Giraffes, Zebras, Baboons & Elephants....Oh Yeah, and HBB!

Saturday morning found us headed to the Akagera National Park to begin the trainings for our traveler trainers. The drive was nice, and we saw a lot of people along the way.

(For less chat and more photos, go to the One Good Deed website www.onegooddeedkc.org or the One Good Deed Facebook page)

We stopped along the way for a bathroom break, and Jennifer, proving that she was a better woman than most, chose to use the "squatty potty." Apparently even better women can pee on their own feet! Bahahaha! Thank goodness for hand wipes, eh Jennifer?

Here we are outside the squatty potty cheering Jennifer on....okay, maybe we were just laughing at her! I'm pretty sure the rest of us would have let our bladders explode before we would 1. brave the smell, and 2. take the chance of our foot slipping into that hole in the ground! Jennifer's lucky she got out of there with only her own pee on her foot!

When we finally arrived at the park, we were expecting to get started right away on the HBB training, but the park ranger, Denise, told us that they had just had a giraffe sighting and wanted to know if we wanted to go ahead and take a game drive right then. Was she serious?!? Hells yeah!

Our little impromptu drive was well worth the detour from trainings! But.....we really did have to get down to business or we wouldn't be prepared for our Rwandan learners on Monday!

After lunch we spent the afternoon going over the training flip chart and familiarizing ourselves with the program. I talked to them about the reasons behind some of the exercises, and we talked about the various levels of training we might encounter with our students over the next week. Once everyone settled in to the task at hand, it went fairly quickly. I have a good group here; they're fast learners and they seem to be genuinely excited about teaching Rwandan health workers. Once we felt fairly comfortable with the written material, we went back out to the jeeps for a late afternoon game drive with Denise.

That gray mass in the bushes is an elephant....look close and you can make out his ear. When he crossed the road in front of our jeeps we squealed and he went into the bushes. Dumb girls, I know! I was just happy to actually see him--this was my third trip to the park, and I have never seen an elephant until now. Sooooo worth it! He didn't think so, though....he showed me his backside!

Oh well.....on to other mammals!

That's a herd of pumba! The song of the day is Hakuna Matada!

Hard to tell, but that's a hippo looking at you!

As the sun set on Lake Akagera, we headed back to the lodge for dinner and a good night's sleep!

Sunday morning we got up a little earlier and had breakfast before taking an early morning game drive. The drive wasn't as successful today as the ones yesterday, but it was still enjoyable.

Ranger Denise told us that the storks' legs are actually black, but they spread their feces on their legs to keep the bugs from biting them.......there you go, Jennifer! Next time you hit the squatty potty, you can take advantage of some "homemade" bug repellent! That should guarantee you get to room alone the rest of the trip!

After the morning drive it was back to work for us! We met in a conference room back at the lodge to begin our skills training in the HBB program.

After filling the manikins with water, we went over everything that is in the kit.....

.......and then we began working our way through each of the scenarios on the action plan. One by one, we went through them so we would know exactly how they should be taught to our Rwandan learners. I was pleased to see everybody taking this class so seriously, but you know me.....learning is supposed to be fun! I don't remember what finally broke the ice, but after that first good laugh occurred we began really enjoying ourselves while we were learning.

Laughter is cathartic and it is a unifying force. There is nothing quite so bonding as having a good laugh together! Okay, Jennifer.....you can finally call us "Team Rwanda"! Laughter is also contagious and begs for others to join in--Yvan was no exception.....he saw the fun and he wanted in.....




Okay, buddy....you get to be the birthing momma!

We spent the rest of the afternoon practicing (and laughing) because practice makes perfect....and that's what we want!

And in the end, after all the practicing was through, they all passed their individual skills tests and earned their training certificates! There was, of course, room for a little good-natured mother/daughter kidding, too:

And as with all HBB trainer courses, at the end there is the awarding of the certificates and the group photo:

Now it's time to get back to Kigali to get ready for our first class of Rwandan learners! But first, one last look at Akagera lodge....

And just before we loaded into our jeeps, we saw a momma baboon with her baby and another little one following behind....almost as if she was giving her endorsement of this training we are bringing to her country!

Helping Babies Breathe In Rwanda--The Journey Begins!

I've been planning this trip since before my last trip in July. Thinking back, I guess I really did put a lot of time and thought into it, and yet when the time came, I panicked a little because I just wasn't sure I was ready. I have these moments occasionally now....I wonder what the hell I was thinking undertaking all of this?!? Who do I think I am anyway? And then I remember....I'm just an ordinary gal on an extraordinary adventure: my muzungu journey. I don't know why I've been put on this path, but I do know that I'm supposed to be here, ill-equipped or not. I also know that I will continue this journey wherever it leads because I have faith that it's all going to work out, and well, because it's pretty incredible!

