Here There Be Monkeys

Howdy y'all!

I am sorry to inform you guys that this is probably my next-to-last blog post. I’m also trying to type this while watching The Office¹, so we’ll see how this goes.

Since my last post, Richard and I have accomplished a lot of good work at our hospitals. We spent the first weekend in Butare, and I spent this past weekend in Muhanga. Also, we had the opportunity to visit the Murambi Genocide Memorial with a friend we made in Butare.

Hospital Work

Working in hospitals has been incredibly rewarding. I am continually surprised by the amount of knowledge I have acquired over the past month in regards to hands-on problem solving. I have developed a strong sense of confidence in my ability to handle myself independently, and I certainly feel prepared for the upcoming semesters of college back at Texas A&M². Truly, the experience I have gained this past month has been life-changing, and I would not trade it for anything.

Since my last blog post, Richard and I have been tying up loose ends with hospital equipment. As I mentioned before, training hospital staff has become an important task – and it’s one that we have been busy with during the past days. Early this month, we managed to return three infant incubators to operable condition. Initially, we were excited to have fixed several important pieces of equipment, but we quickly realized that none of the incubators had ever been used. The hospital had been unable to use them ever since they were donated. However, Richard and I were recently able to meet with a neonatal nurse and train her on the usage of the machines. Finally wheeling the incubators into the NICU, hooking them up, and seeing them used was super exciting and inspiring.

Richard: warming babies and warming hearts since ’16.

Moving forward into our final week, Richard and I will be focusing on our secondary project at our hospitals. Basically, we have recognized a need for the reorganization of the BMET workshops at our hospitals. There are tools and machines piled up around the rooms; everything is hard to find and this can hinder the ability of our BMETs. Richard and I plan to clean up the offices and install a new desk and new shelves in Kabutare. Hopefully, we can improve our BMETs’ work environments so they can be more efficient after we leave.

Side note: last Friday, the maintenance worker at our hospital – Joseph – took us into town to speak with woodworkers for our secondary project. Afterwards, he invited us to check out his house. He showed us around for a bit, and then showed us his work-out area! He had a barbell welded together out of a pole and some flywheels, and it was held up by two wooden posts. When in Rwanda, do as the Rwandans do… right? A short³ work-out followed.

Do I even lift? No. In fact, I’m pretty sure

 I started sweating when I touched the bar.

I am very excited for our last week of work, and I look forward to updating y’all on our final progress.

UPDATE: Since I’m slow at typing this blog, the last week of work started before I published this post. On Monday, we fixed an electronic scale for the pediatric department! Last week, I took apart the bottom of the scale and realized that the transformer jack was very rusty. Using a multimeter, we were able to measure the voltage output from the jack, and it was considerably low. Thankfully, our star OTGC, Maddy, was able to find us a replacement jack in Kigali. I was able to solder the new transformer jack into place, and now the scale works like a charm⁴.

The old transformer jack. It may or may not have 

been this melted before I un-soldered it.

I am weigh too excited about this fix. 

Sorry, I’ll try to scale the puns back a bit.

Murambi

This was one of the most impactful experiences of my time in Rwanda. I cannot describe this visit appropriately with words; all that follows is a concise summary of the memorial. If you ever spend time in Rwanda, you need to see this – and if not, I urge you to learn as much as you can about the genocide.

The Murambi Genocide Memorial is situated atop a tall hill surrounded by breathtaking landscape. It is the site of a half-built secondary school which was under construction during the Rwandan genocide. The Tutsi people were told that they would be safe from violence here, and as a result, thousands of Rwandans flocked to the top of the hill. However, the organization of this “safe haven” was such that there was no escape. That is, the school was visible from any surrounding area; no one could flee without attracting attention. After the citizens arrived, water was cut off and no food was available so they would be too weak to resist. At this site on April 21^st, 1994, over 50,000 Rwandans were murdered. There were 34 survivors.

At the memorial, we were able to walk through and read about the genocide on the walls. After we finished, the guide showed us the site of several mass graves. Lastly, we visited approximately 20 “classrooms” which were full of genocide victims. Their bodies were preserved in lime, and each victim’s final facial expression was still intact.

One of the rooms was full of children. Gazing over the small bodies, I could hear kids laughing and playing from the bottom of the hill on which I stood. The juxtaposition of life and death was a brutal reminder of what was lost, yet I could not help but be inspired by the perseverance and the progress of the Rwandan people. Often, this scene replays in my mind.

