Care for Africa Online Journal

We had the most successful day on Saturday 21st January  2012 with our container packing. Our wonderful volunteers rallied together, worked hard as a well united team to accomplished a huge achievement for our neighbours across the water in Tarime.

We packed much vital educational and medical equipment. Books and educational aid has been sourced from many schools in Northern Tasmania.

The people of tarime would like to wish all their supporters and fans a New Year, 2012 filled with much love, goodwill, peace and happiness.

I would like to  wish everyone a Happy, Safe and Healthy Christmas.

 

A big thank you to everyone that has supported and helped us throughout 2011.We have accomplished much for the people of Tarime throughout the year. It has been through the hard work and dedication of our many supporters that has allowed us to achieve so much for our beautiful people in Tarime.

 

 

 

 

EXECUTIVE_DIRECTOR_REPORT_2011

 

Please read our Annual Report to see what CfA has done throughout the last year.

We have an invaluable team on board with us, and together we are making a difference to the lives, health and well being of the people of Tarime. It is so rewarding to know that we are  really helping these beautiful people.

My thanks and gratitude goes out to the many volunteers that have tirelessly given their time, money and expertise to help to alleviate poverty.

United we are making a difference.

 

 

 

My time in Tarime.

Where to start?

Back in Launceston Emergency department, in March 2010 after I broke my leg sliding down Mt Ossa On the overland track? This was after I’d walked 7 hours on it, to arrive at the hut in the dark at 11o’clock at night. I had been reluctantly helicoptered out next morning and taken to The Launceston General Hospital There this amazing nurse rescued me from the sidelines, and as we chatted whilst my plaster dried, she asked me if I’d be interested in going to Tanzania?
How I gulped, remembering all my idealistic plans to work in the third world one day, even doing a Diploma in Tropical Medicine in 1974 to prepare, but then chickening out of going to Africa because it was too hot and had such nasty diseases, and microbes and insects- never mind the ‘lions and tigers and bears’. I dabbled in India for 6 months with Tibetan refugees living in the Himalayas, nice climate, lovely people. Then I got immersed in small town rural general practice in Western Australia (Denmark) for 35 years, raised a family, stayed in my comfort zone. Now here is Diana asking me to come to Tanzania. ‘Yes!’ I said. I went home, and told my husband David: ‘We’re going to Tanzania, dear’. Our son Sebastian said he’d come too.
I still can’t believe we really did it!! I tell you also. I could never have done it without Diana’s faith, enthusiasm, confidence and encouragement. So: I faced my demons, what would happen?
First of all when we arrived I somehow imagined that a day or two’s supervision and I would be expected to consult alone in Kiswahili, with patients with illnesses with which I had no experience. Thank heavens I had 2 wonderful medical assistants to hold my hand, and Dr Winani of course, who really did hold my hand, and they gave me the courage to step out into uncharted waters. Malaria was rife. I soon learnt the Kiswahili words for: What is your problem? Is it diarrhoea, headache, abdominal pain, fever, chest pain, and a new “symptom” general body weakness? All patients were sent off for malarial blood slides, urine and stool specimens, before further physical examination was done. The lab technicians were brilliant, processing 100s of specimens a day. Microscopy only, no culture or incubation. Syphilis, pregnancy and HIV testing kits were available and quick. Blood grouping and crossmatching could be done and Widal test for Typhoid, in an hour or so the patient was back with their results, examined if necessary, and sent off to the Pharmacy for treatment or admitted to the wards if very sick. Inpatients seemed to recover quickly in 1-2 days and go home or discharge themselves if they couldn’t afford treatment or weren’t going to get better. Ward Rounds in the morning were grand. About12 people would trail around the wards, Dr Winani, medical assistants, the wonderful tall head nurse Tatu, Lab techs, nurses, pharmacy staff, and clerical staff, crowding into each room as Dr Winani assessed each patient and marked them as improving ,or in need of surgery , or a change of treatment. Fortunately all hospital notes were in English, so by craning my neck I could generally see what was wrong with the patients from their notes as we went around, and Dr Winani would keep me informed .The nurses put up all the intravenous drips and arranged all the intravenous injections, fluids and blood transfusions.
In the afternoon Dr Winani would operate, in his major theatre. I watched one upper abdominal hernia repair, and was amazed to hear that one of the patients had her 2nd extrauterine pregnancy. ‘A bloody mess’ I gathered from Alicia, who was present at the surgery for her first operation 12/12 before. Extraordinary. There were many lunch time curettes for early miscarriage often due to malaria, and criminal abortions. The equipment from Australia had obviously made a huge impact on the hospital, a good transport trolley, proper Launceston Hospital beds, Theatre operating table, scales for babies, an ECG machine, good theatre instruments.
Dr Billie, also new on the scene, picked up her Swahili more quickly and went out to the communities with the nursing team, worming the children and seeing the sick children and adults. This was a bit chaotic at first but we got a good system going, and eventually were proceeding in a smooth and efficient manner. One day at Sonbamyasoko, we wormed 490 children, medically examined 94 sick ones: those we couldn’t treat on the spot, (33), came into the hospital for lab tests and treatment. 30 had malarial parasites on their blood films, 8 had typhoid on their Widal testing, and stool examination picked up 6 with Ascaris Lumbricoides worms, and 3 with hookworm .
What we need to do in the future, is roll out regular worming clinics and check all the children, including the 0-5s and also the adults in each community. It’s all a pointless drop in the ocean, one might say, but for each child treated, it’s a miserable and potentially life threatening illness thwarted.
For us volunteers it was an invaluable experience. We became very close to our African helpers and our patients, at times becoming part of their families, and feeling very loved and accepted by them. They are amazingly resilient, cheerful, hospitable people and we can learn so much from them. I feel very privileged to have been/ to be, part of Care for Africa and overwhelmed by the generosity of the people of Launceston for making the lives of these very worthy people , better.