So, on Wednesday, March 21st we set out for Rwanda to train Rwandan birth attendants in the Helping Babies Breathe program (HBB). Besides me, there was Sara, one of our nurse practitioners from KU and her mother, Pam, who is also a nurse. My daughter, Cait, was also along. I recruited her to be our photographer because you can't very well teach AND take pictures! The rest of our group, also from KU, were Laiecha, Kaitlin, and Jennifer.

Our journey started off okay....the first leg was from KC to DC where we boarded our flight to Brussels. I had worked Monday night and stayed up all day Tuesday running last minute errands and repacking for about the 37th time, so I was pretty exhausted leaving KC and was able to sleep most of the flight to Brussels. We had a pretty good layover in Brussels, all going well until we were told we would have to get new boarding passes. Not really a problem, right? Until they couldn't find us in the system.....We had purchased our tickets before the merger between Continental and United was final. OOPS! Apparently not everything transferred over all nice and smooth! Thanks to a very kind and patient agent in Brussels, we were finally taken care of and on our way to Kigali.

The rest of the trip was fairly uneventful.....well, except for a couple of screaming children on the flight! We even arrived in Kigali with all our luggage and made it through customs without incident. We were missing a few learner manuals for the HBB program--apparently customs neglected to completely zip the bag they were in and they fell out. We were able to retrieve some from the carousel as they went around.

Yvan from Eos Visions met us at the airport...you might remember him, he was the guide Lindsay and I had in July. The big surprise for me was that we had a BUS! What a hoot! AND it had a sign in the window that said "One Good Deed"......still makes me giggle.

We got to the hotel, had some dinner and went to bed. The hotel was okay....no ac, but it was pretty cool so didn't seem to matter. At that point, I didn't really care because I was ready for bed. Cait and I had a bit of a delay while we hunted down and smacked the moth that insisted on fluttering around our heads while we tried to go to sleep, but finally we got to bed.

Friday morning we all met for breakfast out on the balcony and took a group photo before heading out for the day.

Cait and I set out with Helaina from Eos Visions to attend some meetings while the others went on the Kigali city tour and visited a couple of genocide memorials. But first we got a picture with our BUS! He-he!

I didn't know what to expect from the meetings Helaina had scheduled. The most important one, with Dr. Ngabo from the Ministry of Health, had been cancelled--by him....again. Sigh. I don't know why he has to be such a difficult man to work with. I have no idea what we did or didn't do that pissed him off, but he has been very unpleasant to deal with! Anyway, our first meeting was at the U.S. embassy--insert little happy dance--I've been trying to get inside the embassy for four years now!!! You'd think an American wouldn't have such a hard time gaining access, but....

The meeting at the embassy was with USAID (United States Agency for International Development). Michael thought they might be helpful with the Ministry. God knows we could use all the help we could get. Turns out he was right. They were quite helpful in giving us ideas for approaching the MOH (Ministry of Health) in a way that would present us as an asset to them in the HBB trainings. They had learned the ins and outs of this system, and luckily for us, they were willing to share their knowledge! Unfortunately we couldn't get photos with them....cameras are not allowed in the embassy, along with cell phones, computers, and iPads. You aren't missing anything, though. Inside, the embassy looks like any other office building. Pretty anti-climatic for my four year wait!

Our next meeting was with people from an NGO called Lux Dev. Turns out they are up for renewal so didn't have much to offer us in the way of help (ie grants or funding), but they, too, were a wealth of information. They apparently had had their share of hardships with Dr. Ngabo and gave us some good advice. We also talked with a pediatrician in their group who was very helpful to me in gaining insight into the needs of the country in terms of health workers and lack of training. She was very glad to hear that we were interested in teaching other neonatal topics besides HBB. No camera restrictions here, so we got a photo:

Feeling a little giddy with our success in our first two meetings, I told Helaina we should just drop in on Dr. Ngabo. You know, just plant yourself on his doorstep....get in his face....make him send us away in person, not over the phone or by email! I like Helaina....she has a lot of spunk! So, we trekked on over to the MOH--actually we took a cab....not the motorbike kind, but a car, and hiked up the four (actually five because their first floor is actually 0) flights of stairs and presented ourselves to the receptionist. Apparently there was no red flag warning with our pictures on it because she went to see if Dr. Ngabo would meet with us. Remember "Somebody" I always talk about? Well, Somebody was smiling on us that day because Dr. Ngabo agreed to see us! Don't get excited....he didn't exactly give us a warm welcome. We sat in silence for about 5-7 minutes while he played with his cell phone and ignored us. Finally he got around to asking us what we wanted. I told him we had come to start the trainings in the HBB program as discussed in July with Dr. Binagwaho, the Minister. He got a little pissy and asked where we were training. I told him KHI and the district hospital in Gisenyi. He really didn't care about KHI--not under the MOH's jurisdiction because it's education. BUT, whoa nellie! Who told us we could train at Gisenyi?!? God love Helaina! She said, "Well, it was on the list of sites slated to be first for trainings that your assistant gave me. Since Sherri already had a relationship with them from previous trips here, we decided to go there."  Hmph!

Dr. Ngabo wasn't ready to be nice just yet. He asked what we expected him to do, there was no money in the budget for training kits so how did I expect to train without them or to get them on such short notice? HA! I said, "I brought six kits with me this time." HA!HA! Still not conceding.....he wanted to know what we would do about future trainings and I told him it was my understanding that the Minister had said he should plan for 20 kits to begin with in the next budget. Oh.....well, there was that, wasn't there? More silence followed, and you know me, I can't stand silence so I HAD to fill it! I handed him an envelope containing the letter from the Council of International Neonatal Nurses (COINN) endorsing my trainings of the HBB program along with their offer to be of any assistance in the future in all things neonatal. Checkmate!

Suddenly Dr. Ngabo saw a reason to have me around--this letter might give him a few brownie points with Dr. Binagwaho! He said we could proceed at Gisenyi. I, being grateful (no, really, I was!), told him that we would like future guidance from the MOH about where the next trainings should be done (OMG! Was that a slight smile I saw?!?) Then.....be still my heart.....he said we could draw up a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the MOH!!!! Helaina was wide-eyed, I was dumbfounded, and Cait didn't get any pictures! Probably for the best since we all looked a little shell-shocked. This little impromptu meeting couldn't have gone any better! AND.....God love Helaina.....she invited him to join us for dinner at Republica that night! Still makes me laugh! He said maybe, but of course we were fairly certain he would be a no show....and he was, but he at least called to tell us, AND Helaina said he actually said "Sorry"!!!
whew! Wears me out just remembering it! Dear God that was an ordeal! You know me, there's gotta be a lesson in there somewhere....I'm still puzzling that one out!

Buoyed by our little success, we went off to meet the rest of the group for lunch at a place Yvan introduced Lindsay and I to in July....Afrika Bite. Traditional Rwandan food that is actually quite yummy!

After lunch we had some free time so we put it to good use.....shopping! Dinner was at Republica, a restaurant on the side of a mountain that overlooks the city of Kigali--breathtaking view at night to see the city all lit up! Good times! Favorite moment? Sara was being pelted by moths. She had a coat on and suddenly said, "Get it OFF!" We looked at her and asked what. She said, "There's a moth on my back." We couldn't figure out how she could possibly feel a moth through her jacket, but sure enough, there was a moth on her back! She said she felt it hit when it dive-bombed her! Poor Sara! :)  Otherwise a good ending to an incredible day!

The Things That Matter Most.....

I had dinner tonight with those I love most in this world....my parents, my husband and my kids. Tomorrow Cait and I will be leaving once again for Rwanda in east central Africa. It will be my sixth trip and her third. My home looks like a tornado went through from the front door all the way to Cait's room. Luggage and clothing are in piles everywhere. I lost count of how many times I have packed and repacked my bags. How can the same things weigh different amounts every time?!? Cait is making fun of me, but in my defense I am using my one free checked bag for all of our training materials which leaves me with my one carry on of 13 lbs or less for my clothes etc. I must say I'm rather proud of the fact that I have clothes, shoes and personal items in one backpack....enough for 10 in-country days and two travel days! Sigh...but it weighs 15 lbs. I'm hoping it won't get weighed! The training materials are a bit over the 50 lb mark, too, but I think we can add some learner manuals to Cait's checked bag to even things out.

Amidst the angst of packing, I have discovered the things that matter most. Not the training materials but the knowledge we bring. Knowing that the actions we teach in that "Golden Minute" after an infant's birth can mean the difference between life and death....can impact the world's infant mortality rates! Not the letter of endorsement I bring with me from the president of the Council of International Neonatal Nurses for the Rwandan Ministry of Health to lend credibility to our efforts, but the generous act of taking the time out of her busy schedule to write the letter and make sure it reached me before my departure....and her support along the way.

