I was trying to remember how many trips to Rwanda I’ve made. This is my tenth trip—I think! I look forward to every trip, but dread the preparations and the packing. This trip I’m travelling light. I only have 8 – 50lb bags to check. Here’s a sample:

•   2 cases of Crunchy Cheetos
•   3 extra large boxes of Rice Crispies
•   24 bars of Hershey Chocolate
•   4 jars of Fluff (to make Rice Crispy treats)
•   2 extra large boxes of Cheerios
•   Assorted chocolates: Hershey Kisses, Hershey snack bars, M&Ms
•   5lbs of pistachio nuts
•   5lbs of assorted cheeses that I carried in my backpack on board (caused Security search!—it was the 5lb wedge of Parmesan that confused them)
•   4 jars of Sun Butter
•   5lb box of crackers (to go with the cheese)
•   5lb box of Bisquick for pancakes
•   ½ gallon of real maple syrup
•   case of Nature’s Path Instant Oatmeal with Flax
•   5lbs of Betty Crocker Brownie Mixes
•   1 dozen Rawhide chews for Emi our project house dog
•   5 sets of sheets and blankets for Night Nurses for health centre
•   4 sets of sheets for project house
•   100 stainless steel mugs for Nutrition Program
•   21 flash lights with batteries
•   20 blankets for the health centre (each weighs 3 lbs!)
•   10 waterproof mattress covers for Maternity & Children’s Wards
•   flip flops for house staff
•   notebooks/folders for staff
•   label maker to label Pharmacy shelves for organizing supplies
•   3 wireless mice for staff computers
•   10lbs of pertinent files for meetings
•   selection of teas
•   3lbs of Dunkin Donuts coffee (I know, I know—Rwanda grows coffee!) 

Oh, don’t forget my 50lb bag of clothing! 

I fly Ethiopian Airlines out of Dulles to Addis Ababa to Kigali. It’s the fastest and least expensive. I leave from New Hampshire the day before. If I count that as the beginning of the trip the elapsed time until I’m in the project house in Ruhengeri is 2-1/2 days or approximately 56 hours, if there are no delays! I am on airplanes for 22 hours; and then 2 hours by car to our CCHIPs project in the Northern Province of Rwanda. 

The CCHIPs project house is at 6,000 feet elevation and our health centre work is at 8,500 feet at the foot of the Volcanoes National Park which is home to the endangered Mountain Gorillas of East Africa. It is a majestic landscape and takes my breath away every time I round that particular place in the road when the 5 volcanoes come into view.

Arriving at the project house is always a big event for the staff—mostly because of the food and needed items I bring. I would like to think it is me they are glad to see, but . . .