‘A Day In the Life’ from Ndera. . .

One of my favorite parts of the day is ‘commuting’ to the Gardens for Health office, about 2 -3 km from our staff residence. The road is very rough and daily getting worse with the advent of the wet season, so at times riding or walking is actually faster than driving. If I ride, I use an old bike that I recently had resurrected.

Riding the bike can be a white knuckler, keeping on the narrow track of ‘smooth’ road through the minefield of pot holes and ruts when simultaneously going down hills and avoiding pedestrians.

It’s a wonderful time to reflect on the day just past, or the day ahead, whether going solo or in the company of a co-worker, if walking. There are many wonderful ‘snapshot’ images that I see all the time, but I’m just not bold enough to whip out my camera. Lately, I have taken a few shots, as I find the iPhone fairly discreet and it also seems to capture the tone and light wonderfully. Here are a few photos from my commute as well as some of the day to day life around and about the GIH farm.

Helen

"Mwaramutse" - Good morning

Helen with Ndera bike taxi guys

Henrietta hanging out

Solange

Sun shower

Solange, Julie & Helen

Adorable Keria washing up before lunch

My pals Jean de Dieu and January

Annonciata and Caitlin heading home

Huge load going up steep hill

Children doing end of day chores

"Mwiriwe" - good afternoon

'Ni twebe muti w’ibibazo byacu'. . .

Annonciata, one of the wonderful health educators at GHI, reported in at our weekly meeting about a family she was especially concerned about after doing a home visit with them last week. She requested that I accompany her for a follow up and assessment visit, as this family is extremely vulnerable.

On Wednesday under the noonday sun, the two of us rode on motos on a back road through the verdant hills for about 30 minutes before being dropped off for a 15 minute walk on paths through cultivated fields. As we came out of a small grove of banana trees the vista of terraced hillsides was stunning. Our presence was quickly identified as children working in distant fields began to wave and holler “Muzungu, muzungu” (“white person, white person”). When we approached the mud house, the father and six of the seven children greeted us enthusiastically.

As we entered the dark structure (there was just a tiny window), my eyes were instantly drawn to the Nutrition Wheel (“4 colors at every meal”) created by my colleague Brad and GHI staff, pinned to the middle of the mud wall. It practically brought me to tears to witness the pride which this family had, being able to display this important piece of paper. In some ways, in that instant, I felt the essence and value of all the work we do to help those in need. Despite this family being completely caught in the cycle of extreme poverty, here was a seed of hope.

The father, aged 48, is permanently disabled due to a quarry accident in 2004. He hobbles with crutches and his foot is extremely swollen and disfigured. He reaches above the door to retrieve an x-ray from 2005 squirreled away in a niche. Broken bones are obvious to even an untrained eye.

We sit on the only furniture in the house, a long bench along the mud wall. There’s also a small wooden ladder, a fire pit in the corner (no kitchen ware), a couple of old mismatched plastic sandals and a stack of neatly piled lumber on the opposite wall. Annonciata inquires about the lumber and the father states bluntly that they are saving it for his wife’s coffin.

The children peer in from the doorway, blocking most of the light, as their numbers have increased since our arrival. The father converses with Annonciata for a long while. He wants to have a vasectomy (unusual in Rwanda, even though the procedure is free) because he realizes that having more children would not be good for his wife. The 16 and 11 year old daughters who run the household, as well as cultivate in the neighbor’s fields, tend to the smallest children (who appear to have chronic malnutrition) with apparent ease as they hoist them on to their slim hips. These girls don’t have the opportunity for schooling because they are working very hard at home to care for their family. The oldest, an 18 year old boy, goes off to the village during the day and just comes home to eat and sleep, apparently not contributing to any household income or tasks.

Finally the mother appears from the behind the closed wooden bedroom door. She wears an old kitenge, a vibrant kelly green shimmery shirt and a head wrap. Her legs are thinner than my arms, her skin dry, and her affect flat. The baby, carried by the 11 year old daughter, reaches for her mama and she tries to push him away, but finally relents and offers him an elongated, pendulous and flat breast. Besides being malnourished, the mother has an ominous look of cancer. It’s amazing to think that she has the ability to walk for at least an hour to get to the nearest health center for trainings, but she does.

It’s overwhelming how many problems this family faces. They epitomize the cycle of poverty, at least the father’s willingness to have a vasectomy is a good beginning. Now that the family is enrolled at GHI, their lives will be boosted. Their situation will begin to turn around and their lives will improve, empowering them to help themselves.

“Ni twebe muti w’ibibazo byacu”...“We are the ones we have been waiting for.”- Rwandan saying and vision.

Helen

Moto ride over back roads

Home visit with Annonciata

Girl sitting on lumber for mother's coffin

Home visit interior

Family and Annonciata

Children showing us the best track towards home

Heading off for our walk home

Panorama of countryside on walk home

Manzi Cedric. . .

Listening to and learning about people’s life stories as they begin to ‘peel back’ the layers of events and relationships that have shaped them, has always fascinated me. Due to language barriers it’s been frustrating for me during my various volunteer stints overseas not to be able to really connect with people and hear their stories. Many stories focus on their survival from natural disasters, war and genocide which all add an extra dimension of deep emotional trauma. Telling these stories and having someone there to just listen is often very healing for people. Translators have been loyal and wonderful companions, but it can be hard to make the connection with people in the presence of a third party. When I have been able to communicate easily one on one, I am consistently grateful for the deeper connection and awed by people’s courage, resilience and will to live.

