EveryDay

Letter to my mom on her 60th birthday

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 22:27:47 -0400

As I walk in through the front door, I automatically feel the warmth. It fogs up my glasses; it unfreezes my fingers and my toes. I can smell the soup or the stew or whatever is cooking in the kitchen and fogging up the windows. And here she comes – walking fast, her hands in the air, careful not to touch anything with her cooking fingers. She gives me kisses “ah des belles joues froides”, she repeats. She waits for me to take off my jacket and takeoff my boots and I follow her back to the kitchen. I’m suddenly starving. Pots are bubbling, the counter is cluttered with onions, tomatoes, carrots and cutting boards. Mmm that looks good, can I taste? As my hand is already grabbing a piece of meat, she says no that’s for the dog! The radio is on and we can hear the soothing voice of Garrison Keillor telling us a story about Lake Wobegon – where the men are good looking, the women are strong and the children are above average. This is how many evenings have started at home with my mom.

The door is always open, there is always enough food for all of our friends to stay for dinner, for the day or for the week end. Tu es une vraie maman! You’ve always gathered all of us and all of our friends together and showed us the true meaning of family and for that, we thank you!

I am not done being a daughter. I use to think you could only be a mother if you knew everything. Hold every answer. I have always been in awe at how much my mom knows and remembers. No other mom could beat her at Jeopardy. To this day I still call her about everything. How many milliliters in a cup again? Which one is the baking powder? The engine light in my car is on, what should I do? Sometimes when I lift my arm, my stomach hurts.. She has endless answers. I can’t imagine having to answer my own daughter, without having my mom on speed dial.

I know I haven’t always been the easiest daughter to live with, I was, to put it lightly, a teenager with an attitude, read: a bit of a bitch. I will always remember one of our “arguments” where you just stopped, looked at me, smiled and said “I can’t wait for you to have a daughter”. My life choices still give you minor heart attacks, but after long conversations and much convincing, you always end up supporting me no matter what, and the best part is that you continue to encourage me through it all. You’ve encouraged all 3 of us to follow our passion, our instincts and not to settle. To work hard, but to have fun! You’ve shown us that money is important of course, but being happy about what we do with our lives matters more. I know you might be kicking yourself about that one.. if only we would have loved to become doctors or lawyers! But instead, you have 2 extremely talented and creative sons and ME! You’ve embraced your daughters in law and you care for them as your own.

Now you are going to be a grand mom, which is, to put it simply, the most amazing thing ever!

We know you didn’t want us to make a big fuss over your 60^th birthday, but we wanted you to be surrounded by the people you love, by the things you love and even the food you love. We wanted to thank you and let you know that we LOVE you. Bonne Fete maman!

Engaging kids. An optimistic/simplistic point of view from a young woman trying to figure out her role as an active citizen of the world

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:55:34 -0500

There is this perpetual social commentary about youth and kids and how they are lazy and apathetic, about how we are creating an even more individualistic society as everybody is living online. There is a social panic that kids will grow up to be unhealthy, unsociable, greedy, over consuming adults who can’t spell. I’m not going to lie, I sometimes get discouraged about what I hear and see, but then again I don’t have kids or hang around them. My first real experience of interacting with children was in Burkina Faso, my neighbors and the girls on my street would come by and we would chat, sometimes they would sing or draw for me. These kids don’t have much, they go to school, they don’t always eat enough, they care for each other and they help their parents in terms of work. They play outside with anything they can find, they fight, they scream, they cry, but they are kind, happy, and fun - I fell in love with them. Last week, I had the opportunity to talk to a class of 6^th graders in Laval about my experience in Burkina Faso. The idea of talking to privileged kids about some of the realities faced by their peers in BF was a daunting one. What if they didn’t care? However, my hope that these kids would be interested and drawn in came true. I was able to raise some kind of awareness about a part of this big amazing world we live in, about cultural differences, poverty and young women’s issues. They listened and asked great questions. They left the class wide eyed and one after another came to see me, to thank me or to tell me how interesting their afternoon had been. I’m passionate about transferring passion. It is incredibly important to be moved by something in order to take action. When I asked them what they could do here to make a change towards ending poverty and injustice in the world, they shouted out a bunch of great ideas and I also got the best answer I could have asked for. A 12 year old student raised her hand and said that it was by listening to people like me, by asking questions, by continuing to learn and seeking to understand the world that one could start to make a difference. Knowledge as the basis for action.

