I find myself continuously struggling with the concept of “time” here. And not only in regards to what we refer to as “Rwanda time” where everything happens at a different pace and generally 45 minutes to 3 hours after it’s scheduled to. I’m referring to the hours of the day, and how (slowly or quickly) they pass here. I can’t decide if I feel like I just arrived in Rwanda or if I feel like I’ve been here forever. Honestly, I think it’s a fair amount of both. The closest explanation I’ve been able to come up with is this: each day, at the time, seems to go on and on and include more outings, learning experiences, awkward moments and excitement than usually occurred in three or four days in my pre-PCV life; and yet, as I look back at my time here I marvel at how quickly each week seems to pass. It’s like I’ve blinked my eyes and suddenly three months have passed.
Two things are certain: 1) I generally accomplish more here in a day than I ever did back in the states. Hell, I accomplish more in the first 4 hours of my day than I ever did. And 2) no two days are ever the same. This isn’t to say that every new day is full of exotic and extraordinary adventures. Actually, yes that is kind of what I mean. Every day we’re exploring a new road or visiting a different health center (or in some cases mountain or city), each day I meet new people (either by choice or by chance), every day I explore a different part of Musanze, as well as discover different foods (even when it‘s just finding American food in a Rwandan store). All of this leads to a moment each night before I go to sleep where I reflect on what happened that day, the craziness that occurred, the emotions that I felt, and ponder what will come tomorrow.
So to illustrate these thoughts, here are some tales from the past week, just a couple of days in my life. Maybe it will help you (and maybe even me) understand what I mean about time here. Because sometimes there are days like…
Monday: All in all, this was a fairly chill day. Following a productive work meeting with Bertin, Jessica and I had one mission: pay the carpenter the deposit for my furniture. The carpentry area of town is a frantic and crowded place (Jessica at one point even looked back, made sure I was still behind her and told me “please don’t get lost, I’ll never find you again”); and of course the carpenter was no where to be found. So we decided to stop at the District office to attempt introducing me to the Executive Secretary; again, no where to be found. Defeated times two, we consoled ourselves with chapatti, coffee and fast internet. Then we consoled ourselves more with grilled cheese sandwiches and Sex and the City episodes over lunch. Post-lunch, we returned to our mission, and this time succeeded beautifully (with an added bonus of fresh woodchips for the cat’s litter box). After a quick stop at the market for eggs and other essentials, we slowly walked home, enjoying views of the volcanoes and what was probably the most beautiful weather I’ve experienced yet in Rwanda. I was so content, and spent the rest of the night writing letters and watching movies.
Tuesday: Jessica had to go to Gisenyi for the day, so it was just me and Bertin (and our driver, Bonesa). We were going to Nyabihu, the other district that Bertin is a District Health Advisor for, to Shyira hospital. He warned the roads would be bad, they were worse. As we drove, town quickly disappeared, and with it the nice paved roads of Musanze, replaced instead by roads that are a jagged mix of dirt and volcanic rock. Mountains loomed on all sides as we bumped and jolted around. The bumps were never-ending. The word “bump” doesn’t even begin to describe them. They made me almost go crazy, constantly wishing that 1) the drive would end and 2) I had decided to wear a sports bra that day. I found myself unable to breathe at times, partially due to the altitude and partially due to the views that continue to take my breath away, but mostly due to the fact that the wind was constantly being knocked out of me. I repeatedly fought the urge to ask “are we there yet?”. All of a sudden, we drove through a bustling town center, teaming with people. And everyone, seriously everyone, had at least one bright yellow, plastic jerry can. I’ve stopped questioning sights like those, but then I noticed that the jerry cans were bloated, inflated. After asking Bertin, he told me it’s waragi, the banana liquor produced in the region; it’s then that I realized the town was surrounded by banana trees. It was like a banana forest. And then the bumps returned. I marveled at Bertin and Bonesa’s ability to hold a conversation despite the terrain. Bertin pointed off into the distance at white buildings on top of a mountain; Shyira hospital. Soon we were climbing the mountain. I didn’t think the road could get worse; turns out, it could. At times the truck was pulling itself through the mud. The car was sideways, I feared we might tip over. Our truck hugged the side of the mountain; I hugged my seat of the truck. And finally, we reach the top. Shyira is a well-funded, well-run hospital and after a few meetings (where I attempted to follow the conversation in three different languages) and a coffee break, we headed back down the mountain. It had rained while we were at the hospital; I hadn’t thought anything of it until we rounded a corner on our journey back down and came upon a truck, stuck deeply into the mud. There was no way to pass, as the road was far too narrow, so we waited. Well, a white girl sitting in a truck on the side of a mountain is clearly the most exciting thing that’s happened this month, because soon we were surrounded by beaming children saying “good morning!!!” and staring at me through the window…for 45 minutes. When we were finally on our way again, the ride back was uneventful, minus the horrid bumps again. We got back around 3pm, exhausted and sick of being in a car. I quickly retreated to a hotel for some much needed internet time, and my first meal of the day. Then Jessica and I were off to Bertin’s house to meet his wife and five daughters. They are all sweet and adorable, and from our short visit I learned that they love lollypops and learning English. Hopefully there will be many more visits to come! After another lovely walk home I continued to decorate my room (yes those photos are coming in handy, ladies!) before passing out very, very early.
