Running with Bats

While staying in Ouaga I've started running again.  I stopped in Ouahigouya because there's a pack of dogs in my neighborhood that are quite scary and give chase.  In fact when I leave Burkina I will take many memories with me as well as an intense fear of strange dogs.

Luckily I have found new motivation to run ... large fruit bats.  The bats are located in Bangr-Weoogo Park.  The first morning I went running this week I noticed huge dragonflies flying above my head, then my eyes latched onto dozens of bats.  I was really out of shape on that run and barely had enough energy to focus on running.  The second morning though I tracked down the nesting trees of the bats.  There must be thousands of them in the park.  Walking under the trees one is assaulted by intense quantity of noise and the water dropping on your head may not be water.  The third morning I went running and my camera came along for the ride.

flying around

hanging in the trees

more flying

the bats' tree homes

a bat wing with my foot for size comparison

Computers

I've been in Ouaga for the past week organizing lesson plans, scanning my own lessons onto the computer and writing-up reports for Peace Corps.  Part of my coming to Ouaga was to take a break after the end of the school year.

Last year a super awesome small enterprise development (SED) volunteer, named Casey, started a project to order computers from the US.  He did an incredible amount of work which ultimately let to the arrival of 150 affordable computers from the Seattle company InterConnection in the middle of May. (Computers are expensive here because of customs fees etc.)  Before ordering the computers we collected money from organizations and teachers who wanted to buy a computer, some for the first time.  In Ouahigouya we ended up ordering 21 desktop computers and 14 laptops for my school, teachers and administration.  It was a lot of work, but Peace Corps helped transport the computers to Ouahigouya.  Unfortunately the monitors are still in Ouaga for the moment.  

Casey and all the computers at the Peace Corps office

Computers ordered by Yamwaya and area teachers

The proviseur (principal) of Yamwaya, me, and the intendant (our money guy).