June 24, 2019

Monday: Today was our first day in the hospital and our first full day in our house! We woke up in the morning around 6:45 to get to Ruhengeri Hospital at 8am. The walk to the hospital is around a 18-25 minute walk depending on how fast we walk. However, today was a harder walk as we had to carry our toolkit and we were wearing our business casual attire. The walk is generally pretty nice, and we pass a lot of fun places and our favorite coffee shop Crema. We arrived at the maintenance area and got introduced to Boaz, the head of maintenance at Ruhengeri. The original BMET Jean Claude, is on leave as he is working with the UN for a year. Boaz took us on a tour of the hospital, we met the director of the hospital and got acquainted with the huge campus. Lots of the hospitals in Africa are many different buildings, one for each department, with green areas in the middle and Ruhengeri is no different. I love the different feel from the American hospitals which can be very depressing and cold, as the greenery and sunlight while walking around the hospital campus is refreshing. Our tour was over and we started to work on the inventory. EWH requires us to take inventory the first few days/week at the hospital to get familiar with the departments and equipment that the hospital has. This is also good information to use to base a “need report” off of, as if a hospital has lots of equipment that is usable but not being used, then less equipment could be sent and in return sent somewhere else. At noon we took about an hour and a half break for lunch and ate at the hospital canteen. It was a classic Rwandan buffet, and was relatively cheap. The rest of the day was spent doing inventory in the maintenance workshop and we got really worn out as we stayed in the same room all day writing down serial numbers of dusty equipment, rip. At 4pm we got off of work and headed to town to go to the market. We went to a “super market” and got some essentials such as toilet paper, soap, laundry detergent, Nutella, Blue Band (butter kinda), milk and some other things. Then we ventured off to the isoko (market) where the vendors are selling fruits, vegetables, rice, beans, eggs, clothes, shoes, soap and anything you can imagine. We got some potatoes, eggs, green peppers, onions, avocados, cooking oil, and rice. Best local experience I have had in my 5 weeks that I’ve been here and I can’t wait to go back and explore. We took a taxi home, sat down and rested for a little bit. Once we felt better rested I made some tea and then we stepped into the kitchen and made some dinner!! Our first family dinner, it was so fun! I made some eggs with green peppers, onions, and avocado which was yummy and simple. Alodie made some chips and Amanda made some popcorn. A really good balance of all the different food groups for sure! After dinner we cleaned up and headed to bed as we have a super early morning tomorrow.

June 25, 2019

Tuesday: Today was an incredible day as I feel like I am starting to get used to being in Musanze and less sad I’m not in Kigali. I woke up at 5:40am as we needed to be at the hospital at 7:15 for our staff meeting. I made myself a good breakfast of some tea, and a sweet roll with Nutella and bananas! We have so much fruit in our house (bananas, passion fruit, and tree tomatoes) so I have had lots of that! We got walking to the hospital and made it right on time to the meeting, but Africa time… and it didn’t start till around like 7:45. They did a quick sermon/prayer and then went through different things going on in the hospital. 98% of it was in Kinyarwanda so it was hard to stay awake during it honestly. They introduced us as students from the USA, wohoo represent, and we said hi and explained why we are here. The meeting concluded and we got to work on inventory for the rest of the day. Today was better for inventory as we went to some of the different departments and it was much more slow paced. Inventory was also nice because Boaz walked around with us to introduce us to the department heads and staff and show us where the equipment all was. Boaz is super knowledgeable and I really enjoy him. He doesn’t know much English so we are all trying super hard to communicate but it has already gotten better in one day so I’m excited to see our relationship begin to grow. For lunch Amanda and I went to Crema and got some bagel sandwiches and coffee to combat our early wake up call. We sat outside and it was really nice and a peaceful lunch. The day finished off with more inventory and will probably do that for the rest of the week. After work we tried to find this bakery to get a loaf of bread, we went to the wrong place and ended up in a back of a restaurant but ended up getting some bread that looks good so I consider it a win. Alodie and Amanda were tired and went home but I continued to walk home and explore. I found a few small markets around our house and a water jug place which we desperately need #hydrate! I wasn’t really feeling like cooking tonight, but Alodie made us a meal so I am very thankful for that. While she was cooking I washed my business casual clothes from Monday that got pretty dirty, and the rinse water was gross so I hope they are clean! We ate dinner, then I made some tea and called a few people. After calling some of my family, I showered, read and went to bed.