Wednesday: We started the day visiting three health centers in Nyabihu district, fortunately all much easier to reach than Shyira. Afterwards, we were off to Gisenyi, a lovely town on the bank of Lake Kivu. Driving into Gisenyi, the view is breathtaking, dominated by Nyiragongo, an active volcano which last erupted in 2002. The next sight is the red-roofed city of Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo., which borders Gisenyi on the bank of the lake. We wandered around the market and stopped for lunch at a great outdoor restaurant for cold fantas, a yummy corn and bean concoction, and the tastiest boiled meat soup I’ve had. Afterwards we stopped at the local Muzungu store where three incredible things happened. 1) I bought the best samboussas that exist in Rwanda; 2) I discovered good ole Smuckers grape jelly all the way in Africa(!) and 3) I almost literally ran into Evangeline Lilly (yep, from Lost) contemplating the chocolate selection. After our brush with all things wonderful, we headed out of town, stopping at Bertin’s property to visit his cows. Yep, cows! There were cows of all shapes, colors and sizes, including one calf who we quickly fell in love with. After a photo shoot (which happens far too often in this country) we headed back to Musanze, where I met up with some PCVs who were in town for a conference. Unfortunately I couldn’t stay long, but fortunately I was headed for dinner at the CCHIPS house, where salad (god, I love salad), carrot soup and sweet potato fries were on the menu; followed by tea, chocolate and girl talk. Looking forward to many more days and nights like those.
So there you go. Time spent, time wasted, good times, bad times. Time. Apologies if this entry bordered on the mundane for some of you, but many of you have asked me what my daily life is like now that I’m at site working, and I think this proves that there’s no way to explain it in general terms. But I’m truly enjoying the spontaneity and the different experiences each day brings. Here’s to many, many more to come…
Some parting thoughts:
- I’m running low on shampoo and body wash; maybe I should consider cutting back on the frequency of my bucket baths.
- Our driver, Bonesa, has We Wish You A Merry Christmas as his ringtone. I can’t help but giggle every time it rings.
- I’m continually impressed with so many people’s abilities to conduct business simultaneously in three languages. I’ve got English down, and am beginning to understand a fair amount of Kinyarwanda. Maybe I should brush up on my French?
- On my daily walk to the hospital I pass a large cornfield where children without fail emerge to wish us a good morning (regardless of whether it’s in the morning or evening). Jessica has begun referring them as “The Children of the Corn”. I think I’ll keep the name.
- I slept in until 10:30am! It’s a modern Peace Corps miracle, which I an pretty much solely attribute to going to sleep around 5am. Yes, Rwandans know how to party. And bust some sick dance moves.
- Jessica has an idea, to make a coffee table book entitled “The Many Faces of Rwanda” featuring snapshots of Rwandan faces as they pass us, which have seriously included every possible expression known to man.
- Pilipili (the cat) spent her first night outside, doing who knows what. All we know is she spent the rest of the next day disoriented and confused, then killed a lizard in my room, then slept on my lap for the entire evening, purring up a storm presumably in the hopes that we wouldn‘t make her spend another night outside. Poor cat, I need a KittyCam.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
A week in the life.
What a week. I’ve been in Musanze since Monday, and my first week at site can only be described as bipolar. I’ve experienced just a taste of what’s to come during the next two years; you know, all those cliché phrases people use when describing new, exciting, and often frightening experiences (ups and downs, a rollercoaster of emotions, etc). I felt welcome and happy and laughed and correctly understood and spoke Kinyarwanda (yay!). But this was inevitably followed by feeling awkward and confused and staring blankly at someone because I didn’t understand a word coming out of their mouth (boo!). Moments of success were met with moments of failure; moments of feeling at home were followed by moments of utter homesickness. But overall, I can see myself truly loving it here. But, as all things in this country, it will take time; or as they say: buhoro buhoro.
I’ve started to settle into my house, which I must say, is rather fantastic; five rooms: two bedrooms, a living room, a storage room and a bathroom (with running water…most days). It has bright green floors, lots of windows and a huge backyard with avocado and plantain trees. Unpacking was a challenge, since the only furniture currently in my room is a bed. A rug has become my “dresser”, several pegs on the wall are now my “closet”, I’m using a basket as my “bedside table”, and Ziploc bags have surprisingly made a lovely “vanity”. Jessica, a current health volunteer, has lived in the house since August, and it has been a lifesaver to have her here during my “adjustment phase”; unfortunately, she’s moving to Kigali in a couple of weeks. That’s when the true experience will begin, as she won’t be around to answer my endless stream of questions, be my personal tour guide of Musanze, or translate for me when the children in our neighborhood can’t understand why I don’t speak Kinyarwanda anywhere near as fluently as she does.
I started work, visiting several health centers, reviewing documents and drafting a plan for some of the activities I might complete during my time here. It’s exciting knowing that there is so much that I can do, but daunting not having a clue where to start. The staff members I’ve met so far at the health centers seem nice, hardworking and dedicated; but it’s frustrating since I generally exhaust my Kinyarwanda knowledge within the first five minutes of meeting them. Luckily, there was also a fair amount of downtime this week, which in any other situation would correspond to boredom, but after 10 weeks of nonstop training let me tell you, it was definitely needed. The effects of this downtime are most evident on facebook where I’m sure most of you have noticed all the new photos I’ve been able to add recently. Enjoy! My parents and brother will be equally excited to know that it’s also given me time to research their December trip here, which is currently dubbed “The Studenic’s African Invasion”.
