Last Day in Ouaga (Monday June 20th)

It is our last day in Ouaga…well at least for a little while. We start our day with going to the bank. Burkina Faso banks are quite busy. Every seat was packed full with people waiting. After the bank we headed to the Ouaga orphanage run by a French woman. We were there to visit a little boy by the name of Samson.

            Samson is 3 years old and blind. When he was just a baby he was put in a well. This well was not an empty well, or even a clean one. It was very dirty. Because of this Samson got bacteria in his eyes which eventually blinded him. The happy ending to the story is that Samson is being adopted by a loving, believing family in Kentucky.

            We sat with Samson for a little while and I could instantly tell he loved, loved music. We brought him a singing card from his family along with a few other toys. When opening the card he started tapping his hands to the exact rhythm of the song. It was really awesome to see! When a nurse sang to him he started tapping to the beat as well. I love to see the way children communicate, especially those with special needs. It was a great experience.

            Right before lunch and then heading to Yako, I had my first experience of an African thunderstorm. Wow! The clouds rolled in and were darker than I have ever seen clouds get. They also had a red tint to them, due to the red dusty ground. Winds blew the dust all around and created a blinding atmosphere. Everyone was frantically trying to get home to safety. Motos going this way and cars going that way; it was a mess. We drove through it to get to our lunch destination. Once at the restaurant we hopped out of the car and sprinted through the torrential downpour to get inside. There we ate lunch and waited out the storm. And then…it was time to head to Yako!