The other thing that has meant a lot to me in the days before our departure is the excitement of my friends and colleagues. Not just of those traveling with me, but our entire unit. We have been given so much encouragement and so many well-wishes from all of our colleagues. It is very gratifying to know how much support there is in our NICU family, and we are a "family"...warts and all! Celebrating highs, commiserating lows...always there to lend an ear, a shoulder, or a willing pair of hands. When the day is done, what more could you ask for than that?

Another Lesson at the School of Hard Knocks

So, here we are just one week from our departure for Rwanda to start trainings in the Helping Babies Breathe program, and I receive an email from Michael whose subject line is : Gisenyi situation serious. Uh-oh. This can't be good, right?!? Right. Apparently there is a prevailing expectation among some Rwandans that when free trainings are offered they will receive payment for their travel expenses (aka taxi or bus fare, lunch, and perhaps even a per diem). Who knew?!? Not me! AND the Gisenyi hospital doesn't have a suitable space for trainings, so a local hotel will cost $1700 for a conference room. Look up dumbfounded in the dictionary....got it? Yeah, the picture is me.

Yet another lesson at the School of Hard Knocks. You'd think I would have learned by now....after all, I AM in the Master's program there! Apparently I am entering the PhD phase. Well, we obviously can't afford that. Have I mentioned that we're (One Good Deed) a grassroots organization (translated "dirt poor") that is all volunteer (translated no pay and you pay your own travel expenses), and now that I cancelled the business phone a few months ago, we truly give 100% of our donations to the projects we support? I have been committed to this from the beginning because I never want to be one of those non-profits who find themselves plastered all over the news due to "questionable use of funds." Sigh. My commitment has not wavered. I will not, cannot justify the expense! So....what to do?

God bless Michael and the Eos Visions team in Rwanda! They are already on it and have already composed a list of possibilities for me to consider. (because Michael already has a PhD--from a real school, and most likely one from the school of hard knocks as well!) So, I will go forward...a little wiser, a bit disappointed, still committed, and I will live to fight another day! It isn't the education I might have had from a "real" school, but you know, I kind of think the School of Hard Knocks provides me with an invaluable education that, at times can be costly, but is worth more in "real" life than any degree from any institution on earth!

The Land of a Thousand Hills

As my next trip to Rwanda approaches, my thoughts, as usual, turn more and more toward the places and people I have missed these past few months. Never far from my thoughts and my heart, I can be taken back in a moment simply by smelling an open fire or seeing people working in a field. I've missed my friends and I think about them, going about their daily lives, and wonder if they have missed me, too.

One of my favorite sites is in Gisenyi near the border of the DRC (Democratic Republic of the Congo). The volcano above, when gracing us with its majesty, is one of the sites I will never forget. I always marvel at how the people of Gisenyi and Goma go about their daily lives seemingly oblivious to this steaming mountain in their midst. It is such an exotic site to me, yet so mundane to them. This volcano rarely presents itself when I am there, choosing instead to hide behind the clouds. Maybe this time she will show herself again!

I'm also looking forward to seeing my friends at the Kanembwe community near Gisenyi. These friends always welcome us with ready smiles and gentle coaxing to come dance with them. Relocated due to deforestation and flooding, they have found new homes and continue to celebrate their heritage. Visiting them is always a highlight of my time in Rwanda.

I'll begin trainings in the Helping Babies Breathe Program by training my colleagues who are traveling with me. Michael has chosen the exotic location of the Akagera National Game Lodge for us to seclude ourselves for two days in order to prepare for the trainings of Rwandan birth attendants and healthcare workers over the rest of our trip. Luckily, those traveling with me are quick studies because I think the Game Park is going to be a bit of a distraction!

We'll find time to tour the King Faisal Hospital NICU......

and hopefully sneak in a meeting with the U.S. Ambassador to Rwanda at the U.S. Embassy.......

and while it's unlikely I'll get to see the Minister of Health, Dr. Agnes Binagwaho, this time, we may be meeting with Dr. Ngabo from her office.

We will also visit the Gisenyi District Hospital NICU.....

and the Kigali Memorial Center. All in all it's going to be a pretty busy trip. The only thing missing this time will be a few of the people I hold in my heart.....

Mama Arlene and the children at Urukundo....

Rafiki and the boys at Les Enfants de Dieu....

and dear, sweet Nancy! But there's always next time, my friends! And, God willing, there will be many more next times! Until then, here's to Helping Babies Breathe in Rwanda!



















