In the morning, as I sit at the table outside my room drinking my coffee and enjoying my still warm bread, I reflect on the fact that I’ve gotten better at separating out the different sounds of the morning here. When I first arrived, it was just the sounds of the morning but now I hear the birds, the goats, a pig, and rooster. I can hear the market setup for daily commerce and the gradual sound of more and more motor bikes ….and another day unfolding in Yako.
Today is sombre day within the SEMUS compound, as a result of Richard’s passing and it seems a little sombre outside the courtyard as well. As I walk through the winding roads, as I’ve come accustom to, everyone here says “Bonjour Ca va?” or “yibeogo ki beri”. It reminds me of the way you used to think of your home town, before the white vans parked near school yards, before razor blades in Halloween apples, Son of Sam and clifford olson. It’s a time before you begin to realize that your mother’s paranoia actually has some merit. It reminds me of an old Wayne Rostad song “Smile at a stranger, go visit a neighbour…take the old Wakefield train” but there is no sound like the Wakefield train whistle here so you’ll have to settle for a bleating lamb straddled across the gas tank of a 125cc motorbike as it’s whisked off to the market.
There’s a delegation in from EMMAUS (France) visiting and auditing the progress SEMUS is making with their generous support. The 3 hour meeting is a command performance for all and somewhere in the middle, I’m asked to share, with the French delegation, who I am and what I have been working on. I begin with what I hope is a well rehearsed line “Merci M le President, il sera évident, dans quelques minutes, que ma langue première n'est pas le français, mais je vais essayer”. The French delegation laughed a little and encouraged me to continue. So I shared my mandate with them and they suggested that they were very interested in the outcome. It will allow SEMUS to categorize their expenses and support the creation of more accurate budgets and forecasts.
In the afternoon (for me) I get good news from Canada that Uniterra has created a site for me to accept donations to support SEMUS. I have elected to direct the funds raised towards the maintenance of the motorcycle fleet they have. This fleet is used by “animatuers” (agents) to visit outlying villages in almost all the programs managed by SEMUS(agriculture, gender equality, nutrition, health and orphans).
I catch myself thinking, “Things are pretty good here” but I know this perspective is formed, in part, by me becoming accustomed to the reality of Yako and Burkina Faso. For the most part, everything is just the way it was before I got here….except for one thing….me. Remember I’m sitting in the 3rd poorest country in the world. When I reflect on this, I begin to wonder …”3rd poorest country… measured by who?” and “What are we measuring anyway?” I’ll admit at home, these questions would likely be a 10 second reflection followed by “I wonder what’s on TV or for supper?”. I also have to wrestle with the fact that I have arrived at a particular moment in time. From what I have gathered, last year was a fairly good growing season, so the bounty is considered adequate. “A moment in time” is a pivotal aspect in my new perspective on the 3rd world and our efforts to eradicate poverty. In my assessment, of course influenced by a personal philosophy shared by Bev and I, it’s all about putting a little away in case you need it. About having a safety net for more challenging times, about being able to make choices from opportunity and not sacrificing priorities through concession and crisis. As I said, there’s no famine here in Yako right now but it’s clear to me that if one were to arrive, things would slip quite dramatically. There is a fairly thin net here in Burkina Faso and should the challenges of life mount….the net will surely fail. To create a safety net you need a solid footing to attach it to. They just need a foothold on success. Organizations like SEMUS are taking a run at establishing this foothold. We just need to elevate a little more so that the safety net is in place to sustain momentum when the famine, war extremism arrives. Now is the time to help Burkina Faso achieve a foothold on success. This afternoon, I’m thinking of story I once heard.
A man once asked God about heaven and hell.
"I will show you hell," God said, and took the man into a room. A large banquet table in the center was laden with every conceivable delicacy. The sight and smell of the foods were intoxicating. Around the table sat miserable, famished, and desperate people. Each was holding a spoon with a long handle. The spoons were strapped to their arms both above and below the elbow, so that they could not bend their elbows and bring the spoons to their mouths. As a result, they were starving.
"Now I will show you heaven," God said, and the man found himself in an identical room with an identical banquet table laden with a magnificent array of foods. Around this table were arrayed people equipped with long-handled spoons strapped both above and below the elbow. Yet these people were happy, smiling, and well nourished.
"Same table, same food, same spoons. Why are things different here?" asked the man.
"Ah, but there is one important difference," God said in response. "Here, in heaven the people feed one another."
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