I realize haven’t updated my blog in a while, things been kind of crazy and up in the air with a break in the middle. So here’s a quick overview of what’s been happening in my life the past couple of months.
July – in July things started with a long bike ride that I took from my site up north all the way to another volunteer’s site in the eastern province of Rwanda. The trip took three days covering 300 kilometers in 5 hrs and 14mins. Day one I took off from my site rode along paved roads for about 5 kilometers before turning onto the dirt road to Byumba in the Northern Province. This was the most difficult section of the ride which started off along a paved road, then flat roads across tea plantations but then quickly turned into ascending one mountain after another with intermittent flat sections for the remaining 30 km.
I had to walk my bike a couple of times and there was a time when I thought I wasn’t going to make it before dark. However, after going around a couple of hills, I could see my destination in the distance three or four hills over. My ride the first day was slow as I was going through remote villages and made several stops to speak with locals who were surprised to see a
muzungu riding a bicycle along their village. I also spent some time walking across the tea plantations.
The next day was a smooth ride as I went from Byumba atop one of the mountains all the way down hill to the capital Kigali. This was a straight forward and a joy ride for most of the time. On the third day m plan was to end my ride in Rwamagana in the Eastern province , about 1hr drive by car, but by the time I got there, the volunteer I was supposed to stay with was on her way to Kibungu farther east and convinced me to continue on to my final destination in Kibungo. Several other volunteers were on their way to Kibungo for our 4th of July goat roast party!!
I pushed on that same day and ended up cutting 150 Km in one day. By the time I got to Kibungo I was covered in dirt and sweat and ready for a nice cold shower and a meal. On the way to Kibungo I actually rested briefly at some roadside bar where I got to watch the Germany-Argentina world cup match.
July – also in July was the 4th of July goat roast party hosted by Tom and Malea at their house in Kibungo. This ended up being an amazing weekend with amazing food and a delicious fresh kill goat on one big skewer!! That week end we cooked, ate great food, drank, sang songs to Brandon’s guitar playing, and played card games.
July – the other highlights in July included my resignation from the Access Project, the NGO I’ve been working with since I started my PC service in Rwanda. They hosted a kind thank you party for me and 3 other volunteers and interns who were leaving around the same time. The following week I flew home to Chicago for a two week recharging trip!!
July-August – I want home to Chicago to visit my family and be part of my nephew Youssef’s fifth birthday party. In all honesty, I was very nervous and anxious of going home. I wasn’t sure how I would react seeing my family after being away in central Africa for the past year and a half!! But the minute I hit the ground and came outside of the airport it was like I’ve never left!! I felt so much in ease! Perhaps my 7 hour layover and stroll down the streets of Brussels eased me into the developed world!!
Being home was great. I was received at the airport by my two sisters, my growing nephew and now walking niece!! I got to drive for the first time in a year down the high highways of the US. At home, my mom was waiting. It was great seeing her and my dad. This is the longest it’s been for me to be away from home!! My mom was excited and took two weeks off work so that we can spend the most time together. I got to eat lots of good food and have cold drinks and hot showers on demand!!
I got to eat delicious Egyptian food such as molokheya with rice, sea food, fresh salads, cheese sandwiches and more. I went out a couple of times with my buddies and other friends. I got treated to amazing Chicago style thin and stuffed pizza, Vietnamese food, subway, burgers.
Spending two weeks there was about the right amount, any longer would’ve made it a hard decision coming back!!
August – August was overall quiet as I prepared to transition to my new job with Partners in Health (PIH), http://www.pih.org . See next blog entry.
Other than the presidential elections which went smoothly and with no problems, I spent my time managing the two projects I’m starting in my old community. I also got to spend a long weekend in a town at the southernmost tip of Lake Kivu bordering the gold-rich province of Bukavo in the DR Congo. The views of the lake and Bukavo on the other side of the lake were amazing. We also took a boat ride down the Congo River in a dug-out canoe where we could touch the DR Congo one side and Rwanda on the other.
This week I moved to my new home in Butaro where I'll be working with Partners in Health or PIH. PIH was started in Haiti by Dr Paul Farmer. PIH came to Rwanda in 2005 by invitation from the Rwandan government and supported by the Clinton Foundation. In Rwanda, PIH runs two hospitals and is building a third state of the art new hospital. Butaor, where I'll be, is more isolated that my last location. They still don’t have electricity and is far from any major paved roads. But these are the exact conditions PIH prefers to work and serve the underprivileged of all populations. However, PIH facilities run on massive generators and are well equipped with wireless fast internet, full kitchen, and an amazing and professional staff.
I’ll be working with the Procurement and Logistics team focusing on ‘clinical capacitation’ within the new hospital. I’m really excited to be part of this amazing organization and will keep you posted as to my work plans. Here are some images of the new hospital under construction. The scheduled opening of the hospital is Oct 2010 when the president and other dignitaries will be here for the inauguration. 
