And the countdown is on. I can’t believe how quickly this trip has gone by! Extreme joys, deep personal reflections, hard realities and signs of solidarity have appeared here and there throughout this journey. But I’ll keep my final words for a future post.
I recently had a chance to visit a quaint boutique managed by women who want to make a difference. The company’s name is Gafreh (Groupe d’Action des Femmes pour la Relance Économique du Houet). Their message is: “to save the environment and fight women’s poverty, buy items that are made from used plastic bags”. You should see the types of articles that these women make: from purses, to make-up bags, to computer luggage, even chairs! I couldn’t help myself from purchasing a couple of their products as I was so impressed. Here’s their website if you are interested:
www.gafreh.org. It’s worth checking out. Congratulations to the women who have started and continue to run such a successful initiative.
Gafreh
Au cours des derniers jours, je suis aussi retournée chez Félix, le propriétaire d’un petit maquis qui s’appelle Corsaire. Ce petit endroit qui, pour nous, ressemble à un bistro, est charmant et nous donne envie d’y passer une soirée complète. Qui plus est, Félix prend le temps de rencontrer ses clients et de jaser avec eux au cours de la soirée. Si vous passez à Bobo, il faut vous y arrêter, sans quoi vous aurez manqué un petit bijou!
Yesterday, when we stopped to pick up our African mama at the school where she helps out, over fifty kids swarmed around Roy and I, surely interested by our light coloured skin (“Tobabu! Tobabu”) and funny accents. So we answered their multiple questions about our country, the size of it, the fact that Québec is currently being hit with a ton of snow, etc. When it was time to leave, the kids were literally jumping on the car, and then running after us. Straight from a movie I tell you! I couldn’t stop laughing.
During my stay, I also watched the movie The Gods Must Be Crazy (en français: “Les Dieux sont tombés sur la tête”). It’s a must watch! It’s so hilarious and although it doesn’t represent all the realities of Africa and should be taken lightly, there are some truths to it and these are shared in a comical and exaggerated manner. Watching this with some African friends made it even funnier. Dad, this is your type of movie.
And finally, since many of you have asked, here are some pictures of two Afrian outfits I got made here (and got very good comments on!). My fashion consultant (also known as my friend and roommate) Amy helped with the designs. I’m looking forward to showing them off when I come home!
One of my African outfits
One of my African outfits
Gafreh
One of my African outfits
One of my African outfits