June 26, 2019

Wednesday: Today started off pretty laggy as I was incredibly tired for some reason. When I got out of bed I had realized that I had gotten quite a few mosquito bites which was not fun. I made myself some avocado bread and got ready for the day. Today at work consisted of more inventory, but one of the departments that we visited was the neonatal department and the NICU which was an experience in itself. The babies in the NICU were the smallest I had ever seen, and they were desperately grasping on for life. My heart and prayers went out to all the mothers at Ruhengeri and around the world that are dealing with their child in the NICU. The babies all had bandaids/tape either on their bellies or forehead with their information because the hospitals don’t have a medical bracelet system from what I have seen. For lunch Amanda and I went to a restaurant in the town called Isange BF. It was surprisingly such large portions (we ordered a chicken leg and veggies) and also got a soup and rice with our meal. I then needed to try to exchange my money as I was running out of cash but was having a hard time finding a forex bureau and/or bank that exchanged money so I resorted in using the ATM. And of course the first ATM I used didn’t work but I got it on the second the one I visited. I will definitely be exchanging when I go back to Kigali two weekends from now. After lunch, Rachel our coordinator came and visited us at the hospital. She walked around with us while we did inventory which was a good relief and fun time. We all went home, including Rachel and hung out for a little bit before dinner. While Rachel is here she gets to take us out to dinner, whoop, so we decided to go to a restaurant called Migano’s and man was it good! I got some lemon ginger tea to start, then got a fish dish that consisted of tilapia with lemon garlic and simmered in a coconut and tomato kind of sauce. The meal came with 2 sides and I got egg fried rice, and parsley potatoes! The most refreshing thing I have had in awhile. We also got to have dessert so we opted for the ice cream sundae with cappuccino, chocolate and vanilla ice cream. We enjoyed the cappuccino and chocolate the best as the vanilla had a strong taste of strawberry and was a little but off putting. Overall, great night and good talks with Rachel.

June 27, 2019

Thursday: Today was an incredible day for us in so many different ways! The morning started a little bit early, but we wanted to take Rachel to our favorite coffee shop, Crema, before work. At Crema I ordered granola and yogurt for breakfast and a cortado to drink, again the best thing I have had in awhile. The granola to yogurt ratio was impeccable and it was nice to feel like I had been eating some what healthy. And the cortado was served in this adorable mug that looked like one from a specialty market, so cute. We got to work and Amanda typed up the rest of our inventory from Wednesday. Boaz still wasn’t there yet so we started brainstorming secondary project ideas for our hospital. We decided on two different ideas that we really like, and have solid plans for them so we are so excited to put them in action in the next few weeks. For those of you who don’t know, our main task in Musanze is to repair medical equipment but we also have a secondary project to fulfill. Our project has a budget of $100 per person and can consist of anything that can benefit the hospital or community in some way. We decided that the pediatric ward was looking a little sad and that we wanted to add a few different play options for the kids that are there. Once Boaz came to the office we decided to stop inventory and open some equipment. We started working on an infant warmer which had a broken control board. The control board was an easy fix, however once we fixed it the heating element would turn off on its own after about 5 minutes. This is not good as the infant warmer needs to stay at a constant temperature for a long period of time to control the babies temperature. We kept trying different solutions to fix the problem and we haven’t figured it out yet. There is a piece that if it wiggles will turn the device back on so we are going to clean and reseed it tomorrow morning and hopefully that will work. For lunch today we found another self serve buffet with a good variety of food and also cheap. Then Amanda and I went to the bus station to try and figure out our weekend trip, we somewhat succeeded but will see tomorrow. Then I found a store with fun wind breakers and caved and bought one for myself. Definitely did not need it but I bargained well so it was too hard to walk away. We went back to work on the infant warmer then went home and showered. We needed gas and some avocados for dinner tonight and our nice security guard went and got it for us! So kind Jean Paul! We all took a rest before getting to cook dinner. For dinner I made Amanda and I some eggs with peppers, onions, and avocado with a side of some avocado toast, we love a good avoca! I made some tea to accompany my dinner, it was incredible. I will be a tea fiend when I get back, sorry friends and family. After dinner, I went straight to bed as it has been such an exhausting and draining week, but so beeping grateful for the week I have had. It has been so different. From the change of pace, scenery, encounters, relationships, and responsibilities, I have learned so much about who I am as a person and how I can adapt to the sudden shift of lifestyle for the second time. I am so pumped as tomorrow is FRIYAY, and we are leaving work right after lunch because we are traveling this weekend. Amanda and I are going to meet up and stay with some of our friends in Butare, go to the canopy walk then go to Kigali and stay in an AirBnB for the weekend. Monday is Independence Day in Rwanda so none of us are going to work Monday so we are most likely going to stay in Kigali till Monday morning! It will be a nice, refreshing weekend as we will get to see a majority of our friends and be in a familiar area once again.

