MEDSAR-Newsletter Edition 02

Newsletter SECOND Ed.

MEDICAL STUDENTS’ ASSOCIATION OF RWANDA

November,2021

TABLE OF CONTENT

UNIVERSITY OF RWANDA COLLEGE OF MEDICINE AND HEALTH SCIENCES MEDICAL STUDENTS’ ASSOCIATION OF RWANDA (MEDSAR) B.P 531, Butare - Rwanda.

Contacts Tel: +250-786721339 Fax: +250-530328 E-mail medsar-rwanda@ifmsa.org

1. President’s message 2. Word from Chief Editor 3. MEDSAR General Assembly 4. MEDSAR 25th Anniversary OC 5. Standing Committees’ activities 6. Poem 7. Article 8. Upcoming Project: YEASRH 9. Closing

#WeareMEDSAR

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Greetings Dear MEDSAR members, medical students various online meetings, campaigns and capacity and partners, building workshops of which without doubt contributed to personal growth of our members at its best It gives me a huge pleasure to share with you this without forgetting several community impactful acMEDSAR newsletter which highlights MEDSAR work tivities carried out. This has yet again proved the over the past few months. resilience of MEDSAR members which reflects the true Over the past 24 years, the Medical Students’ Asso- definition of desired Rwandan healthcare ciation of Rwanda, MEDSAR has been contributing providers. to Rwanda Health sector in shaping desired Rwanda As MEDSAR was founded in 1997, next Year 2022, MEDHealth care providers through providing a strategic SAR will celebrate its 25 years’ anniversary of platform for medical students to exercise their po- youth health activism. The theme for this anniversary tentials and sharpen their skills through extracurricu- is “25YEARS OF YOUTH ENGAGEMENT IN lar activities that promotes health nationally. Despite HEALTH ACTIVITIES” with the mission to inspire more the demanding schedule of medical school, MED- youth to participate in health activities. The SAR members have always shown their passion and preparations for this anniversary are ongoing and it unwavering commitment to give back to their will be marked by 3 main events; MEDSAR capacity communities through their volunteering activities. Building camp, Community Outreaches tour and In this newsletter, you will find the highlights of what MEDSAR Scientific Conference 2022. medical students have been doing over the past few On behalf of MEDSAR members, Standing commitmonths. The activities done focused on MEDSAR key tee Directors and Executive Board, I would like to Priorities which are Members Engagement, Gender thank all our partners for their immeasurable investEmpowerment, Capacity Building, External Repre- ment in health sector through supporting MEDSAR sentation &amplifying community service all in pursuit initiatives. of sustainable Development of the Medical Student To all distinguished readers of this newsletter, allow me Association of Rwanda and its mission of promoting to wish you amazing experience as you explore this the healthy wellbeing of Rwandans. masterpiece of what medical students have been Working during Covid-19 pandemic was a quite chal- doing in promotion of Health. lenging situation to us at first since most of our activities involved physical gatherings and commu- Eric Mandela NIYONGIRA, nity outreaches of which were prohibited during the MEDSAR President 2021-2022 first and second wave of COVID-19 pandemic. incidence.

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However MEDSAR members, Executive Board and standing committees directors worked together to adapt on situation and we were able to carry out

CHIEF EDITOR Elysée BYIRINGIRO Vice President of Public Relations & Communication- MEDSAR

Dear MEDSAR Members, It is with no doubt for most if not all of us that the Covid-19 pandemic had not struck us as a tragedy which was going to bring the very verge of detriment to our ever-changing globe; or at least the halt to the world’s glorious triumph in various aspects, say economy for instance.

Forget about the usual. The wind that was previously believed to blow much only on the other side, Rwanda, this time was not exception. It would not be excessive of us to say there have been only a few lulls in the storm---think of the times we checked the daily numbers of Covid-19 only to attain ephemeral joys upon spotting few numbers on some occasions. Just like a drowning man succumbing to a nearby straw, we had clearly run out of options.

Now that our Government, via relentless effort to bring the possible best to Rwandans, an undoubtable grip has finally been laid on Covax Program, a newly launched program which, as of WHO, aims to ensure that 92 middle and low income countries readily get vaccines.