“Remember the bad times as you struggle to build a better world.” (Fr. Modeste Mungwarareba – Murambi survivor)

The beautiful landscape which surrounds Murambi.

The main building (right) atop the hill. Much of 

Murambi remains perpetually under construction.

Butare Weekend

Two weekends ago, starting on the 15^th, our friends came and visited me and Richard in Butare. We had a great weekend which involved some great restaurants, hiking a mountain, and chilling at the local pool!

On Friday, we saw monkeys!!! An entire pack of monkeys came through and visited our hotel, Mere De Verbe. I have evidence – I know y’all are just here for the pictures anyway…

Hard to believe these guys recorded the

classic “I’m a Believer” back in 1967…⁵

Monkeying around. I h-ape that pun.
I'm driving myself bananas.

Saturday morning, we decided to climb Mt. Huye. It isn’t a huge mountain, but we had no idea where to begin our hike. We ended up wandering through a nearby village until someone guided us to the base of the mountain. The only thing is – our guides were a bunch of children. I don’t know how this happened; it was one of the stranger experiences of my life, but we ended up with a small mob of small kids leading us by the time we reached the peak.

For real though, we started off with about three followers. We kept running into more children just chilling in the forest. Everyone proceeded to follow us all the way to the peak. ~in sandals!!~⁶

It was a fantastic hike. I even got to hammock again.

I posted this on Instagram. Go like it.

Muhanga Weekend

This past weekend, I traveled northward for Savannah’s birthday. Nine of us showed up, and it was a great time. Why was it a great time? Because food. So much food.

Seriously, all we did was eat. It was awesome⁷.

Saturday morning, we woke up and planned. Then, we spent a few hours at the market and various shops buying ingredients. We took a quick break when we got back to the house – we watched The Office, of course – and then we got cooking. The results are as follows:

“Why is Bryan so tall?”

See those vegetables? I sautéed those. Call me Master Chef.

Also, Grace made some deep-fried banana balls and they were possibly the greatest things I have ever eaten⁸.

Until (one more) Next Time

Thanks for reading again! I’m extremely excited to see what I can accomplish during my final week in Rwanda, and I know that I will never forget my time here. Expect one more post – this time, from America!!! As always, feel free to message me if you want to talk more. And regarding Spades, I think the ongoing game died out. Oh well, Sav and I won :]

“Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” (Colossians 4:5-6)

-Bryan

¹Grace recently helped me “find” seasons 5-7 on my computer. She's great.

²Ask me about this again during mid-terms.

³Okay, I did two reps. It was just for the picture. No gainz.

⁴I’ve gained 2 pounds since arriving in Rwanda. Don’t be surprised – have you seen how much I talk about the food here?

⁵Hopefully y’all get this one… if not, at least my mom will.

⁶This is my version of double-italics. It’s, like, super emphasized.

⁷See footnote 4.

⁸I will be making these in college. Roomates – y’all are welcome.

Two-Thirds Through

[Insert cheesy greeting]

I hope y'all are doing well! I’ve traveled a lot since my last blog post – three holidays happened during six workdays, so my friends and I took advantage of the free time. Two weekends ago (July 2nd), we bused out to Kibuye where Peter and his partner, Brian, are living. During the few workdays, Richard and I dominated hospital equipment (as usual). This past weekend, I took a very exciting bus trip out to Kamembe where Jeff, his partner Josh, Anastasia, and Miles are living.

EXCITING TEASER: This post contains many monkeys and a particularly perturbed chicken.

Kibuye

Well, this actually started in Butare.

Butare

Friday, July 1^st, was Rwandan Independence Day¹. So, Gaby, Jenny, and Savannah traveled down to Butare on Thursday night to break up their trips to Kibuye between two days. Friday morning, we explored a little bit of Butare, ate stellar ice cream, and saw some monkeys!

 

Look, I don't know Kinyarwanda that well - but I do
know Texas food, and none of those words are "BBQ".

Being a New Yorker, Richard was the only one not
included in the above picture. Here's proof he exists.

This wouldn't be a good blog post without
Sav scaring away a random animal.

Friday evening, we set off for Kibuye.

Kibuye (actually this time)

This town is right on the edge of Lake Kivu. It is beautiful.

This was supposed to be a picture of the Loch Ness
Monster, but she went under just before I took it. Trust me.

This was a pretty simple trip, honestly. Lake, views, busting a fat chill. 

Saturday was beach day.

I don't have much to say about this pic... I'll just wave.

Sunday was boat day. We hired a guide to take us out on his boat for the day; he drove us around to a couple different islands. On these islands, we were able to hike around and enjoy the views.

