We arrived safely in Rwanda!! We were blessed to be met at the airport with big smiles by Brother Kizito, Jean Paul, and Peter. Their welcome and hospitality is extraordinary and we are so grateful.
We were lucky to have our “down day” immediately after we arrived after 30+ hours of travel to Rwanda. We woke up, had a lovely breakfast, and were off to Lake Kivu, a great lake of Africa that borders the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda. It was a breathtaking experience to see God’s creation! We hiked to the top of an island mountain for the most gorgeous view. We were also able to see a rambunctious monkey on Monkey Island. It was a great way to rejuvenate from our travels and get ready for today!
Today we started by meeting Betty, the director of physiotherapy at HVP Gatagara. She gave us a quick tour of the facility and introduced us to all the hard working professionals working with the children. All of us spent our morning in the physiotherapy area where our saucy Maggie (more on that later) and Tiffany put on their best physical therapy hats and worked right along side us (Katie, Kelly, and Cara) with all of the kiddos. We saw SO many adorable children who were all smiles, friendly, and ready to work with us in partnership with their regular treating therapists.
In the afternoon we spread out a bit more and joined Chantal in the occupational therapy building. She introduced us to three new friends and all of us were able to work in our element to help out! Maggie was paired with a sweet little boy who didn’t speak much due to poor breath support and difficulty with motor planning for speech. She used PROMPT training and PECS cards to give him a voice. He picked it up quickly and was able to produce multiple sounds within minutes. Tiffany worked with a super smart, older boy who is completely non-verbal. She gave him a PECS communication book, and he was able to run with and show off his brains and communicate with those around him!
Cara, Katie, and Kelly problem solved some self-care difficulties for a sweet boy with CP. He is so motivated, but his tone keeps him from being independent. After much discussion, we are excited to head back tomorrow with a shower chair and positioning aides for more improved self-feeding.
A highlight of the day was walking through the school yard shortly after school let out…all the children waved, smiled, or ran to us! It was truly a joyful experience for all!
We discovered in the first two days that Maggi is the name of a sauce which is very popular here. Maggie has introduced herself to multiple new people who respond with “like the sauce.” So her new name is Maggie Sauce.