So, I can’t lie, I’ve found myself scared to leave my house at times. Embarrassing, I know. And ok, scared is the wrong word. Nervous is more appropriate. In my house, I can just be boring, American Amy. I watch movies, read gossip magazines, write letters home, snack on trail mix or girl scout cookies (yes, I still have girl scout cookies, gonna make those things last!), and play with the cat. But once outside my gate, I’m Muzungu Amy. For a foreigner, anonymity does not exist in this country. Everywhere I go, I’m watched; every move I make is scrutinized. My hair, my clothes, my everything is discussed in minute detail. People know about me before I even meet them. And this is after only one week.
Water, it seems, could be an issue. It hasn’t rained in days (which in itself is a mystery, as the three things I heard about Musanze were 1) it’s beautiful, 2) it’s cold and 3) it rains all the time) and we’ve spent the past few days waterless. We tried the sink, nothing. We tried the shower, nada. We tried the spicket out back, ntatyo. We’ve been thirsty, we’ve been dirty, we’ve had a great excuse not to wash our dishes or clothes. But it is technically still the rainy season, so I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a tad nervous about what the dry season has in store for me.
Cooking has also been interesting. I haven’t bought kerosene yet for my kerosene stove, so have been using Jessica’s electric hotplate, which turns out is more difficult than I originally anticipated. I failed miserably at cooking curried lentils, but had amazing success making grilled cheese and mustard sandwiches (ok, Jessica had success, mine turned out to be a crumbly, but delicious, mess) and pasta with cheesy bacon sauce. Yes, yes, I said bacon. Pre-cooked, Boar’s Head, all the way from America (thanks to fellow PCV, Penny, for sharing!). By the way, whoever sends pre-cooked bacon to me in a care package will be my new best friend. And get a handwritten thank you letter covered in Rwandan postage stamps. So, needless to say, cooking will have to be an acquired skill (again, buhoro buhoro), but I feel I have a lot of sandwiches in my future, no cooking required.
So that’s week one in a glance. I promise another update soon, but until then I’m going to enjoy the beautiful view of the volcanoes, free and fast internet, and some yummy sweet gingery African tea.
A funny thing happened on the way to mu mujyi:
- I set up my water filter and made water (yes, in Rwanda, “making water” is an activity, a time consuming one at that), only to wake up the next day to a flood in my storage room caused by my leaky water filter. Fail #8,712.
- Jessica and I were paraded in front of 100 community health workers and introduced: her as the (married) man’s fiancée and me as his little sister (pretty sure I got the better end of that deal). Oh, and after that we were paraded into another room and introduced to another 100 community health workers in the same exact way. At least we got free coke and fried doughnuts afterwards.
- A casual comment from Jessica to me about the fact that we need to go to the carpenter this week to order me furniture turned into her mentioning it to her Rwandan friend Janvier, who immediately called the carpenter to tell him what I want, which was quickly followed by the carpenter showing up at our house to see what I wanted, negotiating a price (and by negotiate I mean I sat there and smiled while the Rwandans figured it out), and finalizing the order. Within 20 minutes it went from a “thought” to me having a couch, chairs and table that will be ready by next Wednesday. Half of the payment is due tomorrow.
- I thought it was going to be a quiet Sunday. Penny and I had made yummy pasta and were enjoying the Sex and the City movie. Within a few hours 15 children had invaded the compound, climbing trees, weeding, and helping pick avocados (while of course still staring at me confused on why I didn’t speak Kinyarwanda). This was followed by four Rwandans (including the carpenter) quizzing me with Kinyarwanda vocabulary and our two American friends dropping by mid-jog to share our sweet potato chips and guacamole. Yep, just another quiet Sunday.
- I just spied two lizards playing around on my windowsill and chasing each other. How adorable. Just kidding, not playing. It was actually foreplay, in fact. Yikes.
- Remember how I mentioned that it hadn’t rained in days? Well it’s now pouring, lightning and thundering. Maybe I’ll go check and see if the water is working.
I’ve started to settle into my house, which I must say, is rather fantastic; five rooms: two bedrooms, a living room, a storage room and a bathroom (with running water…most days). It has bright green floors, lots of windows and a huge backyard with avocado and plantain trees. Unpacking was a challenge, since the only furniture currently in my room is a bed. A rug has become my “dresser”, several pegs on the wall are now my “closet”, I’m using a basket as my “bedside table”, and Ziploc bags have surprisingly made a lovely “vanity”. Jessica, a current health volunteer, has lived in the house since August, and it has been a lifesaver to have her here during my “adjustment phase”; unfortunately, she’s moving to Kigali in a couple of weeks. That’s when the true experience will begin, as she won’t be around to answer my endless stream of questions, be my personal tour guide of Musanze, or translate for me when the children in our neighborhood can’t understand why I don’t speak Kinyarwanda anywhere near as fluently as she does.