I decided to write this post, because I read the following article this week: After Recess: change the world

There are many campaigns these days about teaching empathy to children- how to make them care and become active citizens. It might be laziness, cynicism, feeling overwhelmed, or the fear of stepping out of the constraints of comfort, but I am a firm believer that by fostering knowledge, transferring passion, encouraging curiosity and knowledge and by creating tools youth can use to affect change, they are more likely to develop into active citizens and involved adults.

EveryDay reminder.

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 10:45:32 -0500

EveryDay reminder.

Inspiration

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 14:08:00 -0500

I haven’t written in a while. I haven’t felt inspired or lived anything worth writing about. The whole point of this blog, however, was to find beauty and inspiration in the Every Day and write about it. I had to remind myself that life is made up of moments and at the end, we remember the ones that shifted us in one way or another. I had forgotten where or how to find those moments in a “regular” life -like the one I am slipping back into. Regular doesn’t imply boring, it implies comfort and in my case, rediscovering my city on the brinks of winter, reconnecting with friends and family and redefining my place and my role in this world. I’ve been seeking out inspiration by walking all over Montreal, by going to the top of Mount Royal with my brother and his dog, looking over the city and shouting “Hello Montreal, I’m back! You look pretty!” By going to see Bon Iver and The National play mesmerizing, can’t stop smiling concerts. By making soup and cookies to share. By freezing my toes with great company at a ski hill. By decorating a Christmas tree while sipping mulled wine with hilarious friends. By reconnecting with my forward thinking, change making colleagues at Apathy is Boring. By keeping in touch with my friends in Burkina- you continually inspire me. By reading articles such as this one. By watching videos such as these ones and this one. By reading, by talking, by dreaming and it turns out, by stopping, writing and sharing.

Read this week in the Montreal Mirror Dec. 8 to 14 edition – The Freewill Astrology by Rob Brezsny

“Not to dream boldly may turn out to be irresponsible,” said educator George Leonard. I certainly think that will be true for you in the coming months, Taurus. In my astrological opinion, you have a sacred duty not only to yourself, but also to the people you care about, to use your imagination more aggressively and expressively as you contemplate what might lie ahead of you. You simply cannot afford to remain safely ensconced within your comfort zone, shielded from the big ideas and tempting fantasies that have started calling and calling and calling you.

I agree.

A few of my colleagues

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 18:10:00 -0500

A few of my colleagues

Friends, neighbors, artists

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 18:06:00 -0500

Friends, neighbors, artists

Some of the girls from the groups I worked with

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 18:01:00 -0500

Some of the girls from the groups I worked with

People I met along the way

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 17:56:00 -0500

People I met along the way

Transition

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 19:47:56 -0500

Remember that feeling when you were a kid of lying in bed at night after a day at an amusement park or of playing with friends, closing your eyes and seeing and feeling that whole day unravel in your mind?

Well, that’s how I’ve been feeling since I left BF. It’s as if my body arrived home but my mind is still making its way here. I lay down, close my eyes and I have these vivid flashes of the people I met, the places I’ve been to, the things I’ve done and the feelings I had through it all. It was an intense 6 months on so many levels and I don’t think that chapter of my life will ever fully close.

Many people have been asking me if my goals, my expectations were met in Burkina. I would have to answer yes and then some, as most of the things I experienced were unexpected and made to be that much more important. Many of you have asked if I found what I was looking for and here is the thing, I didn’t go out there looking for anything specific – I went to BF with an open mind, wanting the world to show me what it was made out of, but really it showed me what I was made out of. Others have eagerly asked if the young man who came to my home asking me for money ever came back to see me. Unfortunately, he didn’t. Am I upset or disappointed? Not really, Burkina is full of twist and turns, I just hope he gets what he needs to finish school eventually.

I’m back home now after a 4 day transition trip in Madrid. I went from a 6 months summer heat wave to a chilly 10-15 degrees 4 day autumn – my favorite season.

I went from:

Drinking only bottled water to drinking from the tap.

Only wearing sandals to only wearing closed shoes.

Riding my motorbike everywhere to reactivating my leg muscles and walking for 4 days straight.

