Monday - PT day at Love With Actions

  Our Monday began by making a trip to the local shopping center which had everything anyone would need stacked as individual kiosks in an indoor warehouse.  Aimee (LWA marketing director) and Joanitha (physical therapist) accompanied us so that we did not look completely out of place.  After investigating items from large burlap sacks of beans to plumbing products, we were able to locate what we came for: bath, face and hand towels for wheelchair positioning. Bonnie was gearing up for a full day of physical therapy evaluations of infants and children at Love with Actions. On our way out of the “warehouse”, one of the shop women complemented the scarf Sally was wearing around her neck.  Sally said, “Murakoze (Thank you)” and then proceeded to motion to her that she did not know how to wrap her head with it though and needed some real Rwandan instruction.  At that moment the entire warehouse of women were so happy to instruct Sally on Rwanda high fashion! I have since learned that fashion is made through the head scarf and women have their own intricate way of tying them which makes their own style.  I think this is similar to women having their own hairstyle in the US. I can see Mia getting all into the art of fabric folding, tucking and tying!

    After our warehouse exhibition, Bonnie and Joanitha started physical therapy evaluations as soon as we arrived at Love with Actions Center at 9:00 and did not stop until 6:30pm.  We broke for about 15 minutes to grab a granola bar.  Bonnie and Joanitha worked together evaluating 19 children with various diagnoses including malnutrition, cerebral palsy from cerebral malaria, post surgical club foot, spina bifida, autism, cerebral palsy, Down’s Syndrome and feeding issues. Bonnie brought with her 2 duffle bags of developmental toys which have been donated to the Love With Actions center.

   Feeding issues for malnourished children presented a challenge to Bonnie that we met with our best creativity. Sally boiled potatoes and made seriously overcooked rice with lots of excess water for Bonnie's proposed recipe. The Rwandan women stared with disbelief as if this crazy American woman had NO idea how to cook rice. I (Sally) kept trying to explain that at home I really DID know how to make proper rice. I then mashed the potatoes and rice very fine, adding the right amount of "rice water" to achieve the consistency Bonnie thought the children could handle. She then patiently showed the mother's how to get as much nutrition as possible into their precious kids.

    Every child seen at the center was not only alienated by his/her extended family but most from their own immediate family.  Some were placed in a dark room for the first two years of their life, resulting in acquired permanent blindness.  In the culture of Rwanda, it is believed that children born with disabilities are either cursed or the mother is cursed. Due to this abuse to the mother and child is common.  Most of the children evaluated have seen abuse to their mothers and experience extreme poverty where a bag of rice in their home is a blessing. This is so hard to understand in the culture we live in.  Since Love with Actions began bringing these children with disabilities out of their isolated world, reconciliation has also begun between husbands and wives and education shared about disabilities.  The women of Love with Actions have discovered a support group of other mothers and been able to learn a skill (sewing and basket making).  These women realize now they are not alone and lean on each other for support. Many of the women make the 45-60 minute walk the the LWA center together sharing a new friendship along the way with their babies strapped to their back. Gilbert has done an amazing job of befriending the fathers and meeting them where they are at and talking about disabilities.  The patience he has for these fathers is amazing.  God has given him a gift of counseling, listening and timing. Praise God for all the talents Gilbert has.  It is really making a difference in changing the perceptions of children with disabilities.

   We returned to our Kigali guesthouse about 7:30 pm, long after dark and with no dinner. Bonnie headed to the room to take her shower and find some snacks. Gilbert told Sally he had one small favor to ask before their day was over. He has made a new LWA video and needed the English script read at a recording studio. So off we went to a tiny recording studio in downtown. There was a two page script for me to first edit into good English form, and then read into the mic in a small dark recording room with Gilbert holding the flashlight by my side.

Fortunately, we accomplished it in one take, and the video is now ready to go out and update people on the LWA progress over their first year.

   For several days we have been getting to bed at midnight….but God has blessed us with sound sleep and energy for each new day. Thanks for praying!