June 28, 2019

Friday: Friday morning was a little rough for the Musanze house as both Amanda and I had very upset stomachs. Our BMET Boaz decided that we shouldn’t come into to work as we were going to leave at noon anyway. This gave us an opportunity to rest and start to feel better before the weekend. After taking some medicine and another 2 hour nap, I felt ready to conquer the day. We went to Crema for lunch and I got a chocolate and banana smoothie so yum! After Crema we went to the bus station and hopped on a bus to Kigali and then a bus from Kigali to Butare. The bus station situation was very interesting to learn how to do but it was super easy, and the workers at the bus stop were super helpful. Our bus to Kigali was interesting as we were the last ones on the bus so we had the “private jet” seat which is the one that folds down in the middle. Not comfortable at all, but it wasn’t horrible for only a 2 hour drive. The bus to Butare was a lot better as we got food at the Kigali bus station, exchanged money, and got good seats on the bus. We made it into Butare after a long day of travel at about 8:30pm and met with our friends staying there, Kali and Kaylee. We went to a bar/resto place (usually just a typical Rwandan buffet) and got some food as we were super hungry. The rest of our friends came into Butare at about 9:30pm and they met up with us at the resto. It was INCREDIBLE to see so many of the people I had spent the last month with, even though we hadn’t even been gone a week from each other a reunion was much needed. We went back to the hotel and went into one room and talked until the wee hours of the night.

June 29, 2019

Saturday: There were 10 of us in Butare for the day but 6 of us got up at 6am to go to the canopy walk in Nyungwe National Park, which is about a 2 hour drive from Butare. Before we headed out we got breakfast at the hotel which was so nice as I had not had African Tea, or an Rwandan omelette in awhile! We got in the car and drove toward the park. It was a very scenic drive and going into the park you could see chimps every few minutes on the side of the road! When we got to the front desk they informed us the canopy walk was closed due to construction, sad! But we went on a different hike, which was honestly probably better than the canopy walk and cheaper. We started our hike and it was very peaceful, with the sound of the birds chirping, the wind rustling the leaves and a slight drizzle; it was one of my favorite walks. After our hike, we went to a guest house that was right outside the park for lunch. We were stoked as the restaurant was at the top of the hill and had astonishing views of the surrounding villages. I got some citron fanta, and pasta and ended the meal very satisfied. THEN, the waiter came by with a nice juice for all of us that was incredible enough that we got the recipe to make back at home. Picture below, credit of Gabriella Smith!! After lunch, we rushed back to the hotel, packed and headed back to the bus stop as we decided to rent an airBNB in Kigali for the night. Our bus to Kigali was the best bus we had been on, our hearts are now pledged to Horizon Bus Company! We reached Kigali, got to our mini mansion and INCREDIBLE. The pictures on the website did not do the house justice. For dinner we just had snacks and some sambuusa and chapatti, which tided us over. For the night we just hung out in the mansion and had so much fun!

June 30, 2019

Sunday: In the morning we all gradually woke up, and all ended up congregating on the balcony and having some good conversations to tea and bread. We departed the house at around 11:30 to go to lunch at the rooftop Camellia which had an incredible view. That has been a common theme of this weekend. After lunch we went to the cinema and saw Toy Story 4, almost made me cry. So wholesome and pure! After the movie, Laura and I went back to our original home stay in Kigali. It was so nice getting to see Marina and Macheta and have dinner with them! Then we went to karaoke and ended off the night in bed!

Monday and Tuesday: This past Monday and Tuesday were our ‘almost’ last day of classes where everything was still ‘normal’. As always we had Kinyarwanda from 8:30-12 and lecture/lab from 1:30-5ish but on these days it was particularly easy! The final days of Kinyarwanda consisted of us conducting our own lessons and teaching the class what we had learned, and really long breaks! What a blessing. Monday after class consisted of a pre-organized EWH soccer match, that surprisingly got really competitive and didn’t start well but then ended in a fun game! Tuesday after class, Maya and I went to Question Coffee and again it did not disappoint.

Wednesday: Wednesday morning did not start off well as I took my malaria medicine before breakfast and then my stomach decided that it did not like that. So instead of going to the first hour of Kinyarwanda, I decided to stay in bed. When I decided to get up to go to class, it had already been dismissed and the squad decided to play a competitive game of soccer on the soccer field. I had already put some more food and another dose of malaria medication in my body so I was feeling good and ready to play!! So much fun as some IPRC students refed our match. After the game a few of us went to lunch at La Mane, a coffee shop/bakery nearby. For lecture and lab today, we went on a ‘spare part scavenger’ hunt which consisted of our teams going into town to find different spare parts that we may need in our second month in our hospitals. This scavenger hunt was so stressful as there were not many shops and 30 students trying to ask for the same items, however it was helpful to know what to look for in the shops and affirmed that it was easy to find what we may need.

