Intro to Rwanda.

So I have been in Rwanda for 3 weeks now, and realize I should write more than little blurbs here and there on facebook, twitter and instagram. So I'm resurrecting the India blog!!  It works out well, because I am in a 'hilly' (mountainous for those of us from the midwest) region, and I am again braving the steep hills, 'walking through mountains' every day.  

Right now, I'm sitting at my desk, in my office which doubles as my home, in my comfy-yet-adorable pjs (read: sweats and a bright colorful scarf), eating chocolate.  It's some of the first chocolate I have eaten since I got here.  But what I really miss is salad.  And cheese.  Oh, for some cheese instead of another cooked green banana.  Chocolate is trying to make up for all of these things right now.  It's masking the pain, but for a moment.

My apologies to those of you who don't even really know what I am doing.  Here's a quick summary: I am currently in Rwanda with World Relief, working on a malnutrition prevention project in one of the most malnourished districts in the nation.  Some accounts say that 44% of children here have stunted growth--that is, low height for age.  We are partnering with the Ministry of Health to build the capacity of their trainers, and implement a new intervention, which will hopefully see malnutrition prevented, rather than just treated.  If effective, our strategy may be taken district-wide, and perhaps further, bringing big change to the way Rwanda approaches malnutrition, seeing a big reduction in malnutrition, and therefore child mortality for the whole nation.   

I am interning with this project as part of my Masters in Public Health studies at the University of Illinois in Chicago.  Since I am concentrating in Maternal and Child Health and Global Health, this is perfect for me.  I am helping out with our operations research, which is documenting the whole project in order for it to be replicated elsewhere in the future--some of which will hopefully also turn into my thesis.  As this project is funded by USAID, there are a lot of requirements, but it also adds a lot of legitimacy to what we are doing.  And I'm only here for a short 2 months, so I'm trying to cram a lot of work into a short time!!

My hope is that as I am here, I would not only give technical help to the project to help it move forward, but that I would spread joy to every person I meet.  I hope to see Jesus come and change not only me, but those around me, that we would encounter the power and love that only He gives us together.  Thanks for joining me on this journey.  I am so expectant for what God wants to do--from the work I am doing to the relationships I build and the community I am a part of.  I know He has me here for a reason!  So now onto the next six weeks!!