12 Days of Giving!!

We've all heard about the 12 Days of Christmas and we've also probably sang the song ad nauseam. As a child, Christmas meant waking up early to open my presents, from toys to clothes, the sheer excitement of ripping open my packages kept me up all night. As I get older, things changed and suddenly it wasn't about the gifts I received anymore but about the gifts I could give to my family and friends. This year, my family has been extended to include those around the world who can't afford the simple things in life like clean water, food, or shelter. From Africa to the U.S., my friend, Kathleen Elie of Fashion with a Conscience, NY and I (Excess Chatter), have teamed up to promote "Gifts That Give Back" a 12 Days of Giving event online. Please support these causes and remember that it is "better to give than to receive!"

An ONLINE EVENT, exclusively on Fashion With a Conscience, NY and Excess Chatter!

A Gift That Gives Back!!

There are a lot of deals and steals going on for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but hopefully this poster steals your heart and makes you open your wallet for a GREAT cause. "RWANDA RISING" is an exhibit that will take place at Bourbon Coffee (43 West 14th Street) during the month of December to benefit the children of "Through The Eyes Of Hope" Project in Rwanda. I spent a lot of time with these kids when I was in Rwanda on my GHFassignment and not only are they beautiful, but also incredibly talented. These postcards will make great stocking stuffers or gift tags. So stop in for some hot chocolate, latte or whatever and help these kids to rise to their full potential.

Also check out my blog post about these children here: Through The Eyes of Hope Part 2

This Time for Africa!

I created this video about my trip to Rwanda and the work that I did with the Access Project. Check it out!

Re-Entry

After spending the last six months in Rwanda, the journey home was bittersweet. I spent my final week in South Africa, exploring Johannesburg and Cape Town and retracing the steps of Nelson Mandela, from Robben Island to Mandela House. It was a great finale to an unforgettable trip.

At first, I was apprehensive about returning home because I didn't want to forget all that I had seen or experienced. Nor did I want to forget the people that I had met along the way. In some way, each person, whether it was a work colleague, a travel companion, or a taxi driver, had left an indelible mark on my life. Their stories suddenly became my stories and their causes were mine as well. I wanted to fight every battle with them, large and small. From healthcare access to apartheid to child trafficking, I wanted to champion each cause until everyone was healthy, whole and free.

These emotions were compounded when I picked up a book called "Say You're One of Them" by Uwem Akpan, at the airport in Nairobi. This book told the stories of ordinary children in extraordinary circumstances throughout Africa. The stories include those of a young girl in Rwanda during the genocide, a brother and sister being fattened for slavery in Benin, two best friends in Ethiopia, and a family in Nigeria. It made me more committed to doing something more meaningful upon my re-entry to the States.

Now, two weeks later,  as I sit and reflect on everything that transpired in Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya and South Africa over the last six months, I know that everything happened for a reason. It has forced me to re-examine my life, my career and my ambitions. I have had the opportunity to share my experiences with so many people already, who are curious about Rwanda or how they can lend their skills to developing countries. So I have compiled a list of organizations that I have worked with or come across that have similar projects around the world. These organizations work in Africa, Asia, North and South America, to improve the lives of men, women and children. They are looking for lawyers, accountants, entrepreneurs, artists, doctors, cooks, role models, and teachers. They need you.

ORGANIZATIONS MAKING A DIFFERENCE: 

1. Pfizer Global Health Fellows: www.pfizer.com/ghf 

2. Global Health Corps: www.ghcorps.org 

3. Peace Corps: www.peacecorps.gov

4. Teach for America: www.teachforamerica.org

5. Venture for America: www.ventureforamerica.org

6. Go Overseas: www.gooverseas.com

7. AmeriCorps: www.americorps.gov 

8. New Yorkers Volunteer: www.newyorkersvolunteer.org 

9. Serve: www.serve.gov 

10. Volunteers for Prosperity: www.volunteersforprosperity.gov

With co-workers in Rwanda

With TEOH Project kids in Rwanda

Designing the Cause

I met Liz during my first week in Rwanda. Liz, a student with the School of International Training (SIT), was spending six weeks in Rwanda with this unique study abroad program that paired students with global policy and health experts in developing countries.  Access Project’s founder, Josh Ruxin, a world-renowned public health expert and Assistant Clinical Professor at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, was leading a discussion with the group of SIT students on critical global issues.