I started work, visiting several health centers, reviewing documents and drafting a plan for some of the activities I might complete during my time here. It’s exciting knowing that there is so much that I can do, but daunting not having a clue where to start. The staff members I’ve met so far at the health centers seem nice, hardworking and dedicated; but it’s frustrating since I generally exhaust my Kinyarwanda knowledge within the first five minutes of meeting them. Luckily, there was also a fair amount of downtime this week, which in any other situation would correspond to boredom, but after 10 weeks of nonstop training let me tell you, it was definitely needed. The effects of this downtime are most evident on facebook where I’m sure most of you have noticed all the new photos I’ve been able to add recently. Enjoy! My parents and brother will be equally excited to know that it’s also given me time to research their December trip here, which is currently dubbed “The Studenic’s African Invasion”.
So, I can’t lie, I’ve found myself scared to leave my house at times. Embarrassing, I know. And ok, scared is the wrong word. Nervous is more appropriate. In my house, I can just be boring, American Amy. I watch movies, read gossip magazines, write letters home, snack on trail mix or girl scout cookies (yes, I still have girl scout cookies, gonna make those things last!), and play with the cat. But once outside my gate, I’m Muzungu Amy. For a foreigner, anonymity does not exist in this country. Everywhere I go, I’m watched; every move I make is scrutinized. My hair, my clothes, my everything is discussed in minute detail. People know about me before I even meet them. And this is after only one week.
Water, it seems, could be an issue. It hasn’t rained in days (which in itself is a mystery, as the three things I heard about Musanze were 1) it’s beautiful, 2) it’s cold and 3) it rains all the time) and we’ve spent the past few days waterless. We tried the sink, nothing. We tried the shower, nada. We tried the spicket out back, ntatyo. We’ve been thirsty, we’ve been dirty, we’ve had a great excuse not to wash our dishes or clothes. But it is technically still the rainy season, so I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a tad nervous about what the dry season has in store for me.
Cooking has also been interesting. I haven’t bought kerosene yet for my kerosene stove, so have been using Jessica’s electric hotplate, which turns out is more difficult than I originally anticipated. I failed miserably at cooking curried lentils, but had amazing success making grilled cheese and mustard sandwiches (ok, Jessica had success, mine turned out to be a crumbly, but delicious, mess) and pasta with cheesy bacon sauce. Yes, yes, I said bacon. Pre-cooked, Boar’s Head, all the way from America (thanks to fellow PCV, Penny, for sharing!). By the way, whoever sends pre-cooked bacon to me in a care package will be my new best friend. And get a handwritten thank you letter covered in Rwandan postage stamps. So, needless to say, cooking will have to be an acquired skill (again, buhoro buhoro), but I feel I have a lot of sandwiches in my future, no cooking required.
So that’s week one in a glance. I promise another update soon, but until then I’m going to enjoy the beautiful view of the volcanoes, free and fast internet, and some yummy sweet gingery African tea.
A funny thing happened on the way to mu mujyi:
- I set up my water filter and made water (yes, in Rwanda, “making water” is an activity, a time consuming one at that), only to wake up the next day to a flood in my storage room caused by my leaky water filter. Fail #8,712.
- Jessica and I were paraded in front of 100 community health workers and introduced: her as the (married) man’s fiancée and me as his little sister (pretty sure I got the better end of that deal). Oh, and after that we were paraded into another room and introduced to another 100 community health workers in the same exact way. At least we got free coke and fried doughnuts afterwards.
- A casual comment from Jessica to me about the fact that we need to go to the carpenter this week to order me furniture turned into her mentioning it to her Rwandan friend Janvier, who immediately called the carpenter to tell him what I want, which was quickly followed by the carpenter showing up at our house to see what I wanted, negotiating a price (and by negotiate I mean I sat there and smiled while the Rwandans figured it out), and finalizing the order. Within 20 minutes it went from a “thought” to me having a couch, chairs and table that will be ready by next Wednesday. Half of the payment is due tomorrow.
- I thought it was going to be a quiet Sunday. Penny and I had made yummy pasta and were enjoying the Sex and the City movie. Within a few hours 15 children had invaded the compound, climbing trees, weeding, and helping pick avocados (while of course still staring at me confused on why I didn’t speak Kinyarwanda). This was followed by four Rwandans (including the carpenter) quizzing me with Kinyarwanda vocabulary and our two American friends dropping by mid-jog to share our sweet potato chips and guacamole. Yep, just another quiet Sunday.
- I just spied two lizards playing around on my windowsill and chasing each other. How adorable. Just kidding, not playing. It was actually foreplay, in fact. Yikes.
- Remember how I mentioned that it hadn’t rained in days? Well it’s now pouring, lightning and thundering. Maybe I’ll go check and see if the water is working.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
A Week in the East
Who knew how much one person (or three in this case) could accomplish in one week. I spent four days last week in Bugesera District in the Eastern Province, with Kitty, a fellow PCV, and Jean-Marie, the District Health Advisor of Bugesera. In those four days we visited 7 health centers, drafted a grant that will hopefully improve the maternal and reproductive health services offered at one health center, had a super secret field trip, delivered lots of equipment that was donated by General Electric, ate a lot of starches (ie pasta, rice and fries at every meal) accented by vegetables and mystery meat, realized how much Kinyarwanda I actually do know (including making a joke in front of a large group of Rwandans), and scouted out a fantastic resort on a lake that I hope to take my family to when they visit. Not bad for a week’s worth of work, huh?
