Open heart

As I get ready to fly back to Canada tonight, I contemplate "what does this all mean?" and "why do I keep coming back?".  There are no easy answers but the most obvious one is that I have fallen in love with a country and its people.

The experience here is about enormous open heart; people radiate genuine warmth and kindness. It is nearly impossible to reconcile the current condition with the devastation that occurred in 1994. Yet the scars are everywhere, literally and figuratively. I am filled with awe by the culture of forgiveness and the vision for Rwanda to be the best country in Africa.

Nearly all the residents we work with were old enough to have memories of the tragedy but that is changing as each year the average age of the entry class in anesthesia gets younger and younger. Perhaps, even now, some of the younger residents have no personal memories of the genocide. Each year of stability allows more time for healing.

I come back each year for both selfish and altruistic reasons. Who wouldn't want to miss a little Canadian winter? Rwanda is spectacularly gorgeous and there is truly a culture of "no stresse". Ultimately, though, there are few things in life as fulfilling as helping people acquire knowledge to heal others.  I feel incredibly fortunate to have found anesthesia as a career and to have this opportunity to guide young people in becoming skilled clinicians and confident teachers.  This is as good as it gets.

I am grateful to all of the CASIEF-University of Rwanda former students who are now leaders: Paulin, Christian, Francoise, Gaston and colleagues. It is wonderful to see them flourish. I am grateful to the current group of residents who show up on time for academic day (having done all the pre-reading) and hungry to learn.  I am grateful to my good friends, Angela, Ruth, and Amélie who travelled a very long way for the Teaching and Learning Course and the Essential Pain Management Course.

But today, I am especially grateful to Kitt and Kyle. They worked their buns off always with good energy and cheer. They rose to the occasion, time after time, to meet our goals and challenges. Teaching in the chaotic ORs for complex cases, designing academic day teaching, running scenarios, helping with resident teaching, keeping me laughing, and nudging me on up some very steep hills on a mountain bike. Thank you Kitt and Kyle. Truly the dream team!

I have not forgotten Michelle, who could not come this year. Michelle, I need you back, my friend.

Lots of love from Kigali,
Patty