Harrassment and Africa's reality

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I am really sorry for not having written in so long. Really a lot has been going on and it was simply too much to talk about that I was never motivated to sit down and write it all. And now it is even more and obviously I will have to just stick with the most important things.

Basically, Africa's reality has been hitting me hard. I realized a lot of things in the last couple of weeks and it makes me understand a lot more about this planet, this country and development.

I realized that Burkina is a big lie and really corruption is HUGE. Everyone lies to everyone. It's really rare that you have real friendships, even the Burkina people say that it is also hard for them to know. With what I have been experiencing so far, I realized that a lot of people have 2 faces and only show you the good one until you realize there is another one. They all preach to God that lying is bad but most of them do it. In a family for example, no one knows how much money the brother makes or even knows clearly what job he has. No one talks about money to anyone here, cause then they have family members or friends knocking at the door and beg for money. The reality is also very different when it comes to your money. In Canada, we would have our own money and because we worked for it, its ours. Here, if someone makes 500 F in a day, he or she can really just keep 300 F since they will have to give some to the parents, some friends or even little kids on the street or old people. THey all share a lot of their money, which is good! But it also leads to a lot of people asking and some Burkina people don't like that themselves. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one! 😊 I actually got a neighboor the other day who came and knocked on the door and was telling me about his sick and pregnant wife and how she's been pucking for a week and can't take anything in. Basically the story went on and I was really wondering how the hell I could get rid of it. I just told him to go to the clinic fast. And then my phone rang with a call from Canada! Thanks God. I had to tell him that I had to go. Yeah!

I also had the experience of going to the police office. Djeneba who works for me also does laundry at another white guy's place. She was getting paid and he didnt give her enough and she said that it wasnt enough, and him and the guard, took her arm, twisted it, put his arm on her neck and kicked her out of the house. She had pains the next day and was really shocked. I couldnt believe it. I went to the police station with her and realized that even there, people lie. Djeneba told the police officer that she was pregnant and stuff.. I was like.. WOOOO! I asked her after we left. She said she lied but she had to. She said that even when they are going to get the guard and the white guy at the police office, they will lie too. SO basically, it's whose lie is the worse that wins. It's crazy. The idea of justice is so not the same here.

I also had big issues of harassment. I am actually glad to tell you all that I am no longer friends with Belko. He is the worse guy I have ever met in my life. What he did to me is so not acceptable and I will not talk to him ever again. Now he's basically harassing me, threatening me, frequently asking me and messaging me, all this, to get money out of me. It's a reallly long story that is sort of complicated. I will surely explain it to a couple of you one day. But really I dont ever want to live through that again. I have hard time to sleep, I cried a lot and was fucking stressed out. My safety is really an issue right now. I bought a new phone number and will communicate it to you soon. I also got a guard cause I really dont feel safe at night. He could come anytime. I even had to secure my work place. I showed his picture to the guards and told them never to let him in. It's really freaky. It sucks too cause everytime I go back in his neighboorhood there is a watching system and he calls me not too long after cause I guess, someone told him they saw me. But anyway, do not worry, the safety abroad office at U of T knows about it, my placement supervisor knows and even the WUSC Director knows. I got a good safety system. Not let just all pray so that he stops haunting me!

Positive side though, I got a quebec girl living with me for 3 weeks. She works at the same organization doing the archives. It's nice to get the Quebec accent back and to just have someone to talk to at home. It's really nice cause it happened when I am sort of trying to get a distance between me and Djeneba. It will also be someone to do stuff with now that Belko is out of my life.
We had wine, nice cheese and bread yesterday!! youhou! It was good. I dont have the money for that kind of stuff, but she helped pay for it, so it's better. WE had a good night. It was pretty cool.

Work is also getting a bit more interesting. I am now doing the translation of the clinic project so that I could send it to companies or NGOS to get funding. Hopefully we will get a little something so that I could start to work with someone and something.

I am also realizing that I am getting used to Burkina a lot. Now that I have Josee living with me, she reminds me of when I just got here and I now see how I adapted. People downtown also know that I've been here for a little while because of the colour of my skin. The sun tans us all and the longer it burns you, the more you get to be a Burkina girl! ahaha

It's so funny too how everyone laughs when I speak the local language. Downtown yesterday, the moped parkers were asking for more words and laughing. It was funny. Even a little girl that knocked on my door today to sell tomatoes was laughing cause I said "pish Nasi" which means 200 Francs. I'm gonna be getting all the little selling girls at my house soon. I already got the sweet potatoes girl coming every couple of days. As if we eat sweet potatoes like crazy ahaha. Djeneba told me that they just like to come and see me and they have fun when they sell to the white girl more than to Burkina people. But yeah, tomatoes and sweet potatoes down.. what's next? ahha
Maybe one day I wont even have to go to the market anymore. ahah

I have to go now though. My guard is starting tonight and I want to be home when he comes. Have a nice week people. I'll add some pictures soon.

Love you xxx

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