A developing country rich in traditions to a super developed country rich in culture, history and style.

Eating a $1.50 plate of “riz sauce” to eating 15 euros worth of tapas.

I think you get the point- it was a great way to make my way home after such a long journey.

Now- I will slowly start looking for a job. I want to work for a cause, either local or international. I know this is vague, but if you think of anything, or have any advice, please pass it along.

With this blog I discovered a passion for writing and sharing stories. To all my fans and avid readers (you know who you are!) even though this might be my last post dedicated to Burkina Faso, I decided to still keep blogging about my Every Day. It might not be as exotic as life in the BF, but it sure will be interesting.

Hope you will stick around for this chapter.

Profil d'une burkinabe: Judith

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 09:46:00 -0500

LA BASE

Qui es-tu?

Je suis une jeune fille burkinabé de 26 ans répondant au nom de WAONGO JUDITH DELWENDE. Je suis titulaire d’une maitrise en sciences économique et de Gestion obtenue à l’université de Ouagadougou.

D’où viens-tu?

Je viens d’un village situé à 145 Km de la capital Ouagadougou. Ce village s’appelle Koupela. Je réside actuellement dans la capitale du Burkina Faso qui est Ouagadougou.

Qu’est ce que tu fais?

Je suis actuellement stagiaire dans une ONG appelée ADEP (Association d’Appui d’Éveil Pugsada) ou j’appuie une chargée de projet dans l’exécution des activités de son projet. En outre je dispense des formations en santé sexuelle à travers un jeu appelé « Jeu Sans Tabou prend soins de toi. » Par ailleurs je suis aussi auditeur dans une ONG appelée la BRIQUE BURKINA ou je vérifie les comptes de façon trimestrielle et annuelle. Je suis des cours d’anglais en vue d’améliorer mon niveau et de pouvoir communiquer aisément avec les autres en anglais.

A PROPOS DU BF

Comment décrirais-tu le BF à quelqu’un qui n’y est jamais venu?

Le Burkina Faso est un pays essentiellement à vocation agro-pastorale; il est situé au cœur de l’Afrique occidentale.

Le Burkina Faso est un pays enclavé et son avenir comme l’avenir de son territoire est totalement lié à ceux de tous les pays voisins avec lesquels il entretient les relations les plus étroites. D’une superficie de 274 000 km2 la population avoisine environ 15 000 000 millions d’habitants ; les principales villes sont Bobo Dioulasso, Banfora, Dédougou, Dori , Fada N’Gourma, Gaoua, Kaya, Koudougou, Ouagadougou, Ouahigouya, Po, Tenkodogo.

Les principaux groupes ethniques sont : Moose, Peulh, Gulmancé, Mandé, Bobo, Gurunsi Boussancé, Lobi dagara, Sénoufo

Les principales langues nationales : Mooré ,Fulfuldé, Jula.

La langue officielle : le Français

Principales religions : Islam, Animisme, Christianisme.

Qu’est-ce que tu aimes le plus à propos du BF?

La stabilité politique et la paix que nous avons; cela est une grande richesse qu’il faut conserver impérativement.

Si tu pouvais changer 1 chose au BF, immédiatement, ça serait quoi?

Éradiquer la mendicité des enfants de la rue en gros, éliminer la pauvreté dans tout le pays.

En quelques mots, décris-nous les burkinabés.

Le peuple burkinabé est un peuple très chaleureux du point de vue accueil. Nous aimons beaucoup les étrangers et le BF est un pays très hospitalier.

Pourquoi y a-t-il tant d’ONG au BF?

La présence de tant d’ONG au BF c’est pour booster le développement et améliorer les conditions de vie économiques et sociales des burkinabés; amorcer le développement dans les différentes localités en somme éradiquer la pauvreté au BF.

Pourquoi est ce que les associations de femmes, telle que l’ADEP, sont-elles importantes au BF?

Ces types d’associations sont importants dans la mesure ou elles œuvrent à l’amélioration du statut et des conditions de vie de la jeune fille et de la femme; elles prônent la promotion du leadership féminin et lutte contre toutes les formes de violences faites à la femme ce qui est très important pour un pays comme le BF , que la femme se sente valorisée et qu’elle prenne conscience que le BF a besoin de sa contribution pour aller de l’avant. Le BF a besoin de ces fils et filles pour se développer.

