Tuesday & Wednesday, 1/10/12-1/11/12 - Service Work

Our entire trip to Rwanda was to perform orthopedic surgeries. In fact one morning I was called into "clinical" duty and transcribed chart notes for Dr. Chris as he saw patients and administered medications. It was very gratifying.

Since I'm not clinical my service work was primarily performed at L'Esperance Orphanage located about a mile from the hospital. I have such cherished memories of walking the road to the orphanage every day. The first day I walked to the orphanage I accidently walked right on past the orphanage. A little old lady with a huge bundle of corn stalks on her head came running up barefoot behind me, set down her bundle, took me by the hand, tried to talk to me in spite of our language difference, and walked me back to the orphanage - truly an angel! One day on my way back to the hospital a young man was walking the other way and simply wanted to hold my hand as we walked past each other. Many of the women would smile at me but burst into giggles when I'd try to say something in Kinyarwanda. Another day an elderly gentleman took it upon himself to act as my escort and lend a helping hand whenever I stumbled on a difficult part of the trail. And I knew I'd become an honorary local when one of the orphanage house mamas named Christine, walked right up to me as she was headed back to the orphanage and gave me a big hug.

Another memory is of the children in the very small village I walked by every day. They would see me coming from a distance and start yelling Mzungu. Once I reached them they'd fight over who got to hold my hands. I finally showed them how they could each hold a finger and we could all walk together. We would walk a little distance before I either had to peel them off of me or someone on the trail would say something to them or even some adults in the village would holler for them to return.

And when I wasn't taking inventory of the medical supplies in each house, I got to enjoy the children at the orphanage...and the resident orphanage dog named Lady, who followed me around and licked her butt and scratched her fleas just like dogs do here in the states. Not to mention that little Pauly learned to walk the day I arrived and didn't want to share my lap or attention with the others. On subsequent days he would see me from afar and stretch out his arms and scream for me to go scoop him up immediately. Oh how I wish I could've stayed longer!