Continue reading

Independence Day and Liberation Day

Today, Friday July 1st is Independence Day in Rwanda. It marks the end of Belgian rule on July 1, 1962, after 50 years in power.  Liberation Day, is celebrated three days later on July 4th, and marks the end of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. Ironically, Independence Day did not free Rwanda from conflict, it opened the door for further bigotry and hate. It wasn't until 32 years later when the genocide ended, that freedom was granted to all Rwandans.  Here's to many more years of peace and progress in Rwanda. Happy Liberation Day Rwanda! 

Through the Eyes of Hope (Part 2)

Part 2 of my interview with Linda Smith, a photojournalist based in Rwanda. Linda is the founder of the "Through the Eyes of Hope" (TEOH) Project. 

Linda with the Mayange students

In a tiny, dimly lit room in Mayange, Linda is instructing five students on the “Cards of Hope” postcard project. The students are all boys who have been with the project for the last four years and range in age from 13 to 18 years old. Mayange is located in the district of Bugesera, an area that suffered the most during the Rwandan genocide, 17 years ago. The area with the assistance of the Millennium Villages Project, has been rebuilt in recent years and is now a model for health and community development. Jean, the oldest boy, credits the TEOH Project with helping him gain financial independence. “This helps me to fund my school fees and buy other small things for my family,” he says. When Jean’s father passed away in 2005, he was left to care for his two sisters and brother, while his mother worked to provide for the family. The TEOH project helps him and the other boys to earn a living by selling their photographs within the community.

Jacques, who is sitting next to Jean, wants to be a doctor when he grows up, and in addition to school fees, his earnings from the TEOH project enabled him to buy a goat and two hens for his family. He echoes, “I want to continue studying and this project helps me do that. I want to take more pictures so that we can build a photo studio here in Mayange and maybe even open a computer learning center.” As Linda explains the postcard project to the boys, their eyes light up at the prospect of sending their photos to people around the world. Immediately they start thinking of things to write on the back of the postcards. “Will it make it to New York? I want to go there someday,” says Fils, a shy 16 year old.

With the Mayange boys

The room suddenly fills with loud chatter and a barrage of questions from the boys to Linda. The room, which doubles as an Internet café, is located in the middle of the dusty streets of Mayange’s center. Janvier, the owner of the café, loans the room to the project on Saturdays, in exchange for a small fee. The boys keep their donated cameras throughout the week, which multiplies their opportunities to take pictures and earn money. After a period of sharing and reflecting, the project wraps up for the day and Linda says goodbye to the boys in Mayange. She then prepares to go to the Kagugu School in Kigali, an hour away. 

When she arrives, Prossy Yohana, her assistant, has already started to hand out the cameras to the 13 boys and girls present. As the children leave to take pictures within the community, Linda reminds them that they are low on photo paper so they have to limit themselves to three customers each. Even as the children groan at the thought of losing business because of limited supplies, Kofi, a rambunctious 13 year old, is already negotiating with the other kids for their three-picture allotment. Kofi has been a part of the TEOH Project for the last three years and is arguably the most outspoken and enterprising student in the project. While Linda has her share of problems with working children like Kofi, by combining the photography business with art therapy and counseling sessions, the children have been able to overcome some of the trauma associated with the genocide, including the loss of their parents and other loved ones.

As Linda reflects on the last few years, she notes that her lowest point came two years ago when she lost one of her students to an unknown infection. Emile, an ambitious 15-year-old boy who was one of the first students in the photography project, became sick in late 2009. Although, Linda suspected that Emile was suffering from appendicitis and he was quickly admitted to the hospital, Emile passed away the following morning from stomach complications. Linda was devastated and for a brief moment, she lost hope and considered abandoning the project all together.

Ironically, it was another incident involving one of her other students that convinced Linda not to give up. Odila, a young girl who had been with the project since the beginning, also fell ill. Odlila lost both of her parents to AIDS and she was infected with HIV. Cared for by her sister who could barely make ends meet, Odila was severely malnourished. When it came time for her to be placed on medication (ARVs), her immune system was too weak to support the regimen. Odila spent over a month in the hospital before finally pulling through. Through prayers and other interventions, Odila did not suffer the same fate as Emile and Linda’s hope was restored.

