Going Back to Burkina!

It’s been exactly 18 months now since I left the village of Niankorodougou and Burkina Faso. I’ve missed everything and everyone there but have been happy to know what amazing things have happened in my absence. Adelaide has kept me up to date about all of the goings on of the library and the community. And now I will get to see it again for myself! I will be taking my vacation time from work to go back and visit Burkina from June 3rd to the 14th. With all of the travel time I won’t have much time to spend in my actual village but I’m thrilled to see everyone even if just for one day.

I will be taking lots of pictures and can’t wait to share my stories with you when I come back.

The library was made possible by generous donations from individuals and corporations and has kept the library continuing today. Please visit the “How You Can Help” page and ensure that the library will be a success for years to come.

Good Times Continue at the Niankorodougou Library

It has been awhile since Adelaide or I have posted an update about all of the great things happening at the library. And I am happy to tell you all that things are great! I don’t have any pictures to share with you at the moment, but I just got news from Adelaide.

Last month the private school in Niankorodougou used the library for reports on African authors. Since the library opened in June of 2008, the library committee has worked to encourage students that reading is a great way to build on the education they receive in school. The library has hosted reading competitions for different classes and Moussa (our librarian) has visited the schools on numerous occasions to promote its value to the community. I was so excited to hear from Adelaide that the school is now incorporating the library into its curriculum through graded projects like the African author report. Such projects can only mean more good things for the library, the school and the community.

But the good news doesn’t end there…

When I left Burkina in December of 2008 the library committee was working on building an outdoor reading “gazebo” for everyone to use as the space inside the library cannot accommodate more than 15 people comfortably. Adelaide helped to complete this project and is now working on even greater improvements to the building!

Next month the community will work to install a Map of the World wall. Students will outline a scaled map of the world and then paint it in for everyone to see. With minimal access to view maps this will be a great way for both students and community members to get a better picture of where Burkina fits in geography. On the other side of the library, the community will install chalk boards for everyone to use.

We’ll try to get you more pictures and updates later…

Fall is finally here!

After a sweltering hot summer followed by a non-existent and then potentially catastrophic rainy, it will be so nice to sit back without the need of a paper or palm leaf created fan for air-circulation. Welp, not exactly. This is still Burkina. But it does mean that all of the surrounding villages youngest and brightest are arriving to start a new school year. This is my first time witnessing that influx of people and I have to say the difference at the library is night and day.

The numbers of visitors and books checked out from the library were reflected starting in September, the month students started arriving to pick the small grasses from the schoolyards. In anticipation for the return of some familiar faces, the library received  a lot of new materials from Paris courtesy of a donation from Hallettsville Rotary Interact. 20 new books including the Harry Potter Series, woven techniques, health and hygiene books and some great alphabet flashcards/tapes await eager reading hands.

 

new books!

 

The library also received a donation from FAVL (Friends of African Village Libraries) who donated 5 copies of Kathy Knowles’s new Jula/French book.

 

Moussa welcomes new copies of Crocodile Bread to the library!

 

 

Though the donation from HRI, we were also able to rebuild our hanger. Right before rainy season, an unfortunate gust of wind not only managed to topple our hanger over but left some nasty metal parts strewn across the dirt roads close to the library. After much discussion, we have built a metal roof with larger columns that the mason has assured me will stand the test of “many, many rainy seasons.” The new hanger really is a sight.

 

Early arrivals for children's story hour!

 

The construction lasted less than a week which is a huge reflection of how motivated the community was to rebuild the structure.With so many faces commenting on the pretty hanger, it seems like a good time to add more programming.

The month of November will kick off with reading competitions with Nianko’s 6 eme public and private CEG classes (US jh equivalent). Moussa just last week presented the importance of the library to each of the participating classes emphasizing hours of operation and that library cards are not necessary to compete (the library is free to all!).

 

Moussa speaks with the 6eme class at Nianko's private school

 

Top readers will receive notebooks, pencils, and rulers. Stay tuned for those results as well as how our new programming comes along!