Hello from Musanze

Amakuru (how are you?)

Thanks again for joining us on our wonderful African adventure. We are writing from Musanze, formally known as Ruhengeri. It is nestled in a valley surrounded by massive volcanoes that form the boundaries of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). We have been here since we last wrote and our time here has been the highlight for many.

Our time in Musanze has been divided between various events and activities. On our first full day here we had the incredible opportunity to venture to the far northwest corner of Rwanda to the “city” (I use the term lightly) of Butaro. The drive was magnificent. We ventured up a winding dirt mountain road that provided incredible vistas of a pair of lakes below. The views combined with our paddle into the lake in wooden canoes would have been worth it, but the trip was made even better because we got to meet with Anne Sosin from Partners in Health. For those who are not familiar with Partners in Health (PIH) we recommend doing a little online search as they are truly pioneers of international public health. The experience was inspiring!

The rest of the week was spent focusing on a few projects which I will briefly try to summarize;

We had the opportunity to meet with World Vision, a very large Christian organization based out of the Seattle area. The first day we met with them we hiked into the local clinics where we met with nurses and learned about their programs. We also had the opportunity to meet with three associations from the local village. One association was a group of adolescent/young adult orphans who have banded together to form a family-like network to provide support with their daily lives and struggles. We also met with two associations of people living with HIV/AIDS, which generate income from weaving and farming, respectively. On the following days we helped farm two plots of land-- one for the orphans, and one for the HIV/AIDS association. We were treated to much appreciation and singing, which made the experience well worth it.

Gisiza Clinic. When we weren’t working with World Vision we spent much of our time at a local clinic which is 6km up dusty dirt roads strewn with volcanic rocks. Here, we have focused on painting the interior of the building.

In addition, we visited Sonrise School in Musanze to hang out with students. Now one of the top schools in the area, the Sonrise School was born out of a need to educate orphans. The school provides everything for the children-- food, clothing, shelter, support, education, and family.

Just so that you don't think that this experience has been all work and no play. . . on Sunday we ventured up into Volcanoes National park to track Golden Monkeys. The forest was thick with bamboo and provided a picturesque and exiting back drop for our adventure. We have played several games of volleyball and basketball as well!

That's all for now. Tomorrow, we are headed to a rural hospital started by a classmate of Paul Farmer (founder of Partners in Health), and a day on the shores of Lake Kivu.

Take care!

Marabeho,
Fiona and Dan