The students are thankful that Linda never gave up. She persevered and now she is seeing the fruits of her labor. “I want to be the President of Rwanda when I grow up,” says Kofi. “Linda has helped me so much by showing me how to take photos and how to relate to other people. Before the project, I couldn’t buy myself anything, now I can buy lotion, clothes and I can be smart.” Valentine, another one of the students at Kagugu, wants to be a doctor when she goes to college in a couple of years. “This project has helped me to take photos and now I can buy books for school and other personal items for my hygiene. I see Linda as my mom, before she came, we were lonely, but she has been comforting us and teaching us.”

More so than photography, perhaps the greatest lesson that Linda is teaching these students is the importance of hope and faith in their future. For many of them, it hasn’t been an easy road but they now realize that they can put the past behind them and dream big. They are the vision for the new Rwanda, and we can see the world through their eyes.

Linda with the students at the Kagugu School

For more information on Linda Smith and the "Through the Eyes of Hope" Project, please visit their website: www.eyesofhopeproject.com or www.facebook.com/theteohproject. 

Through the Eyes of Hope (Part 1)

 The first part of the my interview with Linda Smith and her project, Through the Eyes of Hope. Linda  recently started an initiative called "Cards of Hope" (see right panel) to raise funds for a photo studio in Rwanda. See below to find out how this project started...

“These poignant accounts and many others like them depict a country on a path toward reconciliation. The resounding voices of survivors touch us in ways that no other words could,” said UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon of the Visions of Rwanda photo project. The project, displayed at the United Nations on the 15th commemoration of the genocide in 2009, the work of a photojournalist named Linda Smith, who first began visiting Rwanda in 2006. As she made subsequent visits to Rwanda, Linda founded the Through the Eyes of Hope Project (TEOH Project), a non-profit with the goal of teaching basic photographic principles to extremely disadvantaged children and educating children who are interested in learning about the children of other cultures.

 

Linda as a baby with her aunt and brother

Linda was born in Hawaii, the daughter of an air force officer and a stay-at-home mom. The family left Hawaii before Linda’s fourth birthday and settled in a small town in Norwalk, CT right outside of Stamford, Connecticut. Growing up, Linda had a love for photography and majored in Photography at Syracuse University before moving to London to work as a photographer. While apprenticing some of London’s best photographers, Linda obtained her Master’s degree in Media and Communications at Goldsmith, a constituent college of the University of London. Following her three-year stint in London, Linda returned to the U.S., this time settling in New York City where she started her own wedding photography business.

After two years on the wedding circuit, Linda went on a missions trip with a local church to Rwanda in 2006. It was her first trip to Rwanda and she felt strangely drawn to the tiny country in East Africa. She was asked by her church to photograph the entire trip. She made the most of her by photographing several communities and non-profit organizations that she visited. After ten days, she left Rwanda, knowing that she would come back one day. As soon as she returned from her trip, Linda contacted the Rwandan Embassy in Washington D.C. about displaying her photos and when they agreed, Linda organized an exhibit highlighting Rwandan life. At the exhibit, Linda established some contacts that lead her to Rwanda the following year. Linda’s idea was simple, take cameras to Rwanda and teach children how to take photos, so they could tell their stories through pictures. The following year, she organized a month long workshop with genocide orphans and HIV infected children. It was while conducting this workshop that Linda met Prossy Yohana who would eventually become her assistant in the project.

  

Linda with the first group of children in Mayange.     

The Kagugu School, a primary school in Kigali, sponsored the first workshop, and the children were selected by their peers based on their social needs. The workshop went so well that Linda didn’t want it to end, in fact, with Prossy’s help, the workshop continued on Saturdays while Linda returned to New York. However, Linda found it hard to stay away and returned to Rwanda within three months, at which time she introduced the photography workshop to children within the Millennium Villages Project as well as Partners in Health (PIH). By that time, word had begun to spread about the work that Linda was doing with the children and by the fall of 2007, the United Nations contacted her about working with both genocide victims and perpetrators. The six-week workshop later became the "Visions of Rwanda" exhibit, which was displayed at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City in the spring of 2009, before moving to Rwanda in 2010.

