How far would you travel for medical attention or even clean water? Would you go three miles or even ten miles? How about 7045 miles? That’s the distance between New York City and Kigali, Rwanda. After leaving New York in late February, I arrived 16 hours and 5143 miles later in the “Milles Collines” or the “Land of a Thousand Hills” as Rwanda is commonly called. Before arriving in Rwanda, I had never considered the distance from my home to the nearest medical center or closest drink of water. Doctor’s offices are numerous in Brooklyn, as a health care representative with Pfizer, I once worked in an area where there were six offices on one block! However, most Rwandese people, especially those who live in the rural villages that comprise 80% of Rwanda, think about these questions daily. As I began to develop story ideas and articles for the Access Project, distance was a common theme that stood out to me as I began visiting Access supported health facilities and conducting interviews.
Continue reading
No comments:
Post a Comment