It is in this regard that the MEDSAR Publication Team, in the essence of providing a building block to the betterment of the situation, is so thrilled to let it be known to you reader that the Second MEDSAR Newsletter is out now. It merely embodies the activities, be those already accomplished or the ones still underway, whether undertaken by the individual members or the association as whole. Nonetheless, these whole lot of activities fall under one same common factor---the spearhead has always been held by the MEDSAR Committee, thanks to them!

Speaking of interesting activities, it will be so intuitive and sharp-witted of you dear reader if you unhesitatingly anticipate a lot more better activities in the association. And MEDSAR Publication Team is henceforth in accordance with the strong confidence that at the end of the day, via shedding light on upcoming activities and events in this Second Newsletter, will have helped you transduce your strong compel into an honorable decision of being an active member in MEDSAR projected events and activities.

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MEDSAR Rwanda 25th General Assembly January MEDSAR Online General assembly (MEDSAR OGA) took place on 29th-31st January 2021. It was the 25th general assembly of the association, but it was kind of different and a special assembly compared to the previous ones because it had to be online through Video platforms, as one method we established due to the preventive measures of COVID-19 pandemic where physical meetings were earnestly restricted.

The General Assembly as the highest decision making body of the association had to occur despite the aforementioned circumstances. We had to adapt to these kinds of meetings . The assembly covered different activities of the organization including: capacity building sessions on its day one, standing committee sessions, and plenary sessions on day two and day three.

On the last day of the meeting, we had elections of the new Supervising Committee. Elections took place smoothly and the committee was elected in transparency.

Generally, the attendance was good, though there were reportedly some problems of internet connection, and it was new for some, people tried to adapt.

The sessions were all good and productive to the members of the organization.

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MEDSAR Online General assembly was a new experience for our association, but also specific to each and every member who managed to attend the meeting, and prove to us that everything is possible whenever there is passion and will. It became the first of many to come depending on the situation we would be in.

The previous and most recent 25th MEDSAR GA under the title “Mental Health Peer Network Challenges in Rwanda during COVID-19 Period” took place on 3rd – 4th April in University of Rwanda Huye campus . It was a special GA as, with a mere intent of abiding by the regulations set in place to battle Covid-19 pandemic, a hybrid method was used; a few people say around 50 attended the Assembly while the rest of our members followed us online, via Youtube live Streaming and other social platforms to be precise.

MEDSAR GA 26 PLENARY SESSION

25th MEDSAR OGA OC Chair Oliver Concorde ISHEMA In the opening remark, MEDSAR President NDAGIJIMANA Serge and OC Chair ISHEMA Olivier Concorde welcomed all participants as well as our guest of honor and gave a short note about MEDSAR and why the General Assembly is an important body of the Medical Student’s Association which continued with a presentation of Supervising Council on our constitution.

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Plenary session on constitution led by the best plenary team is one of the important moments GA had. As a result, rational agreements on some articles being modified or removed and others being kept intact were met.

On the closing day of the GA, by using online voting platform Nemovote, transparent election process of the Executive Board and Standing Committees Directors was meticulously carried out.Though it would counterintuitive of us to turn a blind eye on the challenges that we obviously had foreseen, each and every protagonist encountered by a little number of members among 600 voters was properly addressed.

I would like to thank everybody who contributed either in preparation or in attending our assembly. Without you, the assembly wouldn’t have happened.

Let’s build MEDSAR we want.

MEDSAR 25th Anniversary OC

Next year 2022, MEDSAR will turn 25 years old. For the past 25 years, MEDSAR has worked to represent Medical students in Rwanda in different areas including Medical education advocacy and Youth activities for health but most importantly developing Youth health leaders who are proudly serving Medical Doctors in different fields.

The 25th MEDSAR anniversary presentS a unique opportunity to celebrate important achievements MEDSAR has had over the last quarter century.

DESPITE THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC; MEDSAR’S STANDING COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC HEALTH (SCOPH) HAS CONDUCTED DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES SINCE THE END OF 2020 UP TO NOW

WORLD HYPERTENSION DAY In May, partnership with RBC and Rwanda College of Physicians, MEDSAR-SCOPH celebrated World Hypertension Day with the theme “Know your numbers, control them and live healthy” where we conducted screening of Hypertension and diabetes at the parliament of Rwanda and at different institutions.

World No Tobacco Day 2021 MEDSAR-SCOPH celebrated this day at the end of May by conducting different activities like TV show at Isango star Tv and outreach at MUBILIGI TVET school for equipping secondary students with accurate information about tobacco smoking effects and their role in stopping it. We closed the celebration of World No Tobacco day 2021 by a blended workshop with a theme “Commit to quit”.