When she returned to Rwanda to coordinate the exhibit in the latter part of 2009, Linda was subsequently offered a teaching position at a university in Kigali at the beginning of 2010. She accepted the position and moved to Rwanda full-time in April 2010.When Linda moved to Rwanda, she set her sights on working with the children in Kagugu and Mayange. Beyond just conducting photography workshops, Linda wanted the project to become self-sustainable so she came up with the idea for selling passport pictures, and prints to people in the community. The students would take pictures, sell them for 500 Rwfs (approximately 75 cents) and use the money to support themselves and the project. By giving ten percent of their earnings to the project, the kids buy their own photo paper and other materials, while using the remainder for school fees, food or other necessities.

In the midst of instructing the students and getting the project off the ground, a tragedy happened that would haunt Linda for a long time. She was at a crossroads, and the future of the project began to look uncertain. The bright hope that she had suddenly turned to deep disappointment and anger…



(stay tuned for part 2)

Till the World Ends....

The world didn't end on May 21st as was predicted by Doomsday prophet Harold Camping and his followers, but this morning it certainly shook.

I was sitting in my living room early this morning in Kigali, when I heard a rumbling sound and then felt the earth shaking under me. After the tremor stopped, I walked over to my window and looked out to see if anything had toppled over or if anyone was earth. There was no visible damage or destruction from the window and everything was normal in my apt. In fact things were so normal that for a couple of minutes I wondered if I had imagined the whole thing. It wasn't until I got to work that Eric, one of the drivers, called out to me "Did you feel the earthquake this morning?" I told him that I had, and even though I was a little freaked out by what happened, I was thankful that no one was hurt.

I have never even thought about the possibility of an earthquake in Rwanda but after the events that unfolded in Haiti and Japan, I don't want to take anything for granted. It turns out that an earthquake struck Rwanda in February 2008 and killed 34 people and injuring more than 200 people. The 6.0 magnitude earthquake occurred along the Great Lakes Region/Great Rift Valley (reports differ) that includes Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

This time around, Rwanda was spared from massive destruction. May 23th moves forward and there is work to be done, but I will always remember this day as the day "the earth moved under my feet...and the sky DIDN't come tumbling down." Its another day to live my life to the fullest and do all the things I'm meant to do until I die, or until the world ends, whichever comes first!

Think BIG!

Quote of the Week:

"Don't let others create your world for you, for when they do, they will always create it too small." 

                                                                                                                                       - Ed Cole

Rwanda is a small country, but that doesn't stop the people here from thinking BIG!  Check out this video from Access Project founder, Josh Ruxin.

Sometimes in April...

It was on April 7th 1994,  that the darkest time in Rwanda's history began. When Hutus took machetes, guns, and whatever other weapons they could find and began to kill their Tutsi neighbors, colleagues and friends. Their thirst for blood was so ravenous that it was only satiated 100 days later when the bloodbath ceased. In those 100 days, close to one million people lost their lives and Rwanda would never be the same again. At the time, I was in the 7th grade and didn't have a clue that Rwanda existed, much less the events that unfolded during that time. The U.S. media largely ignored the conflict, in favor of intervening in the crisis in the Middle East. I remember even at 12 years old, holding up the peace sign and saying "Peace in the Middle East" as was popular at the time. When I thought of Africa, I thought of "We are the World" and starving children, never of war or military conflict. In all honesty, the first time I heard of Rwanda, was when Hotel Rwanda came out in 2004. Even though I had graduated from college and traveled to different parts of the world, I was still ignorant about the continent of Africa. I remember watching the movie and thinking, "How could this happen?" "Why didn't anyone do anything?" Never did I imagine that seven years later, I would be living in Rwanda, three blocks from the real Hotel Rwanda-(Hotel des Milles Collines) and commemorating the 17th anniversary of the genocide, side by side with the survivors.