For the record, I had never stepped foot into a working health center in a developing country before my site visit to Musanze last month. I must admit I was overwhelmed at first. Overwhelmed might even be an understatement. I was too caught up in the newness, in the unfamiliarity, to observe anything at all. But the more health centers I see and the more time I spend in them, the more I notice. I notice the similarities, I notice the differences, I notice the structures themselves and the endless amount of people who seem to be everywhere. People are waiting outside, they’re waiting inside, they’re waiting in whatever shade they can find from the scorching sunlight; at times it seems that the health centers will literally bust at the seams from the sheer amount of people. And I’m beginning to see the difference between the organized, well maintained health centers and those that are unfortunately, not. They look different, they smell different, they feel different. So if anything, this week has definitely opened my eyes to the wide variety of health centers that exist, even within the same district. I visited old, run down, ill-funded health centers; well run, organized, catholic church funded health centers; and then I saw the crème-de-la-crème: two new state of the art Access funded health centers, in the final stages of construction, pristine and clean and full of promise.
So what makes a health center good or bad? Well, with my limited experience, I’d have to say…I have no idea (yep, sorry, no awe-inspiring epiphanies here). At times it seems related to who the major funder of the health center is (I need to do more research on this, but it seems funding comes from a mixture of the Ministry of Health, a variety of churches and NGO’s like Global Fund, etc). Sometimes it seems to depend on the personality and management style of the titulaire (head of the health center). Other times it’s related to the economic prosperity of the area surrounding the health center; better economic situation, greater chance of community members going to the health center for treatment, more money going into the health center to make improvements in not only service offerings but infrastructure as well.
While the week provided a lot of information and observations, it was also supposed to provide me with an introduction to the Access Project and the eight domains that they work in: human resources, infrastructure, finance, community health insurance (Rwanda’s public insurance is called Mutuelle), pharmacy, health information systems, planning and coordination and information technology. The District Health Advisor (with PCVs as support) provide technical assistance to the health centers in each of these areas. So yes, it’s as overwhelming as it seems!! I’m honestly not sure where I’ll even start, except that I’m lucky to be taking over for another PCV, Jessica; so she will not only be a valuable resource, but also I’ll be able to follow-up on a lot of the activities she’s already done. Pretty sure the first few months will be spent doing a lot of assessing and evaluating and introducing myself a billion times and just getting my bearings. All this on top of settling into my house and attempting to integrate into my community (once I figure out exactly what I mean by “community” since I’m living in the 4th largest city in Rwanda). Not to say I’m not completely excited and totally up for the challenge! This is, after all, what I signed up for.
Well, this post seems more rambly than usual, I must admit my mind is going in a hundred different directions currently. And the caffeine from my delicious Rwandan coffee is starting to kick in. Time to be productive and research some things for work! Hopefully will have a new PO Box address for you all soon, but you can always send things to the Kigali address as well.
For the record, I had never stepped foot into a working health center in a developing country before my site visit to Musanze last month. I must admit I was overwhelmed at first. Overwhelmed might even be an understatement. I was too caught up in the newness, in the unfamiliarity, to observe anything at all. But the more health centers I see and the more time I spend in them, the more I notice. I notice the similarities, I notice the differences, I notice the structures themselves and the endless amount of people who seem to be everywhere. People are waiting outside, they’re waiting inside, they’re waiting in whatever shade they can find from the scorching sunlight; at times it seems that the health centers will literally bust at the seams from the sheer amount of people. And I’m beginning to see the difference between the organized, well maintained health centers and those that are unfortunately, not. They look different, they smell different, they feel different. So if anything, this week has definitely opened my eyes to the wide variety of health centers that exist, even within the same district. I visited old, run down, ill-funded health centers; well run, organized, catholic church funded health centers; and then I saw the crème-de-la-crème: two new state of the art Access funded health centers, in the final stages of construction, pristine and clean and full of promise.
So what makes a health center good or bad? Well, with my limited experience, I’d have to say…I have no idea (yep, sorry, no awe-inspiring epiphanies here). At times it seems related to who the major funder of the health center is (I need to do more research on this, but it seems funding comes from a mixture of the Ministry of Health, a variety of churches and NGO’s like Global Fund, etc). Sometimes it seems to depend on the personality and management style of the titulaire (head of the health center). Other times it’s related to the economic prosperity of the area surrounding the health center; better economic situation, greater chance of community members going to the health center for treatment, more money going into the health center to make improvements in not only service offerings but infrastructure as well.
While the week provided a lot of information and observations, it was also supposed to provide me with an introduction to the Access Project and the eight domains that they work in: human resources, infrastructure, finance, community health insurance (Rwanda’s public insurance is called Mutuelle), pharmacy, health information systems, planning and coordination and information technology. The District Health Advisor (with PCVs as support) provide technical assistance to the health centers in each of these areas. So yes, it’s as overwhelming as it seems!! I’m honestly not sure where I’ll even start, except that I’m lucky to be taking over for another PCV, Jessica; so she will not only be a valuable resource, but also I’ll be able to follow-up on a lot of the activities she’s already done. Pretty sure the first few months will be spent doing a lot of assessing and evaluating and introducing myself a billion times and just getting my bearings. All this on top of settling into my house and attempting to integrate into my community (once I figure out exactly what I mean by “community” since I’m living in the 4th largest city in Rwanda). Not to say I’m not completely excited and totally up for the challenge! This is, after all, what I signed up for.
