Care for Africa Online Journal

Let me share the day with you all about the container. Leanne, Ange, Simon and I headed off to the Kenyan Tanzanian boarder to see the container. It arrived 2nd Oct, 10 days late due to clearance problems with customs in Mombasa. I was so sad that Harry and Sarah had already left Tarime, because we had planned so much aroung the contaier for them.

The container was designed and painted by the grade 7 students, Katie Woodruffe and Josie of the Launceston Church Grammar School. Alison Bassano worked tirelessly with her students to help fill, wash and sort things for the container. The girls from The Tarime Goodwill Foundation (in Tasmania), ie Penny, Sonia, Carol, Gill, Kate, Fiona and Lisa worked so hard and selflessly to get clothing, books, the ambulance, medical and educational equipment for the container. This would never have come together had it not been for their amazing work. Rob Van Der Elst from the Deloraine Rotary club worked along side all of us to help bring this all together. Rob did a fantastic job with organizing the shipment of the container to Mombasa. Rob and I had numerous texts and phone calls between Tanzania and Tasmania, trying to get the officals to release our container.

The day arrived at the boarder when I saw our brightly decorated container, covered with the smiling faces of the Grammar students. How it stood out in the dusty brown haze of the Sirari boarder. My eyes filled with tears of absolute joy and relief when I first saw the container. Omari was with me.

We had a busy day, because we had to unpack everything from the container onto a grassy patch, then unload the Ambulance, then repack the container. Dr Winani set 10 helpers with us. All I can say thank goodness for them and the hard work delivered by Leanne, Ange and Simon.

I was priveleged to drive the Ambulance out of the container, a magical moment. Without the generous help and support from Grant Lennox, Mark Strickland and Garry O’keefe for Tasmanian Ambulance Service this would never had happened.

Times like this makes me realize what fantastic people we have supporting us, how we all work together to help people with huge needs. It’s so rewarding seeing everything come together.

By the time we got official clearance of the Ambulance from customs, the hot African sun had gone down for the night, and the sky was softly illuminated by the small cresent of the moon. We were absolutey starving as no one had eaten sine 0700 hrs that morning. A eldery dishevelled local came up to us pushing a tin box filled with samosas, being heated by coals. He must have made a fortune out of us, because we only had American money and were so hungry, that we just ate and paid, ate and paid.

Finally, we were ready to leave for Tarime. Weary, but excited. Ange drove Leanne and I back safely to our welcoming hotel, the CMG. Lisa and Michael were anxiously waiting for us with our well earned sodas.

A great day.

Diana

PS: We saw many many elderly people with debilitating cataracts. They would be so easy to fix if we could do a “Fred Hollows”. I think this would be a fantistic worthwhile project for us to do.

Cheers

Diana

Back to the Tarime communities.

Dr Winani had organised a team of locals to work with us whilst we went out to our communities. Raphael, driver; Gabrielle intrepreter, Paulo scribe, Lucas assistant and Dickson came as a volunteer. What a great team we had.

We used Dr Winani’s landrover until the Tasmanian Ambulance arrived, 2nd October, which was given from the girls of Tarime Goodwill Foundation in Tasmania to Dr Winani.

It was tragic in the communities to hear and see the plight of the elderly. I truely believe that these people need support and help.

We saw numerous health problems, particularly with the elderly. Arthritis was endemic, a legacy of years of toil and hard physical work. Pain relief, antiinflammatory medication for these people is not an option, because we cannot guarantee a constant supply. It is cruel to give pain relief, then discontinue the supply. This is something we will be looking into.

Chronic abdominal pain was very common, mainly due to pelvic inflammatory disease (std), and gastro ulcers.

We saw lots of children and adults with chronic scalp fungal infections, which we were able to treat, thanks to Rob Matthews and Katina from Convict Cutters who so generously donated many bars of coal tar soap. Thanks Rob and Katrina.

Conjunctivitis was prevelant, which we were able to easily treat with chlorsig.

We also saw numerous wounds which we treated.

So many people continuously swamped us, they just wanted someone to listen, care and show that people in the world do care. The people were all truely beautiful.

Water was a big issue in these communities. So many people don’t have safe, clean drinking water. Bore holes are the most effective and safest way of gathering water. Unfortunately, the bores are financially unobtainable to many. Tanks and guttering aren’t an option due to the wet season being approx 6 months and dry season being the same.

Am signing off now but will continue with our next chapter.

Diana

Dear All,

Please accept my greatest apologies for not attending to the blog earlier. I am now back in home land, Tasmania.

My time in Tarime and the Trans Mara was full with no spare time.

By the time my day finished, as with ohers, it was dark and email was closed.

We sifted through many ideas, people, communities, organisations and needs. At first it was extremely overwhelming, as one would imagine.

