Blog / News
TEAMWORKS RWANDA - THURSDAY AND FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21/22, 2019
- Feb 24, 2019
As we sit and wait for our ride to Kigali and start our journey home, we are reflecting on our last day of work at HVP Gatagara.
Here are some of the highlights:
* We were able to spend the entire morning playing with the children in both the physiotherapy and occupational therapy areas.
* We gave away the remaining pairs of braces and shoes to some sweet kiddos, one of who had walked to the the hospital only days before with his mother.
* We donated some equipment to the new Physiotherapy Spinal Cord unit and we are so excited to partner with them in their endeavor to build their program.
* We donated some toys, school supplies, and a large corner chair to the occupational therapy department.
* We were able to go see the school children and give Ivan his very own shower bench! The school children are always so warm and welcoming! They grab our hands and run up to us with their sweet smiles. I think it is something that all of us will miss greatly.
At the end of the day we were invited to a special dinner in our honor with the physiotherapist and Brother Kizito, Director General. This was a very special time of bonding with the people we have spent so much time with this week. We were able to get to know everyone on a more personal level and deepen the friendships and relationships we hope will last forever. We ate dinner, shared drinks, and played games! It was a great night among, not just colleagues, but friends.
In a speech by Brother Kizito, he said “you may arrive in this country as guest, but you will leave as friends.”.…and indeed we did. It is difficult to leave a piece of ourselves behind, but we will return to be connected again. We are immensely blessed and humbled to have met the joyful children, courageous and devoted parents, hardworking and caring therapists, and the visionary leadership that keep HVP Gatagara pushing forward to be the best in serving those with disabilities.
Before heading to the airport we were able to visit another Gatagara center in Kigali where they were participating in music and dance therapy. Who doesn't love to end the week with a dance party! Each member of the team jumped right in! The children at this center had some MOVES and were great teachers!
Our final stop before the airport was the Genocide Museum and Memorial in Kigali. With heavy hearts we were educated about the devastation of the genocide in Rwanda (1994), but also reminded of the power of forgiveness and redemption. It placed a conviction in our hearts to put forgiveness first; to rise from devastation; and to truly LOVE your neighbor. This is Rwanda. The culture of FORGIVENESS and REDEMPTION, the culture of SUPPORTing one another, the culture of LOVE. What a blessing and humbling experience. We are forever changed.
“You will never be completely at home again, because part of your heart always will be elsewhere. That is the price you pay for the richness of loving and knowing people in more than one place.”
― Miriam Adeney