Well, this post seems more rambly than usual, I must admit my mind is going in a hundred different directions currently. And the caffeine from my delicious Rwandan coffee is starting to kick in. Time to be productive and research some things for work! Hopefully will have a new PO Box address for you all soon, but you can always send things to the Kigali address as well.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Swear-in, shopping and Indian food.
Apologies for the blog silence, everyone, I’ve been deliriously busy and haven’t been able to get to a computer, so I wanted to update you on life here. Last week we packed up all of our belongings and sadly left Nyanza, our homes for the past two months, our new Rwandan families and many new Rwandan friends, and traveled to Kigali for Swear-In. Yep, it happened, we are officially Peace Corps Volunteers (PCV’s to be exact)! Swear-in was held last Wednesday at the US Ambassador to Rwanda’s house in Kigali, with the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health in attendance. Oh, not to mention the New Times (newspaper) and a TV station (I know, I know, we‘re kind of a big deal). Some pretty fantastic trainees gave speeches in English, French and Kinyarwanda. I understood all of the English, a substantial amount of the French and even a fair amount of the Kinyarwanda; but I can tell you that 2 out of the 3 speeches mentioned my amoebas (yay?). I had my “Embarrassing Moment of 2010” when in the middle of the Ambassador’s speech to us he asked us how development must be done in Rwanda, and then paused. Given the casual atmosphere of the day, I quietly (or maybe not so quietly) answered “buhoro, buhoro” which means slowly in Kinyarwanda. Well that was 1) not the answer the Ambassador was looking for (it was “by working together with the Rwandans”) and 2) not really meant to be a question that he wanted us to answer. Out loud. On tv. In the middle of his speech. Luckily mostly everyone laughed it off, but I’m fairly certain my blushing cheeks could be seen from space.
The rest of the week was spent in Kigali shopping for household items (kerosene stove, cutting board, dishes, cups: check!) and eating as much food as humanly possible. You name it, I ate it (minus sushi, which I will continue to crave for months at least) but I must say my favorites continue to be Indian (both cheap and expensive) and the veggie burger and iced caramel macchiato at Bourbon café. Pretty much heavenly!
All of us are getting increasingly excited for our moves to site, but first, the Access Project has a fairly in depth orientation planned for us. We had overview meetings last Thursday and Friday, and now I find myself in the Eastern Province in Bugesera district, shadowing the District Health Advisor for the next four days. We’re getting a great introduction to the activities that Access is conducting, touring health centers, and seeing what interventions have been successful and could be implemented in our own districts. I’ll be here until Friday morning and then back to Kigali for the weekend, before finally heading to my new home in Musanze. I can’t wait to get settled and decorate and begin the arduous tasks of learning to live on my own in Rwanda as well as figuring out what exactly my job will be. Well, off to do some research, but more soon!!
The rest of the week was spent in Kigali shopping for household items (kerosene stove, cutting board, dishes, cups: check!) and eating as much food as humanly possible. You name it, I ate it (minus sushi, which I will continue to crave for months at least) but I must say my favorites continue to be Indian (both cheap and expensive) and the veggie burger and iced caramel macchiato at Bourbon café. Pretty much heavenly!
All of us are getting increasingly excited for our moves to site, but first, the Access Project has a fairly in depth orientation planned for us. We had overview meetings last Thursday and Friday, and now I find myself in the Eastern Province in Bugesera district, shadowing the District Health Advisor for the next four days. We’re getting a great introduction to the activities that Access is conducting, touring health centers, and seeing what interventions have been successful and could be implemented in our own districts. I’ll be here until Friday morning and then back to Kigali for the weekend, before finally heading to my new home in Musanze. I can’t wait to get settled and decorate and begin the arduous tasks of learning to live on my own in Rwanda as well as figuring out what exactly my job will be. Well, off to do some research, but more soon!!
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
I'm about to have a cheeseburger. *sigh
Hello everyone from rainy, rainy Rwanda! (*Side note, it's actually now beautiful and sunny as I'm in Bourbon Cafe in Kigali waiting for a cheeseburger and french fries and enjoying free wireless. Swear in is tomorrow morning, I'm SO excited!!)
Training has been winding down, but also incredibly busy the past couple of weeks and I haven't had time to write another blog update (yes, yes, very sorry, I know how much all of you enjoy reading my frequent and exhaustive ramblings). But I’ve finally found some time, as the never ending rain is plummeting down on our tin roof, rendering us pretty much unable to do anything but sit inside and stare at our numerous electronic devices. Arielle is watching Lost, Sonya/Sally/Jenny are watching Hook (*Ruuu-fiiiii-ooooo), the Rwandans are most likely watching a crappy American movie dubbed in French, and Jessi (never wanting to conform) is reading Marley and Me. Ah, yes, just another eventful evening in Rwanda.