More importantly, I had the opportunity to climb a tree and jump from its branches into the lake. Amazing, bucket-list-worthy experience. 12/10; would recommend.

This was before I did an unintentional back-flop.
You can tell because I'm still smiling.

After the long weekend, I headed back to Butare on Tuesday morning. As it turned out, Wednesday would be a public holiday as well. How many of y’all had a two-day workweek?

Back to Saving Equipment

This past Thursday and Friday, Richard and I managed to fix several more pieces of equipment. At Kibilizi, we finally finished setting up three infant incubators which have never been used. Additionally, we were tasked with the duty of figuring out how to use an ECG machine – its only issue was that no one in the hospital is trained on the machine. Richard and I were able to use the ECG; we hooked up the electrodes and confirmed that it recorded an accurate heart rate. However, further staff training will be required if the machine is to be used clinically.

How To Be Stared At In Rwanda:

1. do literally anything as a foreigner

2. not wearing a shirt awards x30 multiplier

At Kabutare, we worked on a couple more infant incubators. Whenever I visit the neonatology department, it is common for me to observe multiple babies being cared for within the same incubator or infant warmer. This overcrowding is especially common in the developing world because of a lack of working supplies coupled with high rates of premature birth. Thus, working on neonatology equipment has been my favorite job so far – the impact that Richard and I are able to make is obvious. We set up a never-been-used incubator, and we were also able to identify a burned-out heating source in different incubator. Richard and I will hopefully be able to add the second incubator to our “fixed” list, pending a replacement part.

Regarding certain equipment, I have realized that my efforts in the hospitals must extend beyond repair. Sometimes, donated equipment cannot be used because it needs to be calibrated or programmed first. Often, the instructions for these tasks are in English, and the hospital staff doesn’t have the time to figure out how to read them. Richard and I have encountered this dilemma with a particular model of infant incubator. We have since realized that even after equipment set-up, Richard and I are responsible for training the nurses on how to use the equipment. This has been a rewarding experience as well; the nurses are always very eager to learn how to use new devices.

Luckily, infant incubators don't require
 us to take off our shirts. Yet.

On Monday, Richard and I hit the ground running. At Kabutare, we were able to fix/reprogram the only ultrasound machine in the hospital. After our magic touch, the machine is now able to estimate gestational age of the fetus based on specific measurements. The doctor whom we met, Sad, was very happy². He took some pictures with us.

The fetus on the ultrasound screen actually
does not belong to any of us... believe it or not.

Kamembe

This weekend, I decided to visit Lake Kivu again – in a different town. Kamembe is also a very laidback town; my friends and I visited some hot springs³ and spent time catching up with each other. We even made grilled cheese sandwiches!!! Getting there was another story... when was the last time your bus driver had to stop in the middle of the road for a pack of monkeys?

Am I in Africa? The answer is a resounding "yes".

Fun fact: my friends who live in Kamembe are the proud owners of a live chicken. It was the result of a grocery list misunderstanding… His name is Joey.

Sav probably would have scared Joey away,
but he was picked up and handed to her. 

What a fowl glare.^4,5,6,7

At the hot springs, I finally got to hammock! I’ve been carrying around my hammock everywhere I go in Africa, and it finally paid off.

I posted this on Instagram. Go like it.
(Also, shout-out to Gaby. She hung the hammock.)

Spades?

Well. We haven’t played Spades since my last post. Sorry to disappoint. But – on the bright side – my team is still winning :]

I’ll Be Back

That’s it for this one! Admittedly it was a shorter post, but I think it was a pretty relaxed week. As always, please feel free to message me if you want to talk more! I can’t wait to finish out this trip strong.

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:3-4)⁸

-Bryan

¹ I messed up. I thought July 4^th was Rwandan Independence Day, but it’s actually Liberation Day. My Instagram caption is a lie.

² I cannot stop laughing over this sentence. You can’t make this stuff up.

³ Hot is an understatement. Pretty sure the water was actually boiling. In light of Pokémon Go – there were probably fire Pokémon here.

⁴ Alternate caption: “Don’t make me go Cluck Norris on you.”

⁵ Alternate caption: “You’re ruffling my feathers.”

⁶ Alternate caption: “This won’t fly.”

⁷ Alternate caption: “Please cock-a-doodle-don’t.”

⁸ Big shout-out to my brother, Aaron, for writing down a bunch of bible verses on index cards for me to keep in my wallet during my trip. Most of these verses have been ones that he wrote down for me.