Thursday: As always, Thursdays consist of hospital visits and this one was no different. Our group went to CHUK hospital, toured and got to repair different medical equipment. This week Amanda and I worked on a patient monitor. The BMET (Biomedical Engineering Technician) originally said the button needed to be fixed but in reality, we replaced pretty much the whole system. After reseeding the button, we found that the blood pressure measurements were not working but the pO2 levels were. As Amanda and I tried to trouble shoot the problem, we replaced the whole circuit related to the BP as well as the paneling. This issue took such a long time to troubleshoot but we finally succeeded in finishing the machine and the BMET got us to fill out the forms to send it out to the floor. It was an incredible experience that really affirmed my knowledge in what I am about to do next month, and I am so thankful that this week at CHUK happened. This is what I wrote for my scholarship ‘end of month’ reflection and I think it is applicable “Ending my fourth week in Kigali, the growth I have encountered in my classes and in the local hospitals has been astonishing. The first week of class we visited Kibagabaga hospital to take a tour of the hospital and work on trouble shooting damaged medical equipment. Going into the hospital on our first Thursday I was scared as though I felt like I had no training or knowledge on how to fix anything. During the time in Kibagabaga that first Thursday affirmed me that I can be successful in repairing medical equipment and that my trouble shooting opinions are valued. The next three Thursday of hospital visits were more personal and I was able to fix more and more medical equipment. This past Thursday at CHUK hospital, our group fixed 2 different patient monitors and put them back on the floor to be used that day by doctors. The scared and afraid McKenzie of week one is now confident in her abilities and excited to immerse herself into Ruhengeri hospital for the next 5 weeks.” Thursday night we went back to Kigali Heights and Riders lounge to get buy one get one free pizzas! Again so yum, also got a scoop of gelato as you know that I cannot resist a good scoop of ice cream.

Friday: Our last day of class was so sad and so surreal! John only made us take his teacher evaluation in class and then we went outside to play games. We played games, took pictures, and made a 4 level human pyramid for about an hour and then we decided to end Kinyarwanda for the day. A few of us went to the market and Justine and I bargained our way into copping some Rwandan soccer jerseys, SCORE in so many good ways. Justine and I went to lunch at the on campus canteen and had our last 500 RWF meal and a good citron Fanta before lecture. Lecture just consisted of Rachel (our coordinator) and Dr. Moreno giving us tips for our second month and letting us reorganize our toolkits. After class, we went to the Ubumwe Hotel for dinner as a group and had an INCREDIBLE time! I got a good gnocchi dish, a good view of the city, a lots of laughs with my friends. Afterward we went to a place called Coccobean to finish off the night! Friday was one of my most favorite nights in Kigali and I am so thankful for all of the memories we made that night and the past 4 weeks together.

Saturday: Our last full day and very sensi! I got up early to wash my undergarments and then went to brunch with my dad and his students. They were leaving that day to go back to America so it was good to see him one last time. I had brought him his 2 gifts of ties and coasters and OF COURSE, I brought him my roommate Laura’s coasters. When I got back home I realized this and had to go to Kigali Heights to meet one of his students to exchange coasters. There was a silver lining in this mess as I got a chance to have a final gelato and sit and relax on my own at the gelato shop. When I got back home I played the rest of the day with our house kids, Marina and Machetta, the time we had Saturday was so intentional and I cherished it a lot. Our last dinner consisted of our classic Rwandan meal of beef, rice, chips, and green banana; a good final end to our time at IPRC. That night Laura and I went back to La Mane, drank some coffee, journaled, read and talked. I had an incredible time with her that night and will miss our intentional talks over books, coffee and tea.

Sunday: Cue the tears because they were very real. Woke up this morning to Zumba happening at the soccer fields as it was ‘car free day’ where they encourage movement and sports in the morning. We finished up packing and went to breakfast with the family. We exchanged gifts with our host parents and took lots of cute pictures. Classic, Machetta asked for more games from my phone and made the day even more real. Thomas and his wife took our luggage to the front gate and dropped us off as we waited for our cars to arrive to take us to our respected cities for month 2. As a group we waited for our cars and all of us started to get really emotional as each car started to head out. Eventually, Amanda, Alodie and I got in the RAV4 and set out for Musanze. Around 1pm we arrived at our house and got settled in. We met our house guard Jean Paul and it was so easy to fall in love with our house. We each get our own room with nice full beds, and lots of room to spread out. We have a dining room, kitchen, small tv, and a WARM shower/bathroom for us to share. Then we went out to town to explore and found a super cute coffee shop on the way to the hospital from our house. It is going to be crazy dangerous as they have good coffee, smoothies, pasties, breakfast, lunch and good wifi. A terrible combination for my aesthetic addiction. We then tried to find the super market but got lost so just decided to go home. I unpacked and was so relived to have a ton of room. Amanda and I went to dinner at a place called Volcana Lounge and Alodie stayed in and had a friend over from childhood. Amanda and I got a nice pizza and were very satisfied. As we got home Alodie made chips and soup and let us have some, so good and our first official family dinner!! Got a warm shower, and am going to head in for the night.

