Semaga Sunset

The tiny village of Semaga could be mistaken for a remote wasteland, but once the sun set it became the most beautiful place on earth.

Basket Weaving

Lately, Siaka's aunt has been teaching me how to weave baskets out of palm branch leaves. The women weave in underground rooms that they have dug out to keep the leaves cool and moist. I've had three lessons so far. One lesson was briefly interrupted be a very large green snake that accidentally slithered and feel into the pit. The women killed it and then resumed weaving.

A Quest for Palm Wine

The local drink is Palm Wine. It is made by tapping Roniers Palm trees and then letting the juice ferment. I've watched people climb up the trees in envy, so I decided my friends and I could give it a try too! It was scary.

Christmas Time

Leslie, my closest volunteer neighbor, came over to my house and hung snowflakes from the ceiling and played Christmas carols on her i-pod. It really put me in the Christmas Spirit, so I painted a Christmas tree on my wall.

Traditional Courtyard in Karfiguela

This photo shows a typical living arrangement in my village. The three small round mud structures store millet, peanuts and corn for the whole courtyard. The supply lasts the family for about a year. The square structure is the bedroom and the larger round structure is the kitchen. They spend most of their time hanging around outside.

Anniversary Party

I was flattered this December when my village told me they wanted to throw a party to celebrate the completion of my first year of service in the community. They had traditional balaphone players (balaphones are like xylophones made with dried gourds) and the women danced.

They also took turns presenting what we have accomplished and anecdotes about my first year in Karfiguela (A lot of the stories were about my infamous bat problem. When I first moved to site my house was a bat cave -- literally) to a representative of the mayor of Banfora, traditional village leaders and the village members.

I was very touched when they presented me with a wrapped gift.

It was a traditionally woven blanket. The design signifies the settling of the Karaboro ethnic group in Karfiguela. The red signifies the two hunters that first settled in the village, the blue represents the water from the cascades, and the white represents the clarity and freshness of the water.

I took my turn at the microphone to thank the village for their hard work, hospitality, and support.

We spent the rest of the day singing, dancing and eating rice. We took a dinner break and then met back up and danced until morning. It was a great party!

Pictures

Eating Mangos

Eating Corn

Fun

Tea Time at Chez Katherine

Soap Formation

Soap Formation

Kid Picking Roniers Palm Fruit High in a Tree With No Ladder

Party In Karfiguela

Pumping Water

Picking Mangos

My Neighbor