March 1, 2020
On this Sunday, I participated in the car-free day activities for the second time since its inaugural edition in 2016. Despite the popularity of this bi-monthly drill, I rarely show up. That’s because I run before sunrise from Monday to Friday and take it easy on Saturdays and Sundays. Besides, I spend most of my weekends out of the city bonding with mother nature.
On car-free days, automobiles are kept off designated Kigali roads — clearing the way for health freaks determined to combat Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs). Participants walk, jog and cycle without sharing the said routes with the bully and pollution-prone motorists.
In 2016, I rode a bicycle from Gisimenti to the city center and back to Gisimenti. On that sunny day, my lungs were stretched to the limit. Four years later, I ran from Gishushu junction to the premises of the Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA) in Kimihurura Sector.
At RRA grounds, I indulged in a mass aerobics session. Upon arrival, I followed instructions from public health officials and sanitized my hands accordingly. As I did so, a thermometer was pointed at my forehead like a gun. Although the first case of Covid- 19 hadn’t been recorded in the country yet, stringent measures were already in place.
When the session was over, I drank free water provided by Sulfo Rwanda, producers of Nil mineral water. After quenching my thirst, I had a free health check-up, courtesy of the Rwanda Biomedical Center (RBC).
I was still sweating profusely when an intern, a medical student from the University of Rwanda, registered my weight and height. She also measured my waist circumference before computing my Body Mass Index (BMI). Finally, she checked my blood pressure and sugar content.
September 12, 2022
A lot has happened since the aforementioned event took place. Social distances, curfews, movement restrictions and strange protocols led to the most usual times in modern history.
Lives have been lost. Some things will never be the same again. A ton of research has been conducted. New vaccines have been unveiled and administered. As the world population soaks up new knowledge, one old secret remains the most effective investment in health. The importance of physical exercises can’t be stressed enough.
