Out for a Run

Here are two stories that I would like to share with you:

The first one was earlier today. While I was out jogging from the training center at Taba (the village town we're staying in) I came across school kids who were heading home from school. As they saw me heading down hill, one kid turned around and yelled "Umuzongo" which is the word for white people, and all at a sudden a group of kids turned around and started running in front of me. I greeted them and kept on my way but turned around to find 8 of the kids keeping pace with me. it was such a fun experience and they continued with me for the next mile and half. It was inspiring indeed.

The second story was related to a site visit to one of the clinics around Butare. The clinic I visited was at the umodogodo (village) of Murkazi. The purpose of the visit was to learn about the health care system in Rwanda at the community level. The clinic we visited had about 25 beds and served a population of about 11,000 some people travel 2 hours to reach the center. Some of the services provided there are geared around maternity and pediatrics. They had a small lab with one microscope, a centrifuge and simple tools for urine and preliminary blood tests. They also had a small pharmacy. We toured the facility including the Labor and Delivery ward. We then walked into the post natal room to find a 1-day old baby. It was a humbling experience but inspiring at the same time. The quality of the clinics here despite the simplicity and lack of automation exceeded our expectations in terms of some of the patient registration practices and quality of care. The dedication of the staff in assisting patients and making sure the community members receive the medical attention they need was visible and is worth highlighting.

Perhaps in a separate entry I’ll touch on the health insurance system they have here in Rwanda and far exceeds the US…

Until then, love you and miss you all.

p.s. I wish I could post some pics but the connection here is too slow.