This post features student writing.

Before our official first day in Kigali, I was overwhelmed by the multitudes of smiling people waiting outside of the airport, greeting family in emotional embraces and excited conversation. In our car ride through Kigali to the hotel, the white lights of the city and surrounding houses dazzled us: a reflection of the constellations or hills covered in diamonds—a pretty incredible first impression.

The initial morning brought the opportunity to try our first of many Rwandan breakfasts: bread, butter, jam, sugar, tea, bananas, and a special treat of eggs! We spent our morning in a borrowed classroom to undergo orientation, going over the itinerary and participating in several activities to better understand Rwanda’s history and culture, what it means to provide service, and what public health entails.

In the afternoon we participated and listened at a meeting with Health Builders, an organization working to construct and manage health infrastructure in Rwanda. We learned about Rwanda’s progressive and, so far, successful health plan. After learning of the amount of people who lack healthcare in Rwanda, and the amount of work it took for the Health Builders Program to create and build a healthcare system accessible to all Rwandans over the past 16 years, I gained a better appreciation for the access and insurance I have always had for healthcare.

The most touching moment today, at least for me, occurred during our late afternoon outing at a mall in Kigali. A few other girls and I were looking for long skirts to wear at our next destination, Nymata, when we stumbled upon a store with beautiful jumpers. The jumpers offered a similar service to the skirts, so six of us purchased the jumpers. The owner of the store was beside herself with joy, hugging and shaking hands with each of us, laughing, thanking and smiling an infectious smile. I left feeling satisfied, not because I purchased a beautiful new item of clothing, but because we had just made her day, and my perspective of what I had before considered “just business” became much more personal. She gifted us the lesson of true value: material items meaningless without the story and appreciation behind them.

An incredible day in a happy, colorful and exciting city; it can only continue to be more rewarding from here!

– Madeline