Tour de Orodara sans les photos

Greetings from Orodara!!!

I have been meaning to put up other blog all about the loveliness of Orodara and my life here but haven’t had ample time to think of what to say. But now I have so here goes.

On the last blog I gave a picture tour of my house and that is about it for information on Orodara, so this time I thought I run through what is awesome about Orodara and what I have been doing for my third year so far.

Right near my house is a boutique (tiny store) that has bread, eggs, somewhat cold sodas, and many other food amenities. It is run by a really nice family, the dad speaks French so that is nice and the mom doesn’t so that is fun for both of us (really! it is fun trying to understand each other, resorting to hand motions and then laughing and shaking our heads when it’s all over)

Also right near that boutique is a kiosk that sells sandwiches in the morning, depending on what’s in season; there is avocado, cucumbers, peas, ground mutton (? Who really know what meat that is) and so on. The pea ones are really good and easy if I don’t feel like making something for breakfast.

As we head down the road towards town there are number of kiosks that I can print documents at for 100 cfa a page (cheap), which is great because I always need to print stuff for my job activities.

A little ways pass that is a group of ladies, who sell fruits and veggies and have avocados when in season (one of two ladies with the magical ability to get them).

After that you’re pretty much “in town”, which houses the following:

-       My site mate, Natalie!

-       The big food store (i.e. He has toilet paper, cookies, cold sodas, flour, and assorted other things)

-    The marche (veggies, pagne, plastic stuff, whatnots)

-       The two official bus company stations that go to Bobo and beyond

-       All the bush taxi that go to Bobo as well and everywhere else around Orodara

-       A wonderful tailor, who has made me a number of things that have worked out really well

-       A bar with really cold beer (almost magically cold beers, if that is possible)

-       Ecobank (money!)

After those sites, if you keep following the one road that is Orodara, you get to the CMA or Centre Médicale avec Antenne chirurgical or Medical Center with a surgical antenna. So basically think of a walled complex with lots of different buildings, all of which are different medical services. For example, I work at the pediatric building, which is next to general medicine, the laboratory, and administration.

At pediatrics, there is a head doctor, 2 or 3 other doctors, 3 or so nurse who all rotate. I work with a village mid wife, who oversees the CREN program, which is for malnourished babies and toddlers.

So far I have helped set up morning talks about nutrition and hygiene. The mid wife, Siata, does all the talking based off an information sheet I gave her. Most of the moms only speak Jula (the local language) and not French. I spend my mornings there hanging out with the moms and playing with the babies who aren’t afraid of me (some of them are, pale skin and all).

And that is a brief Orodara tour and work over view. I hope you have enjoyed the info. As a side note, or big note, I’ll be in the states December 2^nd!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Exactly 17 days until I’m in Pittsburgh at the airport!!!!!!!