Lump In Cheek And Gum

Torrential rains and floods

article RFI. Last updated on 03/09/2009 at 17:08 GMT
The rain keeps falling in Burkina Faso last few days. Wednesday, heavy rains lashed the capital Ouagadougou, causing devastating floods, unprecedented in the country. The latest partial balances established by the government, there are at least 5 dead, 150,000 homeless and several dead. In Niger, the waters of the flooded valley Telwa Agadez. The dike protecting the city was destroyed. In Senegal, the rains continue to flood the suburbs of Dakar. Rains, but thunderstorms. Eleven people were killed by lightning in their homes for lack of lightning. Firefighters estimate that over 60% of the population has feet in the water.

The streets of Ouagadougou flooded by torrential rains, it's as if the city moved the disaster, backpack on his head, taxi or on carts, looking for places of refuge. They are housed in primary schools transformed into hosting site.
The government says it has taken steps to deal with disaster. Yesterday, twenty-five tons of rice were served for one meal mid-day. Yet the victims complain that they received nothing.
"We're at 93 sites. You will understand all difficult to manage all these sites. That may be why some feel they are left to themselves. But we take all steps to ensure that all 93 sites are adequately supported, "assured the Minister of Social Action and National Solidarity, Pascaline Tamini.
Prime Minister Tertius Zongo, for its part has launched an appeal to goodwill. He mentioned the measures taken or to cope with the situation. Tertius Zongo, Prime Minister of Burkina Faso: "We believe there will be around 150 000 people to take charge. The Cabinet has therefore raised humanitarian needs ... how accompanies these people and where. "

Letter from head of the association "Spark" in Ouagadougou, an association founded by a team of volunteers Billière (64) to house and educate street children in Ouagadougou:
The rain fell from 5 am 30 to 16 h, balance sheet, 150,000 people lost their homes, their furniture, their pets, their businesses and their lives ... some Whole neighborhoods are gone, buildings have collapsed, bridges and dams gave way making Traffic very complicated.
Flooding was especially severe in the slums where the buildings are mostly made of clay, without drainage channels and without roads. 94 centers, mostly in schools, were held throughout the city, the classes have a hundred children and / or parents, hygiene conditions are very difficult ...
NGOs involved with the Red Cross, they carry food and cover.
You can send your donations to the association, at the following address:
Spark-Association for Children of Burkina Faso
90, avenue du loup
- Palissy Residence 2 - entry 4 64 000 Pau


Read, Axel's blog: http://axelderriks2.blogspot.com, which I am subscribed to and quoting other news articles that RFI ...

Speech For Every Occasion

PROLOGUE

As usual, the train leaves with 10 minutes late. A young man collapsed on the bench, the snowcapped Pyrenees shine above the old buildings, we pass Lourdes and its ugliness sacred. Horses graze at the small airport of Tarbes . Dionysius, a friend knocked down by a bout of malaria contracted during a stay in Cameroon , probably just fall asleep after the morning shift of nurses ... The train stops in the countryside, the loudspeaker announces a herd of goats on the tracks. I see the Tuareg private land and water Niger , come and explain their cause, but no, the controller comes, the Tuareg regained their place in the article in Le Monde dated 27 February and the train restarts. I look at the map of the Niger , just above the Burkina Faso where I'm landing in a few days. I want to find in the country who can tell me the story that mix of bandits, defenders of freedom of movement to nomads and freedom activists of expression for people whoever they are ...
Toulouse, I submit myself to a little ritual, the purchase of a palm tree well caramelized in a quarter of an hour, next match. Here I am again stuck in a seat TGV behind a large male sweat like a horse after the Grand Prix de Pau . I see only the tops of skulls of a uniform brown color, I hear rumors of greasy paper, conversations between passengers edgy, yet the train does not coughed nor slows down, he slipped quietly back on track ignoring crisis. The eternal question "where are you" fuse laptops, small words are exchanged. Why so many
civility displayed and why so many dogs, a dog just passed, followed by a gun, it starts to feel anything other than civility ... Narbonne approach, large flat vineyards, its clusters of scrub, false ochres and sunshine. Region Languedoc-Roussillon spreads its pub red and yellow on gray iron of its trains, the sale, subdivision continues to mount its blocks in the plain grid of Cypressus ... Bezier , 2 min stop, red berets on the platform, older women dressed in big low and permed hair ... of young people sitting on their bags, smiling in front of them watching their horizon blocked. Subdivisions are increasingly dense. All these efforts to become well-housed smoke loans too expensive for those who believed in the mirror of their progress tended developers. Here
ponds, gulls, pines and oil tanks that announce Montpellier. The sign of Foirefouille must reassure handlers. I do not want to be reassured or worried, like the heroes of Keith Gessen , these young people sad and worried "to be free, in good health, grown and used to do nothing "... The individual or collective failure is it more bearable if it has a policy or practice rather more bearable if the only concern is to manage the purchase of his new car? ... Can we compare the incomparable not and that's where lies the potential for harm and defense system neoliberal .
A Nimes, the road is rails Raised flush leaving ugly buildings, their owners are still thousands of acres around where they can squeeze the juice speculative to death. TGV In this brings me closer Burgundy, family stays, I go looking for the bar car, but the bar is not open, it was more profitable to me whispers controller ... passengers remain silent.
Landing Ouagadougou, first impressions, dust, heat, life and commerce in the same street, noise, motorcycles, cries, smiles, conversations, large packages on their heads wrapped, knotted babies in the back ... the liveliness active but also the infinite resignation in his eyes, courage, selflessness in the repetition of gestures, nonchalance and elegance, but behind these first impressions and pictures, I'll discover a little of both a strong social conscience in these individuals with great generosity and an amazing capacity for invention, qualities needed to resist formatting and propaganda of large multinational companies which one feels the presence in the capital .... to follow.