A woman with a calabash welcomes visitors. In Africa, this fruit resembling a pumpkin with its hard-rinded, almost wooden skin is used to make containers and musical instruments. The woman herself is made of Burkinabe bronze.The exposition presents ecologically valuable, traditional knowledge. The drying of fruit and vegetables is an age-old method of conservation. The harvested fruit is conserved in a drying oven heated by the sun. Another topic is the application of traditional cures in modern medicine. Burkina Faso supports the production of natural drugs. Doctors trained in Western medicine also prescribe these products as they are effective and can be afforded by everyone.
The Burkinabe hut in the joint presentation by the CILSS (Permanent Inter-State Committee on Drought Control in the Sahel) nations is decorated using a typical cloth with a bird design in powerful colours of black and red.
Idea for children and teenagers: Feel like Afro-hairstyling? If you have the money (200 Marks) and roughly three hours time you can have your hair done in the typically African thin plaits on the trade stand of Burkina Faso in the suk of the Africa Hall. Artificial strands of hair in any desired colour are included and get plaited into your own hair by the two African hair stylists. The plaits can be worn for weeks.