Qu’est-ce que ça signifie pour toi, être burkinabé?

Le Burkina Faso est le pays des hommes intègres; être burkinabé c’est être intègre être digne être fier de ce que l’on est ne pas détruire les valeurs que nous avons reçu de nos parents : valeur de solidarité d’entre aide de paix.

À quoi ressemblera le BF dans 5 ans?

Le BF sera plus développé dans 5 ans plus jamais de tort fait à la femme ses droits seront respectés la pauvreté est éradiqué et paix durable est conservée; à travers les politiques de développement entrepris par le gouvernement l’espoir est permis.

EXTRAS

Quel est ton met burkinabé préféré?

Le to avec du babenda accompagné d’un bon poulet grillé.

Qui est ton artiste préféré? Local, ou autre, ou un de chaque?

Flobi, Patience Dabani et Céline Dion

À part te reposer, qu’est ce que tu aimes faire les week ends?

Suivre un bon film ou aller à un concert chaud à la maison du peuple ou au CENASA.

Why I decided to end my African trip in Madrid

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 07:35:27 -0500

1 week from now I’ll be leaving Burkina Faso. Scratch that, 1 week from now I’ll be in Madrid (I’ll come back to that). Adventure comes to an end. Saying goodbye to Burkina Faso, to colleagues, to friends from around the world, to the land of Africa. Returning to a little place called home, back to “reality”. Settling in, readapting, looking for a job, huddling up for winter. I’m excited, anxious, happy, sad. What have I learned- What will I miss?

5 ½ months

Learned how to drive a motorbike and drove at least 2,000 Kms

Went on 4 different roadtrips to the east, the south and the west of BF

Danced more than I ever danced before

Got pooped on by birds 3 times – every time I was on my motorbike

Spent almost every Sunday by the pool, making friends and tanning

Ate enough rice, couscous and pasta for the next couple of years

Had 1 minor motorbike accident, which involved a dog

Saw elephants and baboons for the first time

Drank the best rhum I ever drank

Ate more mangoes than I care to admit and I’m still not sick of them

Created a communication plan

Was violently sick once for 24hours – thought Alien was trying to come out of my stomach

Modernized/updated my associations (L’ADEP) website

Learned how to be content and patient with life

Never talked so much about my digestive system with strangers

Stood behind a crocodile – was too scared to actually touch it (I’ve seen that movie, it doesn’t end well for the blond chick)

Got a case of Malaria

Learned how to carry a baby on my back

Ate whole chickens- sucked on bones and chewed on fat and everything

Had 2 dresses and 2 bags made by my own personal seamstress

Don’t think I’ve been clean more than 20 minutes a day

I’ve seen the best of the best in people, but also the absolute horrible (and I hear it’s not the worst)

Fell in love with my two neighbors, twins Yves and Yvette

Received more attention than ever before. Waving at people, especially kids as if I’m a celebrity has become normal

Have new perspectives on poverty, cultural relations, development, gender equality, consumerism, family, intercultural communication, and religion

Realized that humans are way more similar than we are different

I could probably go on, but I’ll stop here and allow you the pleasure of hearing me say “and in Burkina” or “so this one time in the BF” for probably the next 2 years.

I leave in less than a week and I’m making a pit stop in Madrid to decompress and enjoy some quality time with a great friend I haven’t seen in almost 2 years. We are planning on being complete tourists, on walking everywhere, on eating tapas, on chilling out with a good drink, on visiting museums and on generally having a good time. Then I’ll go home, hug you all and let the new chapter begin.

Wonderfulness

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 05:39:11 -0500

After spending a nice evening in Ouaga with a group of friends -hailing from different cities around the world, I couldn’t get this thought out of my head.

Wonderfulness is found in moments had, moments spent with people who give, people who share, people who add to your life. Wonderfulness is found in the feeling of calm – in the feeling of peace that is felt. Wonderfulness happens when witnessing the unexpected, the surprising – in seeing the new, but also the familiar. Wonderfulness happens when letting go and allowing situations to happen as they are meant to, no pushing, no shoving, no manipulation.

My Profile

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 05:37:10 -0400

My friend Scott - see Volunteer Profile below - also decided to start a series of profiles on his blog, you can check out my interview here.