On April 7th, 2011, 17 years after the genocide, Rwanda was unusually quiet. There were no cars whizzing by in the street, no blackbirds squawking on my balcony, no children playing in the school yard next door. I woke up as my alarm went off at the usual time of 6 am. Since it was a national holiday, there was no work or school for anyone in Rwanda. I planned to commemorate the day at the Stade Amahoro with thousands of other Rwandans. When my co-worker Malick, picked me up that morning, we decided to visit the Kigali Memorial Center before going to the stadium. When we arrived at the memorial center, we realized that we had just missed President Kagame lighting the memorial flame. So security was tight and the air was thick with tension and heaviness. After a long wait at the entrance, we were finally permitted inside. As I walked inside, I was blown away by how beautiful the center was. Set on top of  a huge hill in the center of Kigali, the memorial center consists of beautiful gardens, a large fountain, small pool, genocide museum and library. I started walking around and taking pictures. I stepped on a large flat step and took pictures of the fleshly laid flowers nearby. I heard a voice behind me yell "You're not supposed to step on that!" I turned around and saw a woman on the balcony above me point to a sign that read: "Do not step on the MASS GRAVES." I immediately stepped down and looked around to see that the step was actually a long flat slab of cement that held hundreds of genocide victims. Many of them were buried together because they were unrecognizable even for their family members. I noticed that the people that were around me were all quietly praying and looking down. That's when it hit me! These people were family members of the victims. They had come to the center to pay their respects and to mourn their loss. The reality of the situation hit me hard and I put down my camera and stopped taking pictures. Suddenly the genocide became very real to me and it was inescapable from that point on.  I walked around the center and saw the graves, the names of the victims written on the memorial wall and read the survivor stories. The stories were tragically moving, stories of neighbors and friends turned against each other in a bitter murderous mob. I kept asking myself, how could this happen? How could people be so brutal to children, the elderly, friends, classmates, co-workers because of ethnic pride? I couldn't read enough stories or listen to enough songs or testimonies. My mind just wanted to know everything about the genocide.

Here is a brief timeline of the events that led up to the genocide:
1923: Belgian troops occupied Rwanda-Burundi during World War I and ruled the countries indirectly.

1932: Rwandans were associated with various clans and the terms Hutus and Tutsis referred to socio-economic classifications which could change at any time. The Belgians divided Rwandans into racial groups and called the two groups Hutus and Tutsis. The members of each group had to carry identity cards.

1957: Belgian authorities who had previously favored the Tutsis, shifted their alliance to the Hutu majority and placed them in power. The Hutus in power drafted  the 'Hutu Manifesto' that gave them political rights and control of the military.

1959: Over 700,000 Tutsis were exiled from Rwanda and prevented from returning. Most exiles settled in the Congo, Ivory Coast, Tanzania and Burundi. The remaining Tutsis were targets of routine violence and many were killed in the ensuing years. Others were sent to live in the district of Bugesera known for its flat, infertile land and Tse Tse flies.

1990:  Exiles formed the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) and invaded Rwanda, throwing the entire country into a bitter civil war.

1993: International pressure led to the end of the civil war and the signing of the Arusha Accords on August 4th. The agreement called for rule of law, power sharing, integration of the armed forces, resettlement of refugees and fair elections between the Hutus and Tutsis.  In spite of the agreement, Hutu allies established a radio station dedicated to hate propaganda against the Tutsis.

1994: April 6th - President Habyarimana of Rwanda and President Ntaryamira of Burundi were flying back to Kigali when their plane was shot down. Both presidents were killed and by the end of the night, roadblocks were set up to prevent Tutsis from leaving the country.

April 7th- the killings began and lasted for the next 100 days. Hutus were encouraged to kill their Tutsi neighbors and co-workers. Over 5000 women and children who hid in churches were slaughtered in vicious attacks at the Nymata and Ntarama churches.  The district of Bugesera, where Tutsis were forced to live, lost 90% of its population. UN peace keepers left Rwanda in the first few days of the genocide. The world watched and did nothing. An estimated 1 million people died.

July 17th - The genocide ends when the RPF invades Rwanda and drives the Hutu militia into Zaire, (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo), where they remain until today. UN Peace Keepers returned to bring stability to Rwanda. Thousands of Hutus were tried and convicted of their crimes.


