research update

Thanks so much to all of you for your prayers! Last week was a blur but I was so proud of our team of 24 Rwandan researchers and all that they accomplished! By the end of the week, we had completed a refresher training in qualitative research, tested three different types of questionnaires in three different health topics, and (in twelve teams of 2 researchers) conducted 72 interviews with community members about child health. Whew. :) We have a break now for a week (a break from research, not from work!) and then we pick up next Monday in Nyanza (south), where a team of 12 of us will conduct another 72 interviews. The following week we'll be going north, to Musanze (near the gorillas!).

Here are some of the researchers playing a game during the training on Monday (Fidel, the one leading in the center, is the king of little games to keep everyone alert and focused):


Here are Chantal, Anitha, and Esron reviewing their questionnaires:


Here are Beatrice and Eduard at a local health center interviewing a mother about newborn and maternal health care practices:


Thank you again for your prayers...they made all the difference! "Unless God builds a house...." (or energizes a research project...) And I so appreciate your continued prayers for the upcoming weeks. We have A LOT of work to do, will be doing much traveling, and will need much favor from leaders and help to find the right people to interview. Thank you for your prayers for God's protection, guidance, and leading. And again, overall, please pray that God might use the study results to impact child health here in Rwanda to His glory.

I am in Kigali all this week and I hope to post a few more items. Talk to you soon....