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September 06, 2006
Telephone Communication with Burkina Faso
While I was in Burkina Faso this year, I bought a copy of the national telephone directory to bring home to the UK with me. This is a photo of it - containing all the land-line telephone numbers in the whole country - lying on top of the phone book for my home town of Cardiff in Wales...
The phone book has been very useful during this time of trying to organise the relief aid for Gorom-Gorom, as I have been able to find people and organisations to call to try and get help. I usually call Burkina from my computer using Skype. Although there is a slight delay, it is an excellent way of keeping in contact. I was talking to the pastor in Gorom-Gorom a couple of days ago about Friday's food distribution, and he asked me to pass on thanks to everyone for their prayers and help. Thank you.
Broadband and Mobile Phones
Apparently a few of my friends in parts of Ouagadougou now have Broadband! (Although I'm not sure that translates into quite the same speeds as the broadband we have here...).
Mobile telephone coverage is also expanding rapidly, and I am trying to get hold of a few second-hand mobile phones as people upgrade to newer models, to give to my friends and key contacts around Gorom-Gorom. Gorom is covered by a mobile network, and being able to get hold of Seydou or one of the pastors without having to leave a message and call back several hours later will be so helpful in co-ordinating relief efforts like this.
Tags: burkina faso africa burkina telephone gorom phone book communication telecommunication gorom-gorom mobiles
Posted by Keith at September 6, 2006 09:33 AM
Comments
Heh. I remember when we lived in Togo and got our first phone. Our phone number was ... 51. Just 51. No other numbers.
You couldn't actually dial the phone; it had a lever where the dial face would be, and you worked that back and forth until the guy at the post office picked up and asked you what number you wanted. Sometimes he was "sorti" and no one could make calls.
Posted by: Scott at September 7, 2006 09:30 PM
I am a student in the USA and I have been researching Burkina Faso. I found your blog in that research and found it very fascinating. I don't know if you can help, but I am looking for a Burkinabe who speaks English to interview regarding their culture. Please email me if you can help. The interview can be done by email if most convenient
Thank you for your time,
Tabetha
tabycat_9@yahoo.com
Posted by: Tabetha at September 9, 2006 07:36 AM