Looking ahead: Tomorrow Amanda, Alodie and I start our internships at the Ruhengeri Hospital in Musanze, Rwanda for the next five weeks. We will have 8am-5pm days and work with the BMET Jean Claude. The first few days will consist of meeting the staff at hospital, getting acquainted with the area, and taking inventory on equipment. Once we are comfortable in the hospital we will start working on repairing the medical equipment, a secondary project of our choosing, and tackling their equipment graveyard. I am so excited for all that I will learn this next month and in the hospital, will keep you all updated. For now, n’aho mukanya.   

Hello everyone welcome back! this week was one for the books, lots of fun and crazy adventures for sure.

Monday – Wednesday: Nothing too special happened. We had language class, technical class and lab like normal. Lab actually was very difficult these days as we had this power supply lab where we were making a transformer… it defeated us all. The days ended by going to play soccer and hanging out with the squad.

Thursday: Our lab group went to Muhima hospital and we had the best time! We got to fix two different infant warmers, a pulse oximeter, and a few other devices. It is so rewarding to actually trouble shoot the device, find the problem, and fix something that the BMET staff thought was irreparable. After our day at the hospital we traveled to Kigali Heights and had a good GNO getting gelato and pizza. Emphasis on the gelato. I kid you not, my first ice cream related thing in 3 weeks, I was so lacking and it was so good. Pizza so good and so worth it as it was buy one get one free! My stomach wasn’t a fan of the grease and cheese but ya know YOLO! Then we met up with the boys after to go to an art gallery called Inema for the rest of the night! A baller of a time!

Friday: We were supposed to have language class but our teacher John let us a have a game/free day before we went we went to the Youth Village, so kind of him. Around 1:30 we went to the Agahozo Shalom Youth Village which is a place where students in upper grades, that grew up without parents can come succeed in a loving environment. The students here can stay for up to 4 years. They have family houses with a mom that takes care of them, game days, life skill classes, 3 different major school focuses and much more to help them succeed in their future endeavors. When we were there we put together a pressure sensing kit, an ECG kit, toured the campus, watched the talent concert and had dinner with them. Every student and staff member that we interacted with welcomed us with open arms and were so warm and kind to us. The talent concert was maybe the best thing I have seen in awhile. My favorite things where the fashion show, the modern dance, and the a capella group. The girl in these pictures is Hugette, who I got to work with while I was there. She is such an inspiration, loves chemistry, basketball, and is full of pure joy.

Saturday: Oh man what a day. I need to stop getting up at 4am on Saturdays. But anyway we got up at 4am to go to Volcanoes National Park and hike the Bisoke Crater Lake hike, one of the five volcanoes in Rwanda. I am not kidding when I say this. Hardest thing I have ever done in my life. The SAT does not even compare. We got to the base and we had high hopes for everything when we saw everyone in nice hiking gear, boots and gators as we were rocking our running shoes and tshirts! We had a nice bumpy ride for 40 minutes to the base of the hike, got some walking sticks and were on our way. The first 30 minutes were very nice in a farm land type area and we saw a 2 day old lamb… so beeping adorable!! Then we got to the gate that keeps all the buffalo and gorilla in the park, and we started. For 2ish hours we were in straight mud, and it only got squishier and steeper the more we climbed. Thankfully we had these incredible guides, it was a 1-1 ratio pretty much and Emmy legit saved my life. There was this sketchy little river part, and the guides all had rain boots so they were all in the river and trying to help us across. Didn’t work. I fell in. I tried to get out and it was just not working, I look and felt like a fish out of water. That’s okay though, I got out eventually and we kept going. Our guides were all about getting to the top and we barely took any breaks and I almost cried as I just a few breaks and my shoe kept coming off in the mude. The mud was everywhere and Emmy was pulling me up by the end of trail. But hallelujah we made it to the top, and it was the most rewarding thing ever! Took lots of pics, ate lots of pringles, and laughed a lot. I am so thankful for the girls I went on the hike with as though the hike was so taxing, there was not a single complaint from anyone. We tackled that mountain with joy, laughter and enthusiasm and I am FOREVER grateful for my mushiki’s (sisters)! The way down was very scary, as again it was pure mud and very steep. There’s a part where it is straight rock and has eroded areas where people continually put their feet, so grateful for that honestly. But lets not lie, I fell on my butt a few times. But good news, didn’t fall in the river this time! We ended the hike caked in mud, but with full spirits and citron fanta’s in hand. Will miss those in the states for sure. Our drive back was nice and quiet and our day was incredible, I FREAKING CLIMBED A VOLCANO IN AFRICA!!! I am jealous of myself honestly. Sad note, didn’t have running water when I got back to the house so my hair has not been washed in a week, I have a hard time washing it with the bucket so its just gonna have to wait. But ya know life be like that and the bucket got the mud off my poor ankles so we good.

