More work for Bonnie in Rwanda & Sally is in the garden

   Monday Bonnie and I played to our strengths: She went to the Ubumwe Center and did significant physical therapy work with Ngabo and his PT tech, Michael. I went with Jean Paul and Eliane to the demonstration gardens recently built by Shalom on the grounds of the sector office (Rubavu sector has 43,000 people).

  Teaching nutrition has been an aim of Shalom because malnutrition is still very prevalent in the area. Chronic malnutrition, resulting in stunting, is still present in 37% of all children 5 and under in Rwanda. In both Bonnie and Sally's experience on this trip this number is significantly higher especially with children with disabilities.  For example, approximately 50% of the children Bonnie saw for physical therapy at Love With Actions in Kigali outskirts were malnourished. Many groups come to visit the Shalom demonstration gardens to learn how to grow healthy food in small spaces using a minimum of water. They even have national and international groups coming to see what they are doing so well.  Over the years I have brought several new varieties of seeds for them to try, working with a Christian tropical agriculture group in Ft. Myers, FL. It is called ECHO (echonet.org).

   In addition to kitchen gardens Shalom has seed beds to raise plants and harvest seed that women can take home for their own gardens and also a nursery area for raising avocado, fruit and shade trees. Planting trees is a big focus of the government to prevent erosion in the "Land of 1,000 Hills" and to reduce global warming. Shalom is working to introduce Chaya plants and Moringa trees which both have a perennial supply of very nutritious leaves. Shalom means life in it's fullness - that includes spiritual and physical health, and Shalom brings them together so well. 

   All of the work we have described is being done by Shalom with only 2 full time staff, dedicated volunteers and an annual budget of about $30,000. When we give to Shalom we are having a HUGE impact with every dollar. Thank you to Windham Presbyterian Church and St. James Presbyterian Church for being faithful partners.

Eliane and Sally checking out a new variety of papaya
grown from seeds brought last year

A successful kitchen garden - one of many in the Shalom display gardens
located right on the main road so everyone walks by it often

   While Sally was working with demonstration gardens, Bonnie started her work with Ngabo Alex at Jessie's Place/Physical Therapy office at Ubumwe Community Center (UCC).  When Bonnie and Sally first met Ngabo Alex in 2010 he was a very emaciated 16 year old whose means of locomotion was crawling around in the dirt on his hands and knees.  He was considered a second class citizen in the community and given left over scraps to eat.  He was not attending school and could not stand.  In 2010 Bonnie and Sally had visited a center called UCC which helped to train people with disabilities a craft or skill that could potentially help to support themselves.  We have lots of centers like this in the USA, but we have to remember that having a center such as this one is at the forefront of changing ideas and mindset in Rwanda.  It is common place for family members to think that the child or mother are cursed or that the father of the child is not the husband.  Many fathers leave their wives and children with disabilities with no support, emotional or monetary and children are locked in a room so as not be seen by the community.  In 2010  after meeting Ngabo we connected him to UCC and he started attending first 3 days a week and quickly progressed to 5 days a week.  I was able to connect with Michael, his trainer, to consult and give him some advice in working with Ngabo after a careful assessment of his impairments and gait.  We returned to the basics and focused on sit to stand training.  Ngabo Alex is now a very strong man and can beat me doing pushups without a problem! 

   Next, Michael and I focused on stretching his legs and looking at quality of movement versus quantity.  Michael is trained as an acrobat and is very interested in learning the art of kinesiology.  I worked with Ngabo Alex for 60 minutes which included stretching, sit to stand and walking. UCC is lucky to have a successful internship program where students attend from various European countries.  I met three women from Holland studying kinesiology and design, fabricating assistive devices for patients who need them.  What a blessing to a physical therapist to have them on site!  Ngabo Alex was next on their list to create a walker.  Before I started working with him the women needed  his measurements to create a platform walker.  

   The three women were eager to know my opinion on their design.  My first question in looking at this "three-wheeled walker" was, "Is there a reason why it only has 3 wheels?"  They responded with the following: "Our original design had four wheels, but we were unable to located a fourth wheel!"  The four of us chuckled as none of us experienced such issues in our home countries, but at the same time realized this is what makes working in countries like Rwanda challenging.  You get what you get and you don't get upset and more importantly you use your creativity! After working with Ngabo with stretching and quality movement in sit to stand and walking, I asked Michael to go across the street to the office of the women from Holland and remeasure him for his newly formed.  Shortly after, the three women came back and to everyone's surprise he had gained 10 cm (4") in height!  It is a good thing I asked them to come back and remeasure! Ngabo Alex was finally standing upright on his own. I finished the day training eager staff in pediatric motor development.  I enjoyed working with Yvonne, Michael, Jean Baptiste and Claude.  

Remember the video of Bonnie teaching Kagabo how to hold a pencil?
Here we are in the "papeterie" buying crayons and paper for him to practice.

   Our day ended back at the guest house where Bonnie trained Jean Paul to take blood pressure readings for some of the older women who are known to have high blood pressure. We learned from them that drinking beet juice is a proven way to reduce blood pressure - I even looked it up, and it's true. We learn from them as well. The cuff and stethoscope now belong to Shalom.

"Dr. Jean Paul" learning to take blood pressure readings
with stethoscope and cuff donated by Bonnie

  As we publish this post we realize we have only one more full day in Rwanda (Wednesday), and then we will be heading home Thursday night. What an amazing two weeks.