Here's a picture of the letter I sent:
If you would like to share this letter with your sponsored child, here is what I wrote:
My precious Friend. I would like to share about Burkina Faso with you today! Burkina Faso, which means "Land of the Honorable People," is a country in West Africa. Burkina Faso has more than 60 ethnic groups. Art made by the Mossi, Bobo and Lobi are the most famous. The Mossi are known for their antelope masks; the Bobo make large butterfly masks; and the Lobi carve wood. Burkina Faso is a leader in African art and culture and hosts the largest craft market in Africa. Music is very important to the people of Burkina Faso. The Mande people of the southwest are known for xylophone music, while the large, centrally located Mossi have courtly music. The Fulbe of the north use complex vocal techniques with clapping percussion. Some famous sites are the Nazinga Reserve which protects a large elephant population, the Bandora region with incredible rock formations called peaks of Sindou, the breathtaking Karfiguela Falls, and Lake Tengrela, where many hippos live. There are three types of crocodiles in Burkina Faso, the Slender-snouted crocodile, Nile crocodile, and dwarf crocodile. I wanted to learn more about them (they also live in Burkina Faso, although most of the lions in Africa lives in southern and eastern Africa). I learned that the average male lion weighs around 180 kg, while the average female lion weighs around 130 kg. Lions can reach speeds of up to 81 kph and their roar can be hear up to 8 km away! Lions usually live in groups of 10 or 15 animals called prides. Female lions do 85-90% of the prides hunting (typically from dawn to dusk), while the male lions patrol the territory and protect the pride.
I would like to share a game from Burkina Faso with you. This game is called Leenda.
To play, you need: 2 long jump ropes, at least 10 feet long
1. Tie the ends of the jump ropes together to make a long circle.
2. Two players stand at opposite ends and face each other. They stand inside the rope circle. Placing their ankles against the rope they push out until the rope is fully extended and off the ground.
3. The first player to jump steps inside the circle of rope with both feet inside.
4. The player jumps several times. Sometimes she lands with one foot outside; sometimes she lands with both feet outside. She alternates which foot is inside and which is outside. Children must jump 7 or 12 times before proceeding to the next level.
5. The players then proceed to different levels of difficulty such as having to jump the rope when it is calf-high, knee-high, hip-high, and even higher if possible.
6. The player who completes the number of required jumps at the highest level wins. ~ Hannah
Feel free to copy this game to share with your sponsored kids!