Leanne, Ange and myself visited 6 different communities in the Tarime District during our first week. We saw endless orphans,  elderly, sick, poor, the local primary schools, as well as the village elders and chiefs. Unfortunately, we did’nt have the container and the ambulance which Carol Northeast, Penny Padgett, Kate Thompson, Sonia Clifford, Gill Reid, Fiona Sherring and Lisa Cummins had tirelessly worked in Tasmania to raise money for and acquire. Anyway, we made the most of our time and researched the needs and requests of the beautiful people in the communities of Tarime.

We found that HIV has wiped out  nearly a whole generation of people, between the ages of 20 – 50 hence the huge numbers of orphans. The elderly are the ones that care for these children. They battle with minimal resources, clothing, bedding, minimal or no health care and of course no money.

The biggest request we got from the orphans was a request for education. Primary education is free, apart from the purchase of school stationary and uniforms which equates to $50.00 per year. Sadly, this is even out of the reach for many. Secondary education, costs at least $300.00 per year which is not and option for the majority, let alone the orphans and the poor.

The primary schools were extremely spartan, no books, no libaries, no water, not even electricity. The needs for these community primary schools are huge. Georgie, Sarah and Harry were priveleged to see all this. Such an eye opener for them. The first community we visited, Kiterere, Georgie and Harry went to interview orphans. They were swamped and overwhelmed by the despiration of these children. The children panicked and overcrowded Georgie and Harry, marking it virtually impossible to interview. The community was near impossible to control and contain due to their excess desperation. We are their only hope, if we don’t help then who will.

Must log off now but will be back shortly, as have much to share with you all.

Cheers

Diana

Well I have now left Tarime, a very difficult and painful experience. I didn’t want to leave, I could have stayed for so much longer and I really don’t want to go home. Although there are some good things about going home – seeing my friends and family, and being able to walk down the street without people pointing, staring, and shouting ‘mzungu!!’. I will be able to blend in again, and that is something i miss, to be anonymous sometimes. Tarime and Tanzania is a very special place and as Michael says the people are what make it and they are amazing. I think he’s already mentioned most of the ones i wanted to, so many beautiful people.

I made my way to Mwanza yesterday to catch my flight to Dar es Salaam. Raphael wanted to drive me so i didn’t have to catch the bus, and he wanted  Dickson to come too so he had some company. Isaac, who works a bit in the hospital, wanted to accompany me as well. And then Ronald, my interpretor, colleague and friend, changed shifts so he could come as well. So I was escorted to Mwanza by these 4 lovely men who have so much respect for me and i actually trust them – and in this country trust is hard to come by. It was a great road trip, we had heaps of fun and saying goodbye at the airport was just devastating.

The masai milk truck project has had many problems – 3 trips to Nairobi and we still haven’t managed to get it back to Tarime, and god knows we have tries, especially Simon. It’s quite depressing how difficult it was to get a vehicle here, but at least we will know for the future now.

Africa has so many problems, it is easy to think that we’re not really making a difference and that nobody can, and that the problems are so huge and it’s just not worth trying….. but then listening to the people from the hospital and the patients i have seen and the Masai women’s group and the Tarime orphanage, they have absolutely loved having us here and are so grateful for every little thing we have done for them and it really gives me hope.

Lisa

P.S. i forgot to put my name on it but the last blog (‘nearing the end’) was from me too. xxx  

So as far I know the Tarime goup is all still ok, although there are only 4 of us left now – Leanne, Didi, Simon and I. We were all very sad to see Michael and Ange leave on the weekend, it was so good to have them here.

I have been working so hard in the hospital, everybody wants to see the mzungu doctor from Australia and they think i can fix all their problems. Sometimes i can i guess… Dr Winani has been away the past 2 days, so i’ve been doing everything – from labour ward, to ward rounds, to clinic, to neonatal resuscitation (scary, but the baby is doing ok i think). It’s been fantastic. And I’ve also been doing a lot of teaching with the nurses and assistant medical officers (they have a diploma) and I think i’m starting to get through to them.

The ambulance is absolute gold here and it has a driver – Raphael, who is just awesome, such a cool guy and knows a lot about cars so we know the ambulance will be well-cared for in our absence. I have been working closely with Ronald, who is one of the nurses in the hospital and works as my translator. He’s a very smart guy, and great fun to work with.

Last night a friend (Esther) invited me to her home for dinner where she taught me to cook ugali and we had a traditional Kuria (the local people) meal with her grandmother and family. Her grandmother was so happy to have me for dinner that she danced me around the kitchen! She then asked me how many cows you have to pay as dowry in Australia!! hehehe.

Everyone here is so poor, it’s amazing. Even Esther – she lives in a compound with about 10 other families and no power or running water, and a communal pit toilet.

ooh, Ronald is sick of waiting for me (we’ve come on an adventure here to the TTC for internet in Winani’s old crusty landrover, nothing works in that bloody car, and now the starter motor is broken too so i think we’ll have to push-start…… and poor Ronald has malaria….. and it’s so hot…. ok i’ll stop whinging now!)

Didi says sorry she hasn’t blogged yet, she is so flat out with the container and in the communities and she has found a little orphan boy that she is looking after and she will write when she can.