Sunday: Wow, a jam packed day. We got up and I asked my house lady, Frieda if she could wash my shoes from the hike. She did, an icon! We went to the Kigali Genocide Memorial which was much more modern memorial than the one at the millennium but just as powerful, and maybe more as over 250,000 people were buried on the site. There was a lot included at the memorial about different genocides that have occurred in the past such as Holocaust, Cambodian genocide and a few more. Pictures of the ones lost were hung on wires, and quotes from children that survived the attacks broke my heart. Those kids are heros and know the true meaning of unity in Rwanda. After the memorial a few of us went to lunch, and then to the tailor. I picked up my pants, scrunchies and ties and they were all wonderful! I have so much fabric left so I need to find another tailor in Musanze to make me some more clothing items. Once we left the tailor, we went back home for a little bit and it was CRAZY! At IPRC there is a big football/soccer stadium and they were having a game so we had to run around all the traffic and crazy fans to get to our house. Honestly so dope and fun to see all the energy and excitement for the game just out of our window. Laura (one of my roommates) and I adventured to Question Coffee which is a coffee company fully run by strong and empowering woman. Also so cute and wonderful, it boosted my mood a lot to read, listen to music and drink some good coffee. Went home, washed my under garments (Frieda washes our normal clothes, but all under garments you wash yourself). She has never been there when I have washed my stuff, and I was doing it all wrong… RIP. But she laughed at me a little bit then showed me how, basically doing it all for me. Again, such an icon she deserves all the praises. Made a mistake by doing it at 5pm because the sun sets around 6:15 but glad its done for the week. Supposed to go to karaoke later tonight with some people and their home stays, but it’s been a long day so we shall see.

Conclusion: Ending this post is so bitter sweet because as I look onto this next week I see tons of different emotions, experiences and memories. We have one more week in Kigali, then we will all be traveling to different cities to make HUGE impacts in the rural cities of Rwanda. I am so excited to move slower in these cities, and have some time to breathe and reflect on my own. The relationships I make with the locals the next month will be so rewarding and teach me so much. However, leaving the relationships I have made and the city I have grown so fond of will be very difficult. All of us are going to have to work hard to keep in contact, and make an effort to see each other on the weekend in our different cities or in Kigali. For now, I am living in the present and cherishing my time in class, in my homestay and our quirky adventures as a group. We have freaking full week ahead of soccer scrimmages and a full on competitive game, a supply scavenger hunt, a concert and dinner, and a few more trips to the city center (prayers for gelato)! This time next week I will be settled in Musanze, so in my next post you will probably hear about my travels there and my first day. But I may post again earlier or later than Sunday depending on the wifi situation, as I am going to have to figure that all out all over again tehe.

N’aho mukanya (see you later!)

Hello hello everyone! I am ending out my second week here in Kigali and this marks the halfway point of me being in Kigali as in 2 weeks I will head to Musanze to be stationed at Ruhengeri hospital. This week was interesting as lots of different emotions hit and acclamation to city has really increased. Friendships have strengthened and I have been learning so much about my own personal growth through them. The week was normal with class, playing soccer with our host kids and getting meals but I will explain in more detail below!