FIRST AID TRAINING For three consecutive Saturdays starting from Saturday 26th June 2021,

Red Cross Rwanda in colllaboration with MEDSAR through its Standing Committee on Human Rights and Peace (SCORP). In the course of this activity, over 60 medical students were trained on how to administer first aid by devoted and skillfull trainers from Red Cross Rwanda.

WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY

Each 10th October every year’ SCORP with the rest of the world celebrate the Wolrd Mental Health Day. “Mental health matters, Let’s make it a reality!”

SCIENTIFIC REVIEW ON COVID-19 MEDSAR-Rwanda under SCORE, organized the week of Scientific review through which they used all MEDSAR’S social media and platforms to provide knowledge about the Covid-19 pandemic to the world .Our NORE Rosette Neema intervened in a radio talk about Covid-19 Preventive Measures on RBA-Huye. Students & community at large were reminded of the importance of abiding by the Covid-19 Preventive Measures.

MEDSAR-SCORE also is preparing different research projects, as well as preparing research trainings that will accommodate everyone who is interested in doing research and writing competitive articles.There are going to be research competitions during this upcoming season.

Here are the three medical talks we had since July and some quoted words from the speakers to medical students.

Medical talk 001: The first medical talk that took place in hybrid mode physically in the Auditorium and virtually on Google meet.

The speaker Prof Julien Gashegu, an Associate professor in clinical Anatomy reminded students the values and attitudes to be a good doctor including professionalism and developing personal integrity. He asked students to enjoy what they do as a way of managing stress in medical school.

Medical talk 002: In August, the guest was a General Surgeon Dr Bayisenga Justin at University teaching hospital at CHUB. From his words, he advised students to be near their Seniors to learn from them. “You learn from working with someone who knows what you want,” he said.

Medical talk 003: A third talk took place in September with a Radiologist Prof Rudakemwa from the Rwanda military Hospital who is a certified life coach. He reminded students that knowledge in each domain in medicine is very important to succeed in radiology.

WORLD ANATOMY DAY MEDSAR-SCOMEinpartnershipwithUni_Rwanda&@AnatomyIfaacelebrated #worldAnatomyDay 2021 with panel discussions under the theme “Investing in Anatomy to sustain quality healthcare” & awarding best Anatomy Artworks.

On regular time interval, SCORA in partnership with HDI and RBC toured eight (8) campuses of University of Rwanda where at the center of discussions was access of youth-friendly accurate and credible SRHR services and information

“SOBANUKIRWA WIRINDE” Campaign 2021

INTERNATIONAL AIDS CANDLE LIGHT MEMORIAL 2021

The activity took place from 17 th - 19 th may 2021.

International AIDS candle light memorial activity has been conducted byMEDSAR in partnership with Dream village Rwanda, I matter Initiative and Haguruka.

Hygiene materials including 330 soaps, 660 sanitary pads and 660 underwear were distributed These materials were donated to children of Dream village Rwanda living with HIV that are found in 11 health centers.

We received three medical students from abroad who came to our lovely country of thousand hills for clerkship. Thes are Hulk Victor Xerxes from Sweden, Marte U.Lobo from Norway and Meret Lilian from Switzerland. They all did their clerkship at CHUB. As usual, it is not time for clerkships only but also time for social programs where our visitors get an opportunity to see how beautiful our country is with their eyes.

SCOPE Professional Exchange

On 8th July 2021, MEDSAR-Rwanda and DENEM-Brazil arranged the Exchange Fair through their Standing Committees of professional exchange(SCOPE). It was done online via YouTube. Our NEO had a wonderful presentation of our activities hosted by NEO of DENEM. He gave them numerous reasons why they should come here for exchange and explained all requirements to fulfill. Additionally, he convinced them about why they should come to visit Rwanda just with facts(attractive pictures and videos).

Tina MUNANG Medical student, SCORP General Assistant

POEM She goes by the name “Girl Child.”

She wasn’t born to be a melancholic painting; A canvas covered with acrylic paint of GBV, FGM, early marriages, marginalization and many more.

She wasn’t born to give discrimination a daily handshake while tides of tears rise in her eyes.

