Happy Anniversary! June 23rd, 2012 marked two
years in Burkina Faso. We can’t believe how fast time has passed. At this point
in our service, many of you may be thinking:
“Two
years…shouldn’t you be coming home soon?”
Yes, we should. Our original end date was August 24,
2012, however, we’ve decided to extend our service until December 2012 in order
to finish a few important projects. We officially “COS” (close of service) on
December 5
th, 2012.
“What will you do
until December?”
The school construction project is nearing completion
(the full report and additional pictures will be shared in a future blog post).
The transformation of the school was incredible and the village is so proud to
have a finished school. Thank you again to those who donated!
To complement the new school building, Julie plans to paint
health murals to promote the newly constructed hand-washing stations and
latrines. She will also create a small school
library for students allowing access to books and study materials. This year only
15 of the 60 sixth grade students in our village passed the primary school exit
exam required to enter middle school. During summer vacation, Julie will
organize study sessions with the older students to help them prepare for next
year’s exam.
I am working with Siaka to build Marley’s - the new restaurant
and campground in our village. Construction of the sleeping huts is completed,
and we’ll work on business skills development and customer service until our departure.
My most significant remaining project is La Vie Chère
- the upcycled shoe and accessory business. Moussa and I have been busy
creating new designs and Ten Thousand Villages (the world’s largest fair trade
store) has requested samples of products as a preliminary step to ordering. To
see more new designs, visit the website and “like” us on
Facebook!
We’re also preparing for SIAO, Africa’s biggest art and
crafts fair, which takes place in Ouagadougou every two years. This year the
fair is in October, so we’re finalizing designs and will be building an
inventory over the summer in preparation for the big event.
At the end of August, we’re meeting Julie’s parents in
Europe for a two-week, whirlwind vacation, visiting London, Paris, and Berlin.
Julie and I will remain in Europe another week doing something, somewhere.
“Interesting… so
what are your plans for the future?”
Last fall, I applied to business schools and received an
invitation to attend Duke’s Fuqua School of Business. Duke was very gracious
and allowed me to defer admission until August 2013.
Julie will apply to business schools (including Duke)
this fall.
“Wait a second.
You COS on December 5th and don’t start graduate school until
August. What will you do with all that time!?”
We’re really looking forward to spending time with our
families and friends! We’ll be home for the holidays, and can’t wait to
reconnect with our families. Luckily, the timing of our return will also allow
us to be quickly re-indoctrinated into American society through the consumerism
and gluttonous eating that defines the month of December.
In January, in an effort to escape the horror that is a
Midwestern winter, we’re planning a COS trip(s). We’re hoping to travel to Peru
and trek the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu and possibly Thailand to soak up some
sun on the beach. We’d also considering driving along the Pacific Coast Highway
in California, trying out Oregon wines, and hiking Bryce Canyon and possibly
the Grand Canyon since Julie has never been.
Before graduate school begins, I will continue writing my
yet-unnamed but future best-selling humorous travelogue about our experiences
in Burkina Faso. The release date will be determined at a later time but in
order to ensure its success in the U.S. market, the book may include vampires.
Yes, we should. Our original end date was August 24,
2012, however, we’ve decided to extend our service until December 2012 in order
to finish a few important projects. We officially “COS” (close of service) on
December 5th, 2012.
We’re really looking forward to spending time with our
families and friends! We’ll be home for the holidays, and can’t wait to
reconnect with our families. Luckily, the timing of our return will also allow
us to be quickly re-indoctrinated into American society through the consumerism
and gluttonous eating that defines the month of December.
In January, in an effort to escape the horror that is a
Midwestern winter, we’re planning a COS trip(s). We’re hoping to travel to Peru
and trek the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu and possibly Thailand to soak up some
sun on the beach. We’d also considering driving along the Pacific Coast Highway
in California, trying out Oregon wines, and hiking Bryce Canyon and possibly
the Grand Canyon since Julie has never been.