Last Sunday we spent the day becoming more culturally aware of Rwanda’s history during and after the genocide in 1994. Our first stop was the genocide memorial which was located in a catholic church where many woman and children were hiding from the oppressors. On the churches exterior you can see the bullet holes used to forcefully enter the area. Inside the church were clothes, items, bones, skulls and coffins of all the victims from the attack on the church. The memorial was one of the most powerful places I have ever visited. Hearing the stories and history of the genocide were more intense than I had previously realized and really gave me a sense of perspective on the knowledge we know about other countries and their history. After the genocide occurred, many of the pastors in churches visited Hutu and Tutsi in jail and at their homes asking for healing and forgiveness of the two groups, and to encourage them live in harmony. For 25 years Rwanda has been extremely community focused and dedicated to healing through interactions and talking. This brings us to our next three stops of the day which are incorporated into the Millennium Village which is village set up to encourage healing and growth. We visited a farm where we were fed lunch of local Rwandan food; rice, beef, potatoes, casava and other vegetables. Next we visited the Women’s Cooperative where the women use the weaving of baskets to spend time to talk about their experiences of the genocide and heal through vocal expression. The women taught us how to weave baskets and we were able to purchase some of their work. Lastly we visited the Millennium Village where 54 families Hutu and Tutsi families live in unison as community. When we arrived we were welcomed with a children’s choir and dancing from the older girls. They were incredibly talented. Then we met the village leaders, and got to hear stories from a man that was an oppressor and a woman who was oppressed during the genocide. We were given the opportunity to ask them questions about their experiences, their answers and stories were truly eye opening about how much they have healed in the past 25 years. They then served us banana wine, and the little girls came out and danced. They finished the day off by getting us to dance with them, my heart was so full from their love, growth and generosity throughout the entire day.

Monday was a normal day of class but Tuesday was Eid al-Fitr which is the end of Ramadan so we didn’t have class on that day. Monday night we went to a place called Best Bar and played some cards and mafia which was a really fun bonding time! Tuesday was amazing as I had the opportunity to see my dad while he is here in Rwanda. We walked around downtown Kigali, and got dinner at Heaven which was a much needed change from my usual food. I got fish tacos *drooling* they were so good. I also got to shower at my dads hotel with hot water and use a hair dryer which was such a luxury that I have been missing.

Wednesday consisted of class like normal, then at night a few of us went downtown to get some clothing made at the tailor! We went to a fabric shop downtown and picked out our desired pattern and took it across the street to a tailor. This lady was a friend of one of my friends house mom that they had previously visited to get stuff made. The tailors areas are pretty hectic and I am glad some people knew what they were doing, and we brought our friend Pascale to translate for us. The hallways are all full of different shops stuffed full of different sewing machines, however we easily found who we wanted. She measured me to make me pants, and a few other things that I got as gifts! Super fun experience.

Thursday is our day to visit the hospitals in Kigali, and this week our group went to King Faisal hospital. This hospital is premier in the country and is a resource for many countries in the surrounding areas. It was really exciting to see all the different equipment and procedures they have in place compared to the past hospitals we visited. Typically our hospital visits are supposed to consist of a quick hospital tour and then we begin to work on equipment that are in the equipment graveyards or broken on the floor of the hospital. However, the BMET at Faisal was supper detailed and informative in our tour so it took the whole day. It was very helpful as he explained many of the different machines, how they worked, and reaffirmed us to make sure we knew how they worked and the common problems they have so that we knew how to fix them. The BMET took us to every part of the hospital, including being able to sit in on a CT scan, MRI scan and into the OT (operating theater). Also super coincidentally I saw my dad and his students touring the hospital as well, such a fun surprise. Thursday ended back at the IPRC campus and was super peaceful. I just called some friends and family, read my book, and journaled. 

Friday was a super normal day of class and not much happened at night other than going to Simba, the grocery store, to get some snacks for Saturday. 

Saturday, by far my most favorite day yet. WE WENT ON A SAFARI! At 5am we headed out to Akagera national park to go on our safari. We were in 3 different safari cars and it took about 2 and a half hours to get to the park. In the park we got to see giraffes, elephants, 12 different species of antelope, baboons, monkeys, hippos, buffalo, water buck, so many birds, zebras, and so much more!! We concluded that zebras are the squirrels of Akagera, there are so freaking many! The safari drive got us all COVERED in dust, and showering last night was such a blessing. Later Saturday night we met up again at a coffee shop and hung out until we needed to be home.

Sunday! Today was super nice and peaceful day. We woke up, had some breakfast, then I went straight back to sleep for another hour. Then my roommate and I washed some clothes and met up with our friends at a craft market. We spent a good amount of time there buying gifts and things for ourselves. We have gotten pretty good at bargaining which is helpful. After that we went and got some burgers and chips at a spot close by, YUM! Taxis were hard to find today and once we did there was a bit of confusion with the driver and the cab but overall a good day. Now I’m writing this post and need to do some textbook reading for the week! TTYL LOVE YALL 

May 25; I departed DFW and man what an adventure. The plane departing DFW was delayed 2 and a half hours and I was gloriously sitting in the middle seat for that time. I really had to pee. Sad. We finally took off and headed to Amsterdam. My layover in Amsterdam was 3 hours, and with the delay I ended up missing my next flight. Thankfully, the lady at the KLM desk was very helpful by getting my flight rescheduled and letting me go through the priority check in/security. The airport was a ZOO at 11am so so thankful I didn’t have to wait. Downside, my new flight took me to Nairobi, Kenya instead of Kigali, Rwanda, where I needed to be that night. So when I landed in Kenya I got myself a hotel room, and a nice shower so I could depart to Rwanda by 6:50 the next morning.