She wasn’t born to bid opportunities ‘Bon voyage,’ without them having paid her a single visit, Neither was she born to unwillingly switch to rocky lanes due to outnumbered barriers on her path.

She wasn’t born to be drowned in the waters of society, Emanating ripples of devaluation upon her immersion.

She wasn’t born to be clothed in a rob of silence with its zipper pulled up, Concealing her remarkable potential.

Raise your voice to speak equality into her present and future, Raise your voice to throw open the doors remorselessly slammed before her eyes.

Raise your voice; For her recognition, For her inclusion.

She wasn’t born to hide, She wasn’t born to walk through alleys of desolation.

She was born to parade in the world’s spotlight, A girl of outstanding panache and poise.

She is valuable, She is a queen, She is a leader, She is human.

She goes through a lot in society just because of the name She was born to desire, She was born to acquire, she bears; ‘Girl Child’.

She was born to inspire.

Everyday should be for her, Everyone should advocate for her rights and place in society. She matters, and her rights matter.

So today and every other day;

She goes by the name “Girl Child.”

Norbert TUYISHIMIRE

PBI Alumnus, SCOPH General Assistant

Article Conflict, security, violence, war and peace are issues both young and old struggle with. They are complicated issues. They are also critical to the legacy we pass on to future generations. We can start building peace in the world by building peace within ourselves, our families, and our communities. We all have a responsibility to actively participate in making choices about how we can promote peace. A good peace builder is someone who acts in small ways every day to make a world a peaceful place. As human beings, we have incredible potential.

Peace building is based on the hope that we can tap into that potential. It doesn’t offer an easy or quick solution. It is an ongoing process of learning for young and old. I’m a medical student and active Medical Students’ Association of Rwanda (MEDSAR) member since 2019. In September 2020, I got a chance to attend Twoweek peacebuilding workshop prepared by NEVER AGAIN RWANDA through Peace Building Institute (PBI), in this workshop we had shared common understanding and knowledge of Rwanda’s history and the process leading to the genocide committed against the Tutsi and its aftermath consequences, where also focused on Increased insights and clarity on the concepts of genocide, good governance, development, and transitional justice and we covered session on increased our knowledge and skills for us as youths to take the initiative to generate our own momentum as peace builders in our communities. After this we graduated as PBI Alumni.

After this PBI workshop, I realize that as in MEDSAR, we have standing committee on Human rights(SCORP) with the mission to empower and motivate medical students to actively promote and protect human rights and peace through advocacy, outreaches, awareness and capacity building, that can contribute to creating a fair and peaceful world by involving the society on different levels, I take initiative of starting to invent what i have learnt in PBI by active involving; training and encouraging my fellow university students especially medical students through MEDSAR to learn for Critical thinking and to get knowledge for fighting against Genocide especially Genocide Deniers and different mass atrocities and related peace building activities here in our country starting from University of Rwanda.

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UPCOMING PROJECT YEASRH

(Youth Education Activities on Sexual and Reproductive Health) We are delighted to announce incoming Project ‘’ YEASRH ‘’ it will be tackling misinformation and accessible Youth Sexual and reproductive health . MEDSAR Members will be equally engaged to contribute in implementation of the Project . Recently MEDSAR Executive Board , Project Team and patner organization have been carrying out Preparatory study which is in it’s final stage . we encourage members to Stay updated to through our website and official communications platforms .

Now that Project Coordination Team is standby, finalization of selection of trainers of trainers is underway

Thanks to

OUR PUBLICATION TEAM

Claude NIZEYIMANA

Publication Assistant SCORP

Christian TUNGA

Publication Assistant SCOPH

Agnes N. IRAKIZA

Publication Assistant SCORA

Charles NIYOTWIRINGIYE

Publication Assistant SCORE

To make our association more inclusive, MEDSAR Committee 2021-2022 pledged to pay much emphasis on transparency and integrity. This is the main solid reason of establishing Standing Committees National Teams that closely work with the rest of the trite committee to organize and execute multiple tasks Capacity Building of members at large is a major pillar that is earnestly seen as an appropriate path to building MEDSAR we all wantt.

MEDICAL STUDENTS’ ASSOCIATION OF RWANDA

THE END NEWSLETTERSECOND EDITION

@medsar-rwanda @medsar-rwanda Medical Students’ Association of Rwanda-MEDSAR

WWW.MEDSARWANDA.ORG