I have only been able to pick up the very basics of the wide variety of languages in countries where I have worked and traveled. Urdu (Pakistan); Tetum (Timor Leste); Krio, Temne and Mende (Sierra Leone); Creole (Haiti); Kirundi (Burundi) and Kinyarwanda (Rwanda) all present challenges for my aging grey matter! My French is rudimentary and quasi-conversational, so relying on English as the only way to absorb people’s stories can make one feel incompetent and is also quite frustrating.

Despite only being 14 months old, Manzi Cedric has an extraordinary life story to date and since he is just learning to talk, the language barrier is a moot point! He was first introduced at Gikomero Health Center, one of the GHI partners here, in March 2011 when he was two months old with severe malnutrition, weighing in at 2.1 kg (4.3lbs.). His history revealed that his ‘crazy’ mother had given birth to him in a latrine and later abandoned him. The details of the first two months of his life are vague, but apparently a neighbor took care of him and then brought him to the health center. This is when GHI became aware of Cedric’s plight. Since then Cedric has become an integral member of the Gardens for Health family.

Without GHI’s intervention and commitment to take care of him at this crucial time, Cedric would have died. The progression of Cedric’s revitalization is a testament to the diligence of the GHI staff providing good nutrition and overall care. Overwhelming compassion and love have also been key factors in removing Cedric from the brink of death. Over time one of the health educators, Naomi Musabyimana, has committed to being his primary caregiver. She has other children and she has truly incorporated him into her household. He comes to work each day with her and everyone at the office helps keep an eye on him. He also gets continuous verbal and physical stimulation with a steady flow of loving hugs and kisses too.

Cedric has been evaluated recently at King Faisal Hospital in Kigali to address concerns about developmental delays as a result of his neonatal malnutrition. The physician was reassuring that Cedric is ‘on his own curve’ and should make giant strides in his development by the time he is two. A physiotherapist has also prescribed exercises for strengthening his legs for crawling, standing and walking. His new walker now really keeps him engaged and part of the action. The staff has been taught about his exercises that will contribute to his continued development.

Upon my return after three months he’s more animated, engaged and physically stronger. It’s such a pleasure to be one of his mamas while I am here, his consistent beguiling nature and cheerful soul are perhaps his way of expressing the gratitude for the life which has been given back to him thanks to GHI. I feel honored to be a small part of Cedric’s story.

Helen

Cedric on arrival at GHI
in March 2011

Cedric in June 2011, 2 and a half
months after arriving at GHI

Aline and Cedric

Cedric with Julie 2011 Thanksgiving


Cedric in walker with Aline
March 2012

Cedric with Naomi in March 2012

Reunions and International
Women's Day Celebrations. . .

Stepping into the luscious African night air under a bright waxing moon was such a treat after a series of long haul flights. It’s hard to believe it has already been a week since I have been welcomed back into the ‘family fold’ of Gardens for Health’s community. Returning to a familiar situation makes sliding back into the routine quite easy. After such a heart wrenching departure just three months ago, it was great to have the balance of a barrage of heartfelt reunion hugs.

The week has been full to the brim; International Women’s Day celebrations, sitting in on meetings with government officials, fine tuning health trainings with the team, getting to know new staff members and birthday surprises have all been part of the mix.

As members of the Bumbogo sector community and advocates for good nutrition, the Gardens for Health (GHI) team participated in the local International Women’s Day on March 8th. This gave GHI the opportunity to explain and demonstrate programs, show the strength of expertise and strengthen ongoing relationships within our local community.

Approximately 1,000 women, men and children from Bumbogo sector sat under colorful umbrellas for protection from the blazing sun to watch a series of special events unfold before them at Musave Primary School’s grounds. Simon Pierre Nsengiyaremye, GHI farm manager, demonstrated local home garden techniques and provided seeds, seedlings and trees from GHI for a garden at the Musave Primary School. The honorary guests, including the Vice President of the Senate and the Vice Mayor of the Gasabo District, participated in the initial planting. They also assisted with planting mango, papaya and orange trees which will ultimately bear fruit for the local school children.

Later the honorary guests toured a small exposition where the best cooperatives and organizations of Bumbogo sector had set up tables to present their products. Claire, one of our health educators, and Simon Pierre presented the GHI table lined with examples of the bountiful harvest including beets, dodo, grains, carrots, seedlings, and potatoes.

Then there were a series of speeches from a long list of special guests including a dynamic young woman who pursued her dream, despite many hurdles, to become an electrician. Her persuasive speech exemplified empowerment as she explained how women are capable of the same work as men. After four hours of festivities the grand finale of the day’s event was a performance of Mama Marceline’s children’s amazing dance troupe comprised of her six sets of twins and two ‘singles’.

A culmination of the day’s events was a GHI farm tour for the honorary guests who expressed great interest in assisting GHI with expansion in other districts in Rwanda. Considering that the Rwandan government is putting forth its National Plan to Eliminate Malnutrition in 2012, GHI’s program becomes especially vital for the well being of Rwanda’s citizens.

There’s plenty of work to be done for the next seven weeks of my stay!
Helen

Quote in the GHI office:
"Ni twebwe muti w'ibibazo byacu."
We are the ones we've been waiting for.

Women's Day audience

Claire arriving with pumpkin

GHI team at Expo

Empowered female electrician

Dancers

Harvesting sunflower seeds

View from GHI

Friday afternoon staff meeting


Isa's photo of sunflowers and potatoes