Craiger in Rwanda

Miryante, a place for Carnivores (and Orphans)

Sorry it has been a while since I last posted. I keep getting busier and busier at work. Plus, I have been battling various illnesses and fatigue, which is common in the first few months after you relocate to Africa. Slow by slow, I am adjusting well.

A few weeks back, I visited Laura at her orphanage, Miryante, for 5 days. This was my second trip there; she and I went there last August for 2 weeks. She left in late September to return to her favorite place, a place she helped start and continues to help in any way she can. This time, she is teaching a class on health and safety to the adolescents in the Vocational School. Topics include how to care for an infant, general health and nutrition, and menstruation, among others.

The flight on RwandAir was efficient, quick, and nice. I left Kigali around 2 pm on Friday, and arrived at Entebbe Airport, about a 40 km drive from Kampala. But with traffic, that drive is a nightmare, especially at 4 pm on a Friday. Our driver managed to skip downtown all together, and dropped us off at a “taxi park” (ie. a place on the side of the road where many buses known as Mutates (sp?) are parked) outside of town. It took about 1.5 hours to get there, but we made it. We only sat for about 20 min before we finally left for the orphanage, a 3 hour drive from Kampala. Being the mzungus, we got the front seats, but it was still cramped. We stopped a lot, and got Ugandan Fast Food on the way (a person selling luke warm, grilled beef brochettes and chapatis, an Indian tortilla). We finally arrived at Miryante around 930, tired from the journey. We were greeted as per usual by some of the older kids. For some reason, they love carrying my large backpack upside down? I don’t know.

Before I continue with the trip, here is a little background about Miryante (which means Village of Meat Eaters.) Laura was in the middle of her service as a Peace Corps volunteer in Uganda when she was approached by the Catholic Church in her Western District to help out at an orphanage. She accepted, and helped the orphanage for an extra year and some change. She oversaw the construction of many of the buildings, including the dorms where the children stay. When she left her Peace Corps service to go to Nursing school, she continued to be involved from the US, mainly as the primary fundraiser for the orphanage. She always made it back every August for a few weeks to see the children, and to help out in any way she could. Even during nursing school at Ohio State, Miryante was never far from her mind, communicating with the staff on many occasions. It really is impressive what she has done, and I am proud of her for what she has accomplished. Currently, it is funded through collections in church and people who sponsor online. There is always a need for more sponsors and help (See the end of this post.)

During her time with the orphanage, it has grown from 10 children to 120. The children live in dormitories with about 10-15 children each. There is a caretaker in each dorm. The children walk to school about 5 km away. The children in secondary school attend a private school a few towns away. There is a technical school that teaches hairdressing, bricklaying, carpentry, civil engineering, electricians, computers, and tailoring. Older teenagers from around the region can attend, they do not have to be living at the orphanage. The grounds are huge, and have ample gardens that are now being cultivated with coffee beans (a donation from the Ugandan Government), papaya, mango, avocado, beans, plantains.

Getting back to the visit, it was a chance to just chill, and live the “village life.” The Guest House has no power, though it is wired for power. No one has come to switch the power on for the whole orphanage. There are two guest rooms and 2 bathrooms, with toilets that kind of work. Guests are suggested to use the pit latrines like every one else. There is a shower, but bucket showers are the way to go in my opinion. Cooking is done on a small gas burning stove that looks about as old as me, with Arabic writing on it. Headlamps are the way to go at night, as well as candles.

The day after I arrived, a new volunteer arrived. Gordon is from Scotland, and had a calling to do work at the Orphanage. He is slated to be there for 2 months, and then see if he would like to stay longer. From the brief time he and I chatted, he seemed like he was going to be there a while.

So what exactly is the “village life?” The usual day is up early, and enjoy coffee on the front porch. We cook breakfast (porridge with cinnamon toast or fried eggs with cinnamon toast!) and then usually play with the children in preschool. These ones were a new addition to Miryante, and it was awesome to see them interact with mzungus, a novel event for them. One day we performed physical exams on them as part of our medical surveillance from last year. Another day was spent reading, talking to the caretakers, and watching the older kids and caretakers from Miryante play a soccer match against the nearest trading center, Kakabara (Another post on that epic match for the ages coming soon…) Another day, Adolf and I watched an English Premiere League Match in town in a small, dimly lit wooden structure. Yet another day, I visited Adolf’s family, and met his son, Raymond (Guess which TV star his son is named after? Yep, you guessed it, because Everyone Loves…!!!)

We usually ate lunch of posho (mashed plantains) or rice and beans (though no where near as good as New Orleans Red Beans and Rice!) A nap was an essential part of my visit. Dinner was usually prepared under head lamp and candle light, using semi-sharp knives on a plastic serving platter as our cutting board. Adolf usually went shopping every few days for goods at Kakabara, his home village. We ate a lot of eggplant. tomato, onion, and avocado combinations with various spices the Guest House had collected over the years. After we cleaned up, we would usually have a small bit of chocolate, and watch Arrow on DVD on Laura’s computer (If you haven’t seen it, it is a great show; on Netflix now.) And then bed.

I was sad to leave after only 5 days, but I felt the call of my patients and my life in Rwanda. I said goodbye to Miryante, knowing full well that I would return one day soon.

Perhaps the most important thing I have learned during my 2 visits there has been that these children are amazing! Despite everything life has thrown at them (half of them have parents that died of HIV), they continue to laugh, love, and learn in an environment that is a perfect place to nurture and provide for them. They need all the support they can get.

The following is a direct quote from Laura: “The quality of care we provide is related to the amount of support we received as far as food purchased, amount of clothes, etc. So please give because we have around 100 kids who need sponsors. Sponsorship gives you the chance to support a child on a more personal level.”

This is where you can really make a difference. People can sponsor by visiting the website (www.miryanteorphange.org), search for the children to sponsor. I have been sponsoring a 15 year old name Musiga Alex for the past year and a half. I can honestly say it is the best feeling to know that my small monthly donation is helping to support him and to fulfill his dreams. I highly, strongly, EMPHATICALLY suggest that you all consider sponsoring a child there. Your small, monthly donation will go a long way to support this amazing place.

That’s all for now. I am in Kigali for a long weekend. I have a monthly Pediatric Staff meeting today, followed by lunch with my fellow Pediatricians, then another meeting to discuss a grant proposal, and then Happy Hour with my fellow HRHers. Tomorrow is the annual Marine Ball (yes, as in US Marines.) I still have to find something formal-ish to wear; my usual casual style has to be stepped up a bit.

More to come soon.
Love life, Enjoy liberty, and Be happy!

Craiger