Testimonies: Innocent's Story;          Beatha's Story;        Dancilla's Story


As we prepared to leave the memorial center, we were told that President Kagame was now at the Stadium and we would not be allowed to go there for security reasons. So I went back to my apt and watched the events unfolding at the stadium on my TV. The ceremony which lasted until 10p was all in Kinyarwanda and featured many songs, testimonies, and speeches. One of the major reasons for the commemoration is to remind the world about the genocide and that it was a horrible act that should never happen again. Is another genocide possible in Rwanda? I don't know the answer to that question. When President Kagame took control of Rwanda, racial classifications were done away with. So no one is considered a Hutu or a Tutsi anymore, just Rwandese. Yet Hutu forces are still causing unrest in the Congo and two weeks ago over 1,000 people were killed in the Ivory Coast due to ethnic violence. So while the American media focuses on Libya, thousands of people in poor (non-oil rich) countries die needlessly without any intervention from the United Nations. Sounds familiar?

"Today, the world just wants silence about the genocide. I demand that the world recognize this genocide existed, and is not only a problem of these Africans; that it is a problem of the whole of humanity. If your neighbor's house is burning, you help put out the fire, because you don't know where the wind will blow the flames. We struggle against genocides, but we don't struggle enough against the ideologies that lead to genocides, and that is the problem. Our struggle today- our work today- is very important. Maybe we will not see the results of that work, but it is important for the next generation. Let's be generous for the next generation. Let's be generous so that tomorrow, mothers will not suffer as I suffered." - Yolande Mukagasana: Genocide survivor and author 

I know a lot of this stuff is really heavy and depressing. My point in writing this is not to depress anyone but to make you all aware of what is going on in our world, particularly in Africa. Living here the last couple of months has made me sensitive to the issues that concern Rwanda and other African countries. Given the theme of my blog "Now that I have seen, I am responsible", I felt compelled to share all that I have learned about the genocide with all of you, so that the events that started on April 7th, 1994 will never happen again in Rwanda or elsewhere in the world. Let us stay informed about Rwanda, the Ivory Coast, Democratic Republic of the Congo and other African countries, because as the poem says, " you help put out the fire, because you don't know where the wind will blow the flames."

Kigali Memorial Center

Flowers laid on mass graves

Memorial center flame and grounds

Coffins representing victims - men, women and children

Gardens

Genocide library

A little boy's plea

Kigali Life...

I have been in Kigali for 42 days, 23 hours and 12 minutes. I've gotten into my own routine here, so here are some tidbits of my life in Kigali...

Work:
As a Communications and Media Fellow, I have been working on several projects for my NGO. My responsibilities include developing and integrating their overall communications and marketing strategy, content for their website, social media channels, and re-designing and updating their fact sheets, newsletters and print materials.  I've also visited some of the health centers in the rural areas and seen all the improvements that have been made over the last couple of years. To say that the community health centers have been upgraded by Access and its partners is an understatement. Some of the centers didn't have running water or electricity as recently as last year. Now running water and electricity are available in critical care units like the maternity ward and one health center is completely run by solar power. I am in the process of writing articles for  "Stories From the Field" section on the website. This section incorporates success stories from patients, health center staff and the community at large.

Patients waiting to been seen at the new Gashora health center. 

Health center before renovations

Health center after renovations

Afterhours: To be honest, I haven't really explored Kigali afterhours as much as I should. It gets really dark by 6:30p in Rwanda. There are only 12 hours of daylight year round, so I spend most of my daylight hours at work (8am -5:30p) and get home with 45 minutes of daylight left. I spend those 45 minutes checking email, watching the gorgeous sunset from my balcony and cooking dinner. I've also been reading a really provocative book called "Drive" by Daniel Pink about motivation. According to Pink, extrinsic motivation such as bonuses and increased pay has a negative effect on productivity. It is countercultural to everything that is taught at most business schools or implemented in the incentive compensation plans of companies like Pfizer. I haven't finished the book yet, but hopefully I can apply some of these theories to reward and motivate good behavior in my colleagues.  So while I spent the first month reading and catching up on work, I expect to get out more often in the next couple of months. One website that has been useful for me is Living In Kigali   which lists all the restaurants, cafes, nightlife, and events in Kigali. Will keep you guys updated on how that goes!