Enjoy!

On the road in Ouagadougou - October 2011 This is 3 minutes of...

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 05:19:12 -0400

On the road in Ouagadougou - October 2011

This is 3 minutes of my road to work taken on a beautiful Sunday morning, which is why chaos and traffic are non existent. This is some of what I see EveryDay.

Music: Ratatat - Tropicana

Blogs I follow

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 12:01:01 -0400

Check out my new page Blogs I follow and enjoy some interesting/funny/daydreaming reads.

If you have other blog suggestions - pass them along.

Local Profile: Mahama

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 12:00:55 -0400

Just as I started writing this, he arrived waving his arms at me. Bonsoir he shouts through my living room window. Ca va? I ask, Ouais, ça va, ça va. And that is how we’ve been starting our evenings for the past 5 months. Mahama is my guard – mon gardien. He’s about 40 years old, has 6 kids, the youngest is 4, the oldest is 22 and expecting her first child. His oldest son, 12, is the only one attending school. Mahama’s French isn’t very good and my Moore is dreadful, so this is what I think I’ve understood about his life after multiple conversations. He’s been working for my NGO for the past 10 years; he works 6 or 7 nights a week and hasn’t missed a night, not with me at least.

He’s tall and lanky. His hands and feet are thick and rough. He wears a tuque as soon as it goes below 25 degrees. He prays every time the prayer is called and he almost always carries his Coran with him. He loves to talk and to teach me Moore. Whenever I greet him with something he taught me, he lights up and eagerly wants to show me more.

He’s very protective. When I drive off at night, he stands by my gate until I leave and wishes me Bonne route. If somebody comes to my gate after the night has fallen, he stands behind me until I tell him it’s okay.

There are so many things I’d like to know about him – like what he does in his spare time, not that he really has any. He bikes to work, it’s about an hour each way, works 12 hours – does he sleep during the day? Or does he have another job? I would like to know how he is with his wife, (who if I understand correctly, lost a foot or a leg because of a disease - but I may be completely wrong about this, it was a complicated conversation that evening) he is such a gentle man and he talks about his family with pride – but spousal relations are quite different here then they are in North America.

Mahama has been a comforting and constant presence to me here, especially for the months I lived alone and I wanted you to meet him.

"If you listen first, and write later, then whatever you write will have had time to filter through..."

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 05:13:14 -0400

““If you listen first, and write later, then whatever you write will have had time to filter through your brain, and you’ll be in what you say. This is what makes you exist. If you are only a reflector of information, are you really there?””

- On writing and social media.

Quote from Jaron Lanier http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaron_Lanier in the
July 2011 issue of The New Yorker

On the road in Fada - September 2011 Music: Caravan Palace - La...

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 04:38:02 -0400

On the road in Fada - September 2011

Music: Caravan Palace - La Caravane

Volunteer Profile: Scott

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 04:44:00 -0400

BASICS

Who are you?

Hi, I’m Scott, a Peace Corps Volunteer here in Burkina Faso.

Where are you from?

I’m American, and grew up in San Francisco, though before my assignment here in Burkina Faso I spent the last five years in Washington, DC.

What do you do?

I’m currently working with a governmental microfinance institution and am focusing on improving its organizational efficiency as well as working on the ground as a consultant with individual borrowers. I’m here for two years in all, and I’m about halfway through my service.

ABOUT BURKINA FASO

What is the thing that shocked you the most about BF?

I have travelled quite a bit before in my life, including to some poorer countries in Central and South America, but nothing quite prepared me for the level of poverty here (BF is 164/172 on the Human Development Index, and the poorest country where Peace Corps serves).

What impresses you the most about BF?

Despite this level of poverty, the Burkinabé people seem genuinely happy in their day-to-day lives and interactions.

What is your favorite thing about your experience in BF?

I’ve met amazing people (both ex-pats and Burkinabés). Also, my time here has given me a much different perspective on what I now consider to be important in life.

What is the hardest thing about your experience in BF?

Communication. I arrived here without any French language training, so it’s been quite a battle to get up to speed enough to be able to effectively do my job or even make friends. Made more difficult since many Burkinabés do not speak French very well themselves (or at all, instead opting for one of many local languages). Oh, and it’s really, really hot.

Tell us something you discovered about yourself here.

