GoGlobal trip to Burkina Faso

Peter Staley, Burkina Faso GoGlobal trip, June 2009

Ten of us from the UK met in Paris early on a Tuesday morning in June on our way to Burkina Faso. The weather was quite warm as we left Paris but landing late afternoon in 35 degrees in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, helped us understand what ‘warm’ meant in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Our job was to teach English in our school in Bobo Dioulasso and help finish a security wall along with painting three class rooms, preparing them for the new Autumn term due to start in September.

As it was exceptionally hot we worked for four hours per day and were grateful to return to our air conditioned rooms at the end of each two hour stint.

It was an amazing trip, the first International Needs GoGlobal visit we had undertaken to the area. The team appreciated all the generous hospitality that was given us during our twelve day visit, the highlight of which was the three hour long Sunday morning church service that was incredibly inspiring and went by all too quickly. One of the group commented, “The moment I walked into the church I just knew God was there, I have never experienced anything like it in the UK.”

Seven of the group hailed from Liverpool, two from Bolton and one from South London. The banter flowed freely, the wit was sharp and the laughter was all around as we chatted with the hotel staff, bartered with the local tradesmen and tried to make ourselves understood by the local workers on site.

The sheer joy of serving the local people was never more evident when we gave away so many gifts to men, women and children in the community. Air France allowed each of us to take two suitcases of 23kgs so we packed into those cases toys, sweets, clothes and tools including a ladder! Giving them away to people who had nothing was both a delight yet humbling experience. A huge thank you to all those who contributed in any way to supplying those gifts.

The Church service was very moving, all the different choirs sang and Jean Kone, our partner in Burkina, preached. People were healed, including a member of our own party who had had a troublesome knee for over eighteen months. It had baffled the doctors here in the UK but now she is completely better.

The group also visited Madame Alert who has single-handedly and sacrificially build one of only two medical centres in Bobo. She is an incredible lady who has devoted the last 14 years of her life to the health of the people in her area of Bobo. This visit again confirmed in my own heart that International Needs UK will do all it can to help our partners in Burkina Faso build a medical Centre in Bobo Dioulasso.

Towards the end of our time the much needed rains began to fall and the temperature cooled to a more pleasant 30 degrees. The swimming pool at the Hotel was very inviting, however those of us who didn’t swim remained well while those who took the plunge sadly ended up being unwell.

The people of Burkina are very friendly, honest and hard working. There is very little in the way of natural resources so people migrate to the cities. The cities are filling up fast and the unemployment is very high, 77% (2004 fig) according to the CIA fact-book. Bobo itself is growing fast with an estimated 1.3million people living in the city. There is just one hospital and two medical centres (cottage Hospitals) run for the poor people by NGOs and one government run Medical Centre. We exist to make a world of difference in places like Bobo Dioulasso and are committed to bring the best education and quality health care to the people of that area.

Our thanks to Izzy, the sole lady from Liverpool who kept us all in order, the Liverpool Lads - Phil, John, James, Steve and Brian, also Tony from South Croydon and two teachers from Bolton, Eileen and Julie. Your hard work achieved so much, your lives demonstrated a commitment to the people of Bobo and your hearts just got bigger and bigger. We learnt from each other, we leant from Burkina bees as we shared good times together.

For more information about our next GoGlobal trip to Burkina please telephone Estelle on 020 8688 3939.