Wolves in Sheep's Clothing....

Have you ever met someone who has the impact of making the hairs on the back of your neck stand up? I met such a person in July 2010 when I was in Rwanda with a group of my colleagues. This person, I'll call him Todd--because that's his name, had come to Rwanda supposedly to help out and claiming to be "a man of God." I didn't like him from our first hello (which, by the way, was our only hello). He made all of my "Danger, Danger, Will Robinson!" sirens go off. People who know me well will understand this because they know that I am quite a ferocious lioness when it comes to those I hold dear, and if they are reading this now I'm sure they're wondering what happened to poor old Todd. Rest easy my friends...I didn't chew him up or anything. I did, however, express my concerns to those he came to "help." Thankfully they listened and were glad I spoke up because it merely validated their own danger signals. Todd is no longer physically present with my friends. He has moved on to spread his special brand of the truth elsewhere in Rwanda. He does still pose a menacing threat, however, taunting and accusing from afar. So beware, my friends, of those who do evil in the name of God. Steer clear lest you be caught in the aftermath of the "God smack" that is sure to come.

I will give Todd credit for one thing, though. He served as a very unpleasant reminder to me of the harm that can be done when people seek only to help themselves for their own glory and benefit at the expense of others. He also served as a warning of those who claim to be messengers of God yet spread the message of hate and intolerance. And he did all of this in a children's home....Wasn't it Jesus who said, "Suffer the little children to come unto Me, and I will give them rest?" It would appear that this "man of God" doesn't even KNOW God!

Wolves in sheep's clothing.....they're out there moving among the herd. If your danger signals alarm, you might want to take a closer look.

Getting Busy With Friends Old and New

Have I told you about one of my web friends, Barbara, from Oregon? Barbara found my website, www.onegooddeedkc.org, while browsing for information on Gitarama, Rwanda. Barbara sponsors a young man in Rwanda who is from that area and she wanted to know more about it. She emailed me and so began our long distance friendship, based on our love for the people of Rwanda.

I hadn't heard from Barbara in awhile, so I was pleasantly surprised to receive a card from her recently. She was just checking in with me to tell me that she is still following my journey, and to let me know that she thinks of me and cheers me on in my efforts to make the world a little better place "One Good Deed" at a time. I hope she knows how much her support means to me. I hope she also knows what a contribution she makes herself. Barbara has sponsored Jean-Claude for several years, enabling him to attend school and corresponding with him regularly so that he, too, knows there is someone out there who appreciates him and wants the very best for him.  She also hand knitted some hats for us to take on one of our trips. The hats were given to the children in the pediatric ward of the district hospital in Gisenyi, and were a great hit with both the children and their mamas! Here are a few of their happy little faces:

I treasure Barbara's support, and also her heart for people she has never met. Jean-Claude's life is better for having come in contact with her, perhaps in ways Barbara will never know. And so it is with me as well--so thanks, Barbara, for your support and compassion. You make a difference to me, too, and my life is better for having met you!

This week I also received an email from a nurse in Canada named Cathleen who just last week became a master trainer in the Helping Babies Breathe Program at the class in Denver. She found my website when she was browsing for the Helping Babies Breathe Program in Rwanda. She noticed that we will be training healthcare workers and birth attendants there in March, which is coincidentally during the time she and her group will be there to assess ways they might begin training as well. She inquired as to whether we might join up so her group could get an idea of how we are going about our training. I am hoping they will be able to join us for the training in Gisenyi--both to see how we are arranging our training and also, if they choose, to help out with the learners in Gisenyi! I have been working on a response to her, and am wondering if there might be a way we could join forces in order to train more Rwandans each time.

I read a book a couple of years ago when I was trying to learn about non-profit work and trying to find my niche in this new world of mine. One thing that has stayed with me from that book (the title is Give a Little, by the way) is an example of how grass roots works like mine impact the world. The author likened it to tossing a stone into a pond and making ripples. Each time we "cast a stone" by doing something to make the world a better place, there are ripples that spread out and touch others who also cast a stone.

Remember there's no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.  ~Scott Adams 

So, Barbara, you may think your contributions don't amount to much in the grand scheme of things, but the ripple they create have touched many lives! I have been fortunate to see the "ripple effect" through the contacts I meet on a regular basis--some that Michael has introduced me to, and some, like Barbara and Cathleen, who found me by chance. It's an amazing world out there, and there is a lot to do--so come on, let's get busy!