I woke up early on our final day in Rwanda. I had a lot to think about. Last night we were joined at dinner by two nurses from Canada who had recently become HBB trainers and were in Rwanda to.....what they weren't exactly sure. Do training perhaps, but they had no idea of where to begin or who to talk to. Cathleen had found me by Googling HBB and contacted me to see if they might join us to observe our training. Unfortunately our schedules didn't work out for us to be in the same place at the same time as the training, but they were able to join us for dinner. We talked a great deal and I gave them some advice. They wanted, I think, to be given my contacts, but instead I referred them to the Ministry of Health. Hmmmm. Proof perhaps that my thinking has changed on this trip. After my meetings last Friday I realize that there absolutely has to be some kind of order to these trainings in order for them to be: 1. sustainable 2. replicable 3. monitored 4. reported to prevent duplication or missing areas entirely 5. documented in research. No end run around the homework, my friends. I got the impression that they might like to avoid all of the legwork I had done over the past four years and get right to the heart of the matter, but.....as I have learned the hard way......that legwork was crucial to my understanding of the way things work in Rwanda, and those relationships were the foundation for me to come back and speak with some authority to these friends of mine. They have seen my face repeatedly enough to realize that I am invested in them and that I want to assist in their own advancement as professionals. They trust me.
I have a necklace that I have always worn when traveling in Rwanda. It has an inscription that reads, "It's not the destination, but the journey." I have found this to be true not only of my travels, but also of my life. The journey is what it's all about.....and I will continue mine, wherever it leads, learning along the way and hopefully becoming a better person in the process.So, Cathleen and Kim, I wasn't trying to be mean, spiteful, selfish or rude....just letting you find your way, too. Here's to your own incredible journey!
And now, some photos from my last morning in Gisenyi and our farewell to Yvan at the airport:
Farewell, dear Yvan! I hope to see you next time....you are, after all, now officially family!
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