Recently in Reading West Africa program Category

The Point of Education Updated The New York Times October 17, 2010, 07:00 PM Louis Menand is Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Professor of English at Harvard University and a staff writer at The New Yorker. He is the author of "The Marketplace of Ideas."

First, no department is an island. Universities are places where scholars in one field have opportunities to debate, collaborate with, and learn from scholars in very different fields. The loss of any department is a loss to every department at that institution. Knowing how to interpret cultural expressions and evaluate belief systems is as indispensable in the professional world as knowing how to use a computer. Second, what parent does not want his or her child to have access to literature, philosophy and the arts? Who thinks those are dispensable luxuries for educated professionals in an advanced society? You would have to have a very primitive view of the purpose of education to believe that the cultural heritage of humanity has no place in it. Finally, of course the humanities teach something. Their subject matter is culture, and since everything human beings do is mediated by culture -- by language, by representations, by systems of values and beliefs -- knowing how to understand other languages, interpret cultural expressions, and evaluate belief systems is as indispensable to functioning effectively in the professional world as knowing how to use a computer. This knowledge may or may not make you a better person; it can certainly make you more productive and successful in the workplace.

A student in Dimikuy library enjoying the book, and you can get your own copy here (in English and in French)!

I hadn't seen this article from USF's student newspaper:

The opportunity to travel in Africa and publish a children's book for a small village does not come by very often. For junior Elizabeth Guerra, accomplishing just that was an experience of a lifetime. Guerra traveled to Burkina Faso, a small country in the heart of West Africa that is known to be one of the poorest countries in the world, "with about 80% of its population living in rural villages and earning their livings by working as subsistence farmers," Guerra said. For four months, Guerra traveled with a group of eight other students from September to December 2009 through the Santa Clara University Reading West Africa program.

For the beginning part of her stay, Guerra took classes in the capital city of Ouagadougou, studying economic development, community development, French literature and photography. The official language is actually French, since France colonized the country until Burkina Faso gained its independence in 1960 .

During the other half of her time in Africa, Guerra stayed in the rural village, Sara, in Burkina Faso for a total of 6 weeks. There, she shared a village house with one other student, and together they worked as librarian assistants in the village's library, which was established by Friends of African Village Libraries (FAVL) and the Non-Governmental Organization (NGO).

Read all....

Bonjour Michael

Le moral des bibliothécaires était bon.  Elisée a été un peu direct avec eux a propos des problèmes tel que les erreurs sur les comptes, la bonne rédaction des rapports et la conduite des activités. Il a rappelé que de telles erreurs retardent le travail et peuvent avoir une incidence sur tout le système.  Tout le monde a participé au débat, ils ont pris l'engagement de bien faire dorénavant.  Mais la question majeure était la disponibilité de l'argent pour les fonds de roulement des bibliothèques. Les bibliothécaires disent que le manque d'argent dans les caisses fait qu'il est difficile de prendre des initiatives d'animation qui peuvent nécessiter de l'argent.  

Le bureau à Hounde était bien. C'était un peu en désordre parcequ' il avait un gros paquet de  livres en boites qui prenait beaucoup de place et qu'il fallait distribuer aux bibliothécaires. L'accueil était formidable, la famille de Donkoui était très accueillante (j'adore ses enfants) et on a très bien mangée. Moi j'ai découvert un délicieux plat qui s'appelle le nionkon (boules vertes avec feuilles d'haricot, graines de petit mil et de l'arachide).  Mais dans l'ensemble tout s'est bien passé.
                                                                                                                 
Merci

Emilie
 

I finally found a movie from Ouagadougou that has the kind of quick-cut, clever, non-traditional storytelling, including a sarcastic talking donkey, lots of side references to cinema traditions, a real Verre Casse of the cinema.... wow!!!! See review from Gareth.

It must have been a promotional video for his Wassa Club, in downtown Ouagadougou, which Leslie and I used to go to... or maybe that is what it is called now? The video imagery is by Phiip Mallory Jones, who is seriously awesome!

She raps in French/Nouchi, the street language of Abidjan youth...
can you hear some French in there?