May 27; I landed in Kigali, Rwanda around 8am. Got my visa approved and called the driver to pick me up and take me to class to join the rest of the group. When I got to campus, I was dropped off at Thomas’ house which is the homestay I am living with while in Kigali. Thomas was so excited that I finally made it and joined his new family, so sweet :’) He walked me to class, which is about a 5 minute walk from our house. Everyone was in the middle of Kinyarwanda class, which is the major language spoken in Rwanda. Typical, I got called up to demonstrate legit 5 minutes after I got there and looked like a complete goon. We had Kinyarwanda from 8:30-12:30, lunch, then went to the bank to exchange money, and the MTN store to get our Rwandan phones. We LOVE our burner phones, theres this dope monkey game which is a crowd favorite for sure. On the conclusion of our first real day I was awestruck. I am spending 10 weeks in this BEAUTIFUL country with people I am already getting to know so well, and my attitude ending the first week just emphasizes my feelings of excitement for what is to come.

A day in the life; On a normal school day my 2 roommates and I wake up around 7:15 to get ready for the day. We have breakfast which normally consists of african tea (which is leaves and milk brewed together), fruit (either mangos, pineapple, bananas, or passionfruit), bread and butter, and hard boiled eggs. Very simple and very yum. We have Kinyarwanda class from 8:30am – 12:30pm which is crazy fun and also so hard at the same time. Our professors name is John, and he is a great teacher and super helpful. We also have students in the class who are from Rwanda and are able to help with our pronunciation and learning. Our class is full of laughter and jokes, and lots of friendship. Much appreciated. We also get a “15 minute break” which is more like 40 minutes. This is the freaking best because we love talking to each other and the Rwandan students and learning about their life. We then go to lunch around campus and lunches average to 1,500 – 2,500 francs which is about 2-3 dollars, a steal. An average lunch for us is called “fast food” which is really just a buffet with rice, soup, this banana dish (honestly its like a savory banana, hard to explain), beef, vegetables, noodles, and potatoes. Then we go to our lecture/lab of Medical Devices in the Developing World. This is where we learn safety and knowledge on how to interact in the hospitals when we deploy next month to our respected places and fix broken medical equipment. We finish class around 5:30, and recently we have been taking our homestay kids to the field and play soccer/basketball/volleyball with them till it gets dark. We have dinner, which is very similar to lunch and then go to a cute bakery/coffee shop called La Mane.

Fun things so far; Every Thursday instead of having class we will visit local Kigali hospitals and work in them for the day. This past Thursday we went to Kibagabaga Hospital, met with the BMET (biomedical engineering technician), got a tour of the hospital, and fixed different old equipment. I personally worked on an oxygen humidifier and we troubleshooted the heck out that thing, but we figured it out!! Heck ya! For lunch on Thursday we went to a restaurant called Meze Fresh, which was like Chiptole. So good, and so needed. But honestly, at that point I think most of our stomachs got kinda upset by the amount of grease in our quesadillas. But worth it for sure. At night we have been hanging out, watching soccer games, and discovering the city of Kigali. On Friday night we explored a lot and went a music festival called Jazz Junction which had a bunch of different African Artists from rap to country. Such a freaking blast and an incredible once in a lifetime experience.

What I have learned so far; Seriously guys, it has been exactly one week and I am shook by how much I have grown in myself and my abilities. My experience in the airport the first day pushed me to take charge and make decisions on my own and not rely on anyone else to get me through the major and minor setbacks. I have learned that time in Rwanda is slow, and that patience is needed. That the time waiting is so valuable. This is where you learn about peoples lives, passions, and who they are. We have all grown so close so quickly. I have learned that taxi drivers like to take advantage of Americans and you need to bargin and do it well. We finally mastered our 5,000 franc taxi drive to the city center. Booyah. I have learned that I somewhat know what I am doing. When I came into this trip I was worried that I was not adequate enough or qualified to fix devices that would potentially save someones life. I am adequate, worthy and qualified. I have learned that I am absolutely terrible at other languages and can not speak in accents at all. But I am trying and the Rwandans seem to appreciate the effort. I am freaking pumped to see where my time in Rwanda takes me, I will try to post weekly so tune in (fun emoji!!!)