A health center in need. An even greater need to pay attention.

Previous post (Day?#4)

International "Benefit" Tour - Africa Day #5

We visited a small health center in the North part of the country, near the volcanos and the gorillas. (I had hoped to have a bit of “vacation” time to visit, but that will have to wait).?

This particular health center provides all of the primary care services and some amount of in-patient care to a catchment area of about 20,000 very poor, rural Rwandans.?

The local leader asked an order of nuns, the?Oblate Sisters of the Holy Spirit, to operate the center 15 years ago. At the time, the center was in difficult condition, but the sisters have worked very hard and have made the center effective. Nonetheless, the center has many challenges.?

During our visit, we were very impressed with the management and the services offered at the Center. The facilities are similar to what we find in so many similar areas. We were looking for the next project for our non-profit Sextant Foundation, and this one is clearly it.?

Another time, I will detail the physical aspects of the health center. For today, I must say, it has been such a long one, I need to make this a bit short...

What I WILL say is that Sextant will now begin collecting volunteers, in-kind donations, and funds to support a team to go back and provide a small solar power system, a small water treatment system, some necessary re-wiring, and some other miscellaneous much-needed improvements.??

Admittedly, fund-raising is not my strength. What I can tell you is that, any money entrusted to the Sextant Foundation will go directly to helping the people of this district.

?The needs are immense; our gratitude for any help will be more so.

I will, though, tell you two stories of our trip that are worth noting.?

A small thing – we could not find water bottled in PLASTIC. Apparently, the country of Rwanda has outlawed plastic water bottles (maybe other things as well) to help mitigate the terrible levels of plastic solid waste pollution, from which, the country suffers. One of our hosts told me that the first time she had purchased a beer at a nearby store, they did not want her to take it home, as the penalties for NOT collecting and returning the bottles are so high. And, when she finally did convince them to let her take home a beer, they showed up at her door the next day, demanding that she return the bottle!

My second story is from yesterday — we invited our tour guide to lunch. As we were eating, I asked him about what Rwandans think about America and Americans. He did not hesitate. He would much rather, he said, have his country than ours. I asked him why. He said it was because of the political polarization. This, from a man whose family was terrorized during the Hutu-Tutsi civil war 25 years ago. That person, with that background, would rather have his system, than ours, because we are so polarized.??

We should pay attention to what these people know, that we do not.?