly welcoming; you can, nay, you must say Good Morning – excuse me – Ni Wineega, to everybody you meet/pass in the street/pass on your bike. Included in this (when on foot) is a shaking of the hands. If you think Britain is the land of handshake – well I’m sorry my dear, you are utterly wrong! Burkina is the true land of the handshake. What continues after Ni Wineega, is a series of questions, about how you are, how is your family, how is your mother, how are you siblings, how is your working going. Let me translate … ME: Ni Wineega RANDOM CHAP I’M PASSING ON THE STREET: Wininj Kibare M: Laafee, Laafo RCIP: Laafee, Za Ka Ramba M: Laafee RCIP: Toum Kibare M: Laafee RCIP: La Fo Ma M: Laafee … it continues. All while shaking hands. But here, unlike Britain you are not shamed for your handshake grip, oh no. It is relaxed and friendly, like the people. No need to clench someone’s fist until one or both participants have lost the feeling in the tips of their fingers. This isn’t a Macron/Trump style showdown, although the timespan is similar. It is warm and welcoming, and always necessary. Also unlike Britain, there is never an awkward decision, shall I go for a shake, a hug, a fist bump, a kiss of the cheek, two kisses, three …. You get the idea. Here, if ever in doubt, go for a handshake. Even if you can’t shake the persons hand, you can shake their wrist, a normal practice when someone is doing the washing up. Once your greeting is over, you are on your way, until another one. No wonder everybody is always late here. That’s something I’m certainly learning to get used to. TIA – time in Africa – is not a myth my friends, it is real, it is out there, and if you live in Africa, there is no escaping it. And although this may seem disrespectful to whomever you are meant to be meeting or whatever it is you may be planning to do, in fact it is the opposite. So much value is put on the community, on the social relationships, that being late is a necessary part of being part of a community. For the sake of the project I plan to leave my house half an hour early to get to work, and I live next to the organisation! Now don’t get me started on Good Bye’s …. Bilfou.
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