Transportation

 I have a driver that takes me to and from work each day, but after that I am pretty much on my own. There are three modes of transportation in Rwanda, taxi, moto and bus. Taxis are really expensive and you really have to bargain to get a fair price. Motos are significantly less expensive that taxis, but are generally not as safe. Buses are the cheapest mode of transportation but are not available everywhere. I have yet to take a bus, but yesterday for the first time, I took a moto. It was AMAZING! To feel the wind blowing in your face and the incredible views of the mountains as you whiz through traffic is exhilarating. I can't believe that I waited so long to take a moto especially considering the price difference. A typical taxi ride from Kiyovu, in town where I live to Kimoronko or Nyaturama is about 4000 - 5000 Rwf, while a moto will typically charge 1000 Rwf. ($1 = 600Rwf) 







The Market: 
Today was my first day going to the market or isoko. I've gone to the supermarkets in town, Le Galette and Nakumatt, which are really expensive. So since I was in Kimironko today, I went with my friend Linda to the market to get some produce. The merchants only speak Kinyarwanda so Linda did most of the talking or rather bargaining for me.  I got some fresh tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, eggplants, basil, bananas, and onions. While the supermarkets in town keep a regular supply of beef and pork, they rarely sell chicken and since I don't eat red meat, I was excited to buy some chicken for a change. So I went to have a look at the chicken aisle....

Live chickens

Rabbit anyone?

Yes, they sell the fresh chicken and rabbit! As much as I have missed having chicken on a regular basis, I am not brave enough to buy a live chicken and skin it myself. So I'll just keep on cooking pasta and vegetables at home. 

So that's all for now on my life in Kigali, if you have any more questions, please post them below.

RWANDA!!

Happy New Year!! Yes I know we are almost at the end of January, but its never too late to celebrate new beginnings! For those of you that know me, you know that I love to travel to new and exciting places. I believe that when we travel, we shouldn't just stay in nice hotels and do the regular tourist things, but we should meet the natives and give back as much as we can. This is the main purpose of this blog, along with my random musings. Well I have some really exciting news to share with everyone. Are you ready for this???!!!

I was selected to be a Global Health Fellow for my company, Pfizer Inc. As a fellow, I will have the opportunity to work with an International Development Organization to help them with their business and management needs. In this case, I will be working with The Earth Institute, Columbia University's Access Project, in Kigalia, RWANDA!!!! I will be based in Rwanda for the next couple of months working with the The Access Project as a Communications and Media Fellow. 

The Access Project works to improve the health of "impoverished people, communities and countries. In Rwanda, the Access model is applied to utilizing business and management skills to the public health systems, in order to increase access to life saving drugs and critical health services." -Access website. The sad reality is that most people in developing countries like Rwanda die relatively young, from preventable diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis and other neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). The goal of the Access Project is to improve the health of the people in areas where they wouldn't otherwise have access to healthcare. Once you have healthy people, you can then focus on not just lifting people out of poverty, but creating sustainable wealth for generations to come. Josh Ruxin, the founder of The Access Project as well as Rwanda Works, which applies the health, then wealth approach, is based in Kigali, Rwanda and regularly contributes to the Huffington Post, Forbes.com and New York Times. I am so excited to work with him and the teams of both The Access Project and Rwanda Works to bring stories from the field of people who have been helped by the over 79 health centers throughout Rwanda. 

Looking back, my journey to becoming a fellow and working in Rwanda, has come full circle. I initially started this blog, as a means to combine my passion for traveling with my need to be more socially responsible to the places that I travel to. One of the very first things that I posted was a song by Brooke Fraser, with the haunting lyrics, "Now that I have seen, I am responsible..." Its fitting that Brooke was singing about her trip to Rwanda and a girl named Albertine, whom she promises to never forget. Now as I prepare for my own trip to Rwanda, I ask that you lend your prayers and support for my fellowship and for the people of Rwanda.


For more information on the Pfizer Global Health Fellows program, please click here: Global Health Fellows

Rwanda is landlocked and located near DRC, Uganda, Burundi and Tanzania respectively.

A new dawn, Lake Kivu in Rwanda.

DISCLAIMER: I am an employee of Pfizer. The statements or opinions expressed on this site are my own and do not necessarily represent those of Pfizer.