Last Thursday we did a home visit to our friend Mutoni. We went to find her a community health promoter to make sure she stays on top of her HIV and TB meds. These were some of the cows along the way. 

This is Mutoni on the left...as you can see, she has much more spunk than in the picture of her while she was still in the hospital. It was great to see her doing well. 

The fam, Dorothee our nutrition educator (the woman with the big smile on the left), Jean-Baptist our nurse (he's on the far right) and Mutoni, mom and family members. Mutoni's HIV meds and TB meds are front and center. 

...and Mutoni took one of me. 

A last good bye. 

This weekend some PIH friends and I went to visit Claudine at her boarding school. After our visit we spent the night in a beautiful lake side town called Gisenyi and took a much needed break. I was hoping Claudine could come with us, but it was against school rules. We have to wait for vacation to take her on a break away from things. 

On Saturday, some of the PIH crew and I drove out to her boarding school for visitors day. She was very happy to see us. 

The kids seemed to be very entertained and curious about us. 

Virgile rockin out with the puppy. 

Some of her roomates and classmates. 

Claudine and her best friend. 

Last Saturday I went for my first Rwandan hair cut in Gisenyi - a beautiful little town on the waterfront of Lake Kivu - this was the hair salon. 

Unfortunately even though the salon said they had cut and dried muzungo's hair before, they ended up putting tons of oil pomade in my hair called Dark and Lovely. We joked that Dark and Lovely made my hair Dull and Ugly...I wish this pic did the greased up look justice! 

Afterwards, we kicked back and had a few beers. Yes we do kick back and have a few beers every once in awhile. 

Just chillin... 

A last good-bye to our weekend away at Lake Kivu. 

Last week I helped Dr. Blaise review some health center cases. This child had a horrible sounding heart (although it didn't stop her from playing with my sunglasses and stethoscope). From the few diagnostics and clinical observations we have, it is probably a ventricular septal defect. We are referring her to Kigali physicians for potential surgery. 

Me and one of the nurses. 

When the kids are feeling better in malnutrition, they are about as cute as cute can be. 

One of our very malnourished children right now. He may look plump but much of this is swelling and edema. To the point that his skin is peeling all over his body. He feels miserable right now. 

This is a close up of the little boy's under arm and the severe excoriation that is often part of the picture of the severely malnourished kwashiorkor kids. 

This is a close-up of his arm with peeling skin from malnutrition. 

We will keep our fingers crossed that he will heal slowly but surely. 

This is the same child that I have a photo of in a previous posting that was crying and extremely emaciated with a huge belly, staring at me suspiciously while he was drinking his milk.