Hello all,

Iam sitting in the lobby of Garden Court Hotel listening to one of the loudest vacume cleaners at work for the longest time in the smallest space ever!! Aside from that Iam well rested and eager to return home!

When I first set off for four weeks of African adventures, I had no idea what I would discover and experience. The descriptions of africa were modest displaying imagery of bark huts and a society that early man may have had superiority over. I expected to stay in tent like arrangements and visit people with very minimal belongings and primative living conditions (no electritity, water, shelter). I was gladly mistaken…

What I did find at first glance entering tarime was a culture alive. There were wooden stalls, street vendors and shops, all very basic in design with western buildings mainly hotels poping up inbetween squeezing out the culture we all were so eager to soak up.

The Hotel pricy as it was, is best described by peter. My last hot shower was in sydney at Lisa’s Grandfathers place. Oh and this morning. Thank God! Lisa and myself acquired all sorts of cheaper accomodation and as fun as it was somehow neither of of contracted any kind disease or lasting health defects…. That without going into detail sums it up.

The beautiful things on trip were the people, Barbra the awsome in arusha and meeting Omari and Dr Winani the movers and shakers of kenya and Tarime respectively. Then the teams of beautiful people inbetween that made our stay just that little bit easier, Cha cha, Ronald the best medical interpretor in the world, Gabriel the multiliguist and compasionate man with so many unfortunate children, and raphael driving and interpretor extrodinare. Their are so many to thank but these guys were there day in day out never a drama. Thank You. Then of course was all those smiling people in their colourful clothing that doted the streets and villages and the culture that can best be described as an african sunset with a killi baridi!!! Beter than sex some may know what Iam tlking about!!!

I will have to continue the rest of the trip and write about it at a later date… Never enough time…

Its been an amazing adventure into the Tarime and Trans Mara regions, The people and the culture will be with me forever….

Mike

Hello to all,

Many sexytimes to ya’s….

Iam having a blast in tarime gastro free for 21 days, dunno about the malaria situation so mush, deterioation back in Aus will be nice time orf work (If your reading this Maree I don’t mean it at all nor did I actively seek out that mosquioe and force its malaria ridden proboscus into my vein….).

The container is in finally with the Ambulance and everyone is knackered. Mush work to be done and for me at least no mush time…

Its been a journey worthwhile I think I gained much more than I was able to achieve, so much need that can’t be delivered. Iam unsure as to what the solution might be however for nextime I feel I will focus on education and getting that H20 into the OT at the hospital!!! I have learned that no matter how much money is put into africa the outcome will remain the same. I have learned so much from my time here and hopfully someone has learned from me… Even if I am Kicha… Or crazy as Ronald tells me I am!!!

When Iam home I may write somthing of significance who knows and upload some photos!!! The internet is as slow as the country….. More on that later,

Till then Bam.

So, some of us have now left – Sally, Georgie, Harry, Sarah and Peter are gone, leaving 6 of us in Tarime. Harry has not been well, probably just gastro but he’ll be ok. Peter and Sarah are now in Cape Town with family and doing well, and Sally has headed off to New York.

We have moved into the CMG hotel, which is where Didi, Pete and Emma stayed last time. It is managed by Esther, who is fantastic. We visited a Masai community last week, and met the Diana Women’s Group, a group of Masai women who have formed an officially recognised group and named it after Didi. They were so happy to see us and sang us the most beautiful song and gave us gifts. It was very moving. We got to Masailand in Dr Winani’s very old Landrover, having to contend with Kenyan cops along the way and falling into a massive ditch at one point. There are no roads in Masailand and we were just thrashing through the bush and over their corn fields and through rivers – the roughest 4-wheel driving i’ve ever done. At one point (on the actual road) we came across a group of people with drums and flags and dressed in caps and purple robes dancing and singing along the road – amazing. They said it was ok to film and take photos which was pretty awesome.

The struggle for the milk truck continues, and a couple of us will be going back to bloody Nairobi in a few days to hopefully pick up the vehicle. it’s just drama after drama though, can’t believe it could be so difficult just paying for a vehicle!!!

Omari’s wife is probably the best cook in the whole of Tanzania and we have had a few meals at his beautiful house where we always end up completely stuffed and not needing to eat for about 24 hours! She also makes this Chai Masala (spiced tea) which is just incredible. We’ve had chai masala all over the place and sometimes it takes like crap and sometimes it’s nice, but hers is the most delicious thing.

2 weeks left and so much work to be done. The container has still not yet arrived, we keep being told ‘tomorrow, tomorrow’. The latest update is that it’s there this morning but we haven’t checked yet. man there will be celebrations when it arrives – i dare say we might take a bottle of champagne (which you can actually get here) and start the celebrations right then and there!! It will be so so good just to have a vehicle that we can use here – it’s very frustrating having to rely on taxis and other people, especially when there are so many of us.

So, things are mostly going well so far and this next week should be good with the milk truck and container arriving. Will write more soon now that i know where the internet in Tarime is!