Hello,
here again a few observations exotic (at least I hope) on Burkina Faso, this time in bulk. Good
arrival
Here we do not say "welcome", it says "good arrival. However, we told all the time: when someone gets off the plane, arrived at home, returns from work (or at work to greet a colleague who happens). The hospitality is truly one of the main features of Burkina Faso.
Chinoiserie
Thus we call here the Chinese objects at great prices (but often poor quality) that are flooding the market and kill the local economy, textile synthetic gradually replacing the cotton produced locally in the motorcycle ... and daughters of joy direct from the Middle Kingdom that are tough competition to their African counterparts (read in the local newspaper, I have not tested!).
Justice
An anecdote to illustrate the functioning of the police and local justice: a few years or months raged around Ouagadougou bandits (bandits who stop vehicles for ransom occupants). One day, they make the mistake without knowing it, to stop and rob a minister, who returned to the village. A few months later, there was no road cutter in the country: all were hunted down and slaughtered without warning and without making a prisoner by police. This kind of "cleansing" of course has been marred by some flaws, like the bus driver shot without warning because he had the misfortune to take a ride, unknowingly, by highway robbers who tried to flee incognito ...
Malaria
It really is part of everyday life here. I the impression that everyone has caught at least once in their life. In three weeks, I met three current patients and was told of other cases. Since yesterday, my current host Thomas is suffering from the illness: muscle aches, joint pain, high fever, vomiting, headaches and occasional tiredness. Fortunately malaria is treatable now, and it is no longer a matter of a few days ... when it is done on time and we have the means to seek treatment: two weeks ago the son of a neighbor Mahamadi, aged 7, died of malaria.
Religion
In Ouaga people are either Muslim (approximately 60% of them from my personal estimates) or Christians (40%). It does not seem to be animist, while they are still 25% in the rest of the country (50% Muslim and 25% Christian). Coexistence between different religions seems to happen without problem (anyway, I remind you that "there is no problem!"). Christians do not complain about the calls to prayer muezzin of day and night, and Muslims say nothing against proselytizing by Christians, many of whom wear shirts with messages telling the glory of Jesus :-) Most Christians are Catholic, even if are some evangelical Protestant communities (including public demonstrations at the American way are the Burkinabe ...), smile and are very observant. I attended out of curiosity to two masses: the churches are crowded, and choirs, who perform similar singing gospel, to excellent (a treat for the ears!). Muslims are predominantly Shiite, and I think relatively few practitioners, many seem not to respond to the calls of the muezzin (but I've seen everywhere Muslims put their mats to pray and squat), I know who drink alcohol or eat pork, and bear little beard. There is a Sunni minority, apparently more radical: the few women that crosses burqa or niqab are Sunnis.
Informal Sector
are grouped under this term all sellers casual, ambulatory or not. Revenues evade taxes, which creates a big shortfall for the state. Nevertheless, they are so many (of) live this way they are part of the landscape, unlike France and people are buying very happy with those vendors of T-shirts, phone cards, peanuts, CDs, games scratch, fruit, newspapers, ... Others offer menu services for a nominal fee: I well done polishing my shoes for 50 CFA francs, or 7.5 cents!
In my next post, I will give some details about the education system in Burkina Faso. See you soon!
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