I’ve had a lot of time for self-reflection here, and I believe that today I have a much better idea of who I am and what kind of people I want to spend time with going forward in my life. And I’ve actually really enjoyed the additional alone time – realizing that I’m a bit more of an introvert than I had ever previously thought.

Tell us about the people of BF.

The people are unbelievably nice and there is a wonderful sense of mutual respect here. When I throw in one of the ten words I know in local languages I get the most amazing reactions. And I love the culture of greeting. No matter what, one says, “hello, how are you?” to a passerby, unlike in the west where we so often walk around with our head down or headphones in.

EXTRAS

What food do you miss the most?

It’s a close race between deli meats (turkey, ham, pastrami, etc) and cheese (specifically brie).

What’s the most important item (or items) you brought with you?

My Panasonic GF1 camera. It’s amazing as a travel camera out since it takes really high quality shots, but isn’t so big that it attracts a lot of attention, or seems super expensive (though it qualifies as the singular most expensive thing that I brought here). I have a terrible memory, so I love being able to document my experience so I’ll always be able to look back.

What song or artist keeps you going here (local or other or one of each!)?

Most music played at local bars is incredibly loud and annoying (see: DJ Arafat), so I prefer to listen to some slower stuff at home, lately Arcade Fire’s Funeral album has been on repeat. Though that isn’t to say I haven’t discovered some good West African music as well – I really enjoy Ali Farka Touré and occasionally P-Square and Tiken Jah Fakoly. Plus, I really like a French rap song that I discovered here – Desolé by Sexion d’Assault.

You can follow Scott’s journey and adventures on his blog: http://sworthy10.wordpress.com/

What I do

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 05:03:49 -0400

It dawned on me that I haven’t been very clear about what I do here. So let me try to explain.

I work with a local NGO that promotes and defends young women’s rights. Gender inequality is often excused by traditions and by the status quo -things are the way they are, because this is how they’ve always been. There are countless numbers of women’s associations in the BF, they work to support women, teach them a craft or a trade, remedy to their immediate needs, they strive to protect women and more importantly to move things forward so that one day, gender equality and human rights will be respected by all.

The association I work with, l’ADEP, focuses its efforts at the root of the problems women face. They work in elementary schools with both young girls and young boys. Through diverse activities such as theatre, games, conferences, they educate and raise awareness about sexual and reproductive health, sexual harassment, women’s rights, gender equality, excision, etc. They create a space for dialogue, not only for these kids, but also for their parents.

Another one of their many projects is for young –uneducated, illiterate, at risk of getting married off as one of many wives –women, who live in villages outside of Ouaga. Five groups of 15 -20 young women have been created in five different villages. Each group has learned how to read and write, learned how to make either solid and liquid soap or soumbala (a spice commonly used in Burkinabe dishes). They have been educated on issues such as hygiene, sexual and reproductive health and rights, plus they received training on Revenue Generating Activities. These women get together about once a week in their respective villages, they make their soap or soumbala and sell them at the local markets and in their communities. Although the past year ½ has been good for these girls, they haven’t yet been able to sell enough/make enough products to earn a considerable profit. In some cases they don’t have sufficient time to make a greater quantity of soap and in other cases they simply don’t have enough clients. L’ADEP decided that what these groups needed was a communication plan to address these issues.

So this is what I do: I am creating a communication plan that suggests tools that can be used to promote the group’s products and the work l’ADEP does with them. This has meant going back to the basics of communications, as many of the targeted potential clients in theses villages don’t speak French or are illiterate. Going out and meeting some of these young women has been one of my favorite parts of the mandate, listening to their stories, getting their point of view on bettering their activities, trying to understand the difficulties they face and their realities.

On the side, I’ve also been developing simple communication tools tailored for l’ADEP in the hopes of improving their efficiency in all of their program areas. I’m also revamping-modernizing-renewing-upgrading their website, hopefully I’ll be done before I have to leave.

Through all these projects, I’ve been working with the staff; we’ve been learning from each other and helping each other out. My goal is that long after I’ve left the BF, what I’ve created here, will still be used by this amazing team of forward thinking, driven by their convictions and extremely hard working individuals. I know that from my standpoint, everything I’ve experienced here, everything I’ve accomplished will stick with me forever.

To educate a girl is to educate a nation.