the pagne.

Pagnes. What can I say. A pagne (pahn yuh) is the single most useful thing in the world, because it is the most versatile. A pagne is basically a length of fabric (I think three meters by one meter?), generally brightly patterned, that one can buy at the marche. There are market booths with dozens of pagnes hanging on the walls, covering every inch of space with headache-inducing patterns.
Uses:
Clothing. That's the one you might expect. There are tailors everywhere here, of varying quality, who will take your pagne and turn it into whatever garment strikes your fancy. There are traditional dress patterns that you can use, or you can bring in a picture from a magazine or a drawing and get something... pretty close. Usually with a little Burkina flavor. I got two dresses made before swear-in, and they didn't turn out anything like what the tailor and I had agreed upon, but they're okay. For the pagne masquerade party, for the volunteers who are leaving soon, I just made my own. (I have a lot of time on my hands in village. I may have mentioned this.)
Towel. Works like a charm. Oh, this also goes into clothing, because you can just wear the pagne like a towel and it's an acceptable form of clothing in your house and courtyard. And an un-tailored pagne can simply be wrapped around your waist and worn as a skirt, and that's acceptable everywhere. Just make sure you wrap it tight.
Other uses (most of which I have tried): Sheet, curtain, tablecloth, potholder, cleaning cloth, sieve, cheesecloth, wall hanging, head wrap, raincoat, dog bed, dropcloth. And so much more.
I just wanted to explain pagnes because they're so ubiquitous here. From where I'm sitting here on the porch of the transit house, I can see four. Something I already know I'll miss back in the states.