On Friday we had our language placement interview (LPI) tests. It was similar to the mock one we had last week, but was more involved and actually meant something in regards to us being recommended as Peace Corps Volunteers. I (to my utter astonishment) raised my level to Advanced, (up from the High Intermediate that I got on my mock test)! I was pretty gosh darn excited that I was even able to hold a 25 minute conversation in Kinyarwanda with native Kinyarwanda speakers; the Advanced rating was just icing on the cake. However, I did in the process of my interview 1) hear that my fake carpenter (whose role was played by one of my language teachers) was selling a bookshelf for 2,000 francs instead of 20,000 francs - they informed me that for 2,000 francs all I could get a bookshelf for my shoes (yes, I found this funny on numerous levels, and I’m sure many of you do too); and 2) married off my brother to one of my language teachers (Andy, her name is Assinath, she’s super fun and super cute and looks forward to meeting you later this year. Oh and I told her that you’d call her….J)
Regrettably, on Saturday we said our “final” farewells to our host families. I say “final” because really it was a week of farewells with them. On Wednesday I was able to visit and give them some small parting gifts that my American family had kindly sent over (which conveniently arrived in country on the exact day I needed them! Thanks Mom!). My host mother (Mama Jeanne) adored the pen and stationary I presented to her, while the kids shrieked with laughter as they played with the bubbles, jump rope and silly putty, each with a dum-dum sticking out the side of their mouths. They were equally parts touched, amused and astonished by the card that my mom had enclosed, considering that it was actually written mostly in Kinyarwanda, which mom had scoured the internet in order to find. I believe I saw tears in my Mama’s eyes even. Then on Friday evening I met them at my local hangout, “Blue Bar” where they gave me a beautiful Rwandan basket, a scarf (since “it will be very cold in Musanze”) and two cards: one for me, and one for my American family. Don’t worry Mom, I’ll send it as soon as I get it translated; come on, my Kinyarwanda isn’t that good yet! I honestly wish I’d spent more time with my host family, as despite how uncomfortable it was at times, they were incredibly sweet to me and provided a very good introduction into Rwandan culture and family dynamics. I absolutely plan to visit them in Nyanza during my time in Rwanda, and hope that they’ll find the time to visit me in Musanze as well.
So, if all goes well, on Wednesday morning we will be officially sworn in as Peace Corps Volunteers! This is what we have all worked for during the past 10 weeks and for most of us, for years before now. I am extremely excited, anxious, nervous and bewildered right now. By how fast the past 2 months have flown by, by how much my life has changed in the past 6 months, by how much I’m going to miss training and all of the people I’ve spent every waking and non waking minute with, by what strange adventures are waiting for me at my site, and by what the next two years will bring.
I’ll be in Kigali for the next two-ish weeks for orientation with the Access Project, before heading to Musanze. Kigali = swear-in, shopping for household essentials, eating lots of Indian/Thai/American food, faster internet (so hopefully photos soon!), and maybe even a hot shower. I hope everyone is happy, safe, and enjoying springtime (or whatever season you find yourself in). I’m off to bed, where the deafening rain will undoubtedly lull me to sleep in no time. Ijoro ryiza! (Goodnight!)
Oh, but of course: Things that made me VERY happy this week:
- Finding faster internet and the man Joseph who works there. He’s a very nice man who told me “the Peace Corps sounds very interesting, I want to join it, but you have to have a college degree”. Yep, Joseph, that and the fact that you have to be an American citizen. Regardless, I’m pretty sure good ole Joe was 5 seconds away from proposing to me, and he has a small business idea, if anyone wants to finance him!
- Dancing in many rainstorms with all of my fellow trainees and teachers!
- The sketchy guy who told me he loves “women who speak Kinyarwanda” while waiting in line for the bathroom at the bar. Hmmm, my response? “Simvuga ikinyarwanda, sketchy man” (ie. “I don’t speak Kinyarwanda,” spoken in Kinyarwanda..oops).
- Packages from America that included bubbles, jump ropes, play-doh, gossip and intellectual magazines, Arnold Palmer drink mix, girl scout cookies, victoria’s secret underwear and bottles of vodka hidden in crayon boxes (best family and friends ever!)
- Tech house t-shirts, tech house pictures, everyone from tech house pretty much. (We’re missing you lots, Papa LoLo.)
- Getting “Advanced” on my LPI. We needed to reach Intermediate to “pass” and “be allowed” to be sworn in as volunteers so I’m kinda sorta really happy. But I did work and study my butt off, so the reward was well worth it. And one of my language teachers took me aside and told me that they were really surprised and happy with my level of Kinyarwanda, which pretty much made my week. Yay!
- Did I mention girl scout cookies, magazines and new underwear? It seriously made my month.
- Hilariously fun yet still slightly awkward moments with my host family. And lots and lots of photo taking with them.
- Being days away from being sworn in as an actual PCV. Oh yeah.
