We arrived back at home in the Netherlands this morning. A few moments to get acquainted again with the flat where we live. Yesterday we were in very hot and humid weather in Ouagadougou, today it is not so hot but also humid in the Netherlands.
The last week of this trip we made 2 trips to the country side, one to the LAP and the second one to the villages of Nefrelaye and Sokourani.
Climate changes?
Rainy season in Burkina is normally between June and October. Farmers sow between June and mid-July and harvest in October / November. In the past years, there are some shifts. Earlier rains, followed by some dry periods, followed by some rain. Or the farmer sows at the first rain and if the dry period is too long he might have to sow again, or he waits for the rain after the dry period and then the sowing might be too late for the plant to develop completely within the rain period left. Not easy to choose.
During this trip we also had over a week without rain in the middle of July. All over the country the farmers where getting very anxious. To get the rain, a lot of prayers where done at the mosques or the churches and also a lot of sacrifices were made (animist).
The rains can also be very local. Some fields have enough water when 50km further on there is a lack of it.
Field in Nefrelaye which has received enough water
One of the corn fields in the farm of Sokourani of the agricultural social business. Needs water!!!
Older people are saying that the rains were much more regular in the past. Always starting at about the same time, not such heavy rains as it happens today and not such long periods between rains during the season. Who knows!!!
Gardening
In the village of Nefrelaye we are busy implementing a gardening project. A fence was placed around a piece of land of 1.2 Ha, 2 water basins have been built and a water well was drilled (140m deep) to get water. A pump will be installed in the well powered by solar panels in order to fill the basins.
This land will be cultivated by the villagers, members of the gardening association, who will each have a plot of 90 m2. They will use it to grow vegetables during the dry seasons.
The blue pipe is the head of the water well. Further away you can see the 2 basins being built.
One side of the fence
Since the implementation is not completely ready yet, the protected area will be worked by the women association which will grow sesame in it.
A very unhappy child during the discussion we had with some of the villagers.
The women in this village already had a gardening area. The mash wire was damaged and the water well (traditional well of about 12m deep) which they had did not have water during a large part of the dry season. Thanks to A Petits Pas, we have re-fenced their garden and the women will cultivate rice during the rainy season (it has been sowed) and we will provide them with 750 moringa trees which they will plant in this garden. I have already talked about this tree. For people who wish to have more info go to www.miracletrees.org.
Some strange creatures
In one of the villages we saw this strange animal. It had fallen from a tree into a trash can. It is called locally a « gueule tapée » (flattened mouth). Locals are protecting this animal, even if they are very scared of it.
This caterpillar is feeding on karité leaves (left).
It is a local delicacy. The villagers wait until they fall down on the ground (then they are fat enough) to pick them up. They are then boiled for conservation. They are mainly eaten fried. I never tried them.
The birds are back
Some ducklings along a water spot.
Is he flying?
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Am I pretty?
A local butcher just killed a goat. Anybody wants a piece?
Proverb:
Même le poisson qui vit dans l’eau a toujours soif » (Cameroun)
Even the fish that lives in the water is always thirsty « (Cameroon)
Même la poule noire pond des œufs blancs! « (Proverbe Ivoirien)
Even the black hen lays white eggs! « (Ivory Coast)
This is the last of the blog for this trip.
Until September.
Hervé