Training has been winding down, but also incredibly busy the past couple of weeks and I haven't had time to write another blog update (yes, yes, very sorry, I know how much all of you enjoy reading my frequent and exhaustive ramblings). But I’ve finally found some time, as the never ending rain is plummeting down on our tin roof, rendering us pretty much unable to do anything but sit inside and stare at our numerous electronic devices. Arielle is watching Lost, Sonya/Sally/Jenny are watching Hook (*Ruuu-fiiiii-ooooo), the Rwandans are most likely watching a crappy American movie dubbed in French, and Jessi (never wanting to conform) is reading Marley and Me. Ah, yes, just another eventful evening in Rwanda.
On Friday we had our language placement interview (LPI) tests. It was similar to the mock one we had last week, but was more involved and actually meant something in regards to us being recommended as Peace Corps Volunteers. I (to my utter astonishment) raised my level to Advanced, (up from the High Intermediate that I got on my mock test)! I was pretty gosh darn excited that I was even able to hold a 25 minute conversation in Kinyarwanda with native Kinyarwanda speakers; the Advanced rating was just icing on the cake. However, I did in the process of my interview 1) hear that my fake carpenter (whose role was played by one of my language teachers) was selling a bookshelf for 2,000 francs instead of 20,000 francs - they informed me that for 2,000 francs all I could get a bookshelf for my shoes (yes, I found this funny on numerous levels, and I’m sure many of you do too); and 2) married off my brother to one of my language teachers (Andy, her name is Assinath, she’s super fun and super cute and looks forward to meeting you later this year. Oh and I told her that you’d call her….J)
Regrettably, on Saturday we said our “final” farewells to our host families. I say “final” because really it was a week of farewells with them. On Wednesday I was able to visit and give them some small parting gifts that my American family had kindly sent over (which conveniently arrived in country on the exact day I needed them! Thanks Mom!). My host mother (Mama Jeanne) adored the pen and stationary I presented to her, while the kids shrieked with laughter as they played with the bubbles, jump rope and silly putty, each with a dum-dum sticking out the side of their mouths. They were equally parts touched, amused and astonished by the card that my mom had enclosed, considering that it was actually written mostly in Kinyarwanda, which mom had scoured the internet in order to find. I believe I saw tears in my Mama’s eyes even. Then on Friday evening I met them at my local hangout, “Blue Bar” where they gave me a beautiful Rwandan basket, a scarf (since “it will be very cold in Musanze”) and two cards: one for me, and one for my American family. Don’t worry Mom, I’ll send it as soon as I get it translated; come on, my Kinyarwanda isn’t that good yet! I honestly wish I’d spent more time with my host family, as despite how uncomfortable it was at times, they were incredibly sweet to me and provided a very good introduction into Rwandan culture and family dynamics. I absolutely plan to visit them in Nyanza during my time in Rwanda, and hope that they’ll find the time to visit me in Musanze as well.
So, if all goes well, on Wednesday morning we will be officially sworn in as Peace Corps Volunteers! This is what we have all worked for during the past 10 weeks and for most of us, for years before now. I am extremely excited, anxious, nervous and bewildered right now. By how fast the past 2 months have flown by, by how much my life has changed in the past 6 months, by how much I’m going to miss training and all of the people I’ve spent every waking and non waking minute with, by what strange adventures are waiting for me at my site, and by what the next two years will bring.
I’ll be in Kigali for the next two-ish weeks for orientation with the Access Project, before heading to Musanze. Kigali = swear-in, shopping for household essentials, eating lots of Indian/Thai/American food, faster internet (so hopefully photos soon!), and maybe even a hot shower. I hope everyone is happy, safe, and enjoying springtime (or whatever season you find yourself in). I’m off to bed, where the deafening rain will undoubtedly lull me to sleep in no time. Ijoro ryiza! (Goodnight!)
Oh, but of course: Things that made me VERY happy this week:
- Finding faster internet and the man Joseph who works there. He’s a very nice man who told me “the Peace Corps sounds very interesting, I want to join it, but you have to have a college degree”. Yep, Joseph, that and the fact that you have to be an American citizen. Regardless, I’m pretty sure good ole Joe was 5 seconds away from proposing to me, and he has a small business idea, if anyone wants to finance him!
- Dancing in many rainstorms with all of my fellow trainees and teachers!
- The sketchy guy who told me he loves “women who speak Kinyarwanda” while waiting in line for the bathroom at the bar. Hmmm, my response? “Simvuga ikinyarwanda, sketchy man” (ie. “I don’t speak Kinyarwanda,” spoken in Kinyarwanda..oops).
- Packages from America that included bubbles, jump ropes, play-doh, gossip and intellectual magazines, Arnold Palmer drink mix, girl scout cookies, victoria’s secret underwear and bottles of vodka hidden in crayon boxes (best family and friends ever!)
- Tech house t-shirts, tech house pictures, everyone from tech house pretty much. (We’re missing you lots, Papa LoLo.)
- Getting “Advanced” on my LPI. We needed to reach Intermediate to “pass” and “be allowed” to be sworn in as volunteers so I’m kinda sorta really happy. But I did work and study my butt off, so the reward was well worth it. And one of my language teachers took me aside and told me that they were really surprised and happy with my level of Kinyarwanda, which pretty much made my week. Yay!
- Did I mention girl scout cookies, magazines and new underwear? It seriously made my month.
- Hilariously fun yet still slightly awkward moments with my host family. And lots and lots of photo taking with them.
- Being days away from being sworn in as an actual PCV. Oh yeah.
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