Bisarwi Community was hot & dry with the same story of no water again. It is so confronting seeing all those people with no water, and no means of changing the situation. The women and children walking 16 kms daily with their 20 L empty cans on their heads is a constant commitment to daily life. I asked to see the main water supply from the school, but I didn't have the time to walk the 16 kms needed to view the water supply. The health clinic was challenging because we see so many people with water related diseases, or mainly lack of water. At least we are working towards alleviating their current situation with the wells, pending on the Aus Aid grant.
We have been worming all the kids at the community schools. Our health clinics run along side the worming clinics. It is so good being able to take a doctor with us. Dr Selena Sayako (Billie) and Jane James have been doing the community runs with RN Alisha Butterworth, Lucy Allwright, Monique Artis and myself. Dr Billie operated at the Surubu Community the other day to remove a huge imbedded thorn with my eye brow tweezers. Lucy & Monique have slipped into the job of worming the children. We have been really productive with the clinics.
Kiterere was a bit of a nightmare for the crew that went out!! Abdullah & myself were unfortunately tied up with other business with CfA, so man power was limited and the community need was overwhelming. The crew left after a hugely exhausting day & not completing their mission. We plan to head back for another whole day. These people are too poor to be able to afford access to health care, as well as associated costs, so the demand, both physically & emotionally is often overwhelming for our volunteers.
It is an absolute delight to work in the Surubu community, where we have installed the well. The people are so well and the children attend school. Their beautiful brown eyes sparkle, their skin glistens in the warm African sun & they are all eternally grateful for the safe clean water we have given them. The sounds the hand pump going up & down with the women pumping the well & a steady stream of crystal clear water is the greatest gift I can receive whilst working here.

Teachers, Monique & Lucy have spent 3 full days teaching at Surubu, this has been so invaluable to us, as well as the children. David Morrell, with interpreter Dickson Barasele,has been teaching in the Surubu class rooms when he has free time from developing his bee keeping industry.

David is nearing completion of the bee keeping enterprise, which means he will now focus on environmental education program, per Allison Bassano's guidelines at 4 secondary schools.

Dr Winani's hospital is a palace, compared with the government hosp. The other evening we had a laboring mum in TGWF hospital, the bub stuck & only limited time to get the bub out to sustain life. Dr Winani was 4 hrs away, so we had no choice but to take the mum to the government hospital. Only to be informed that the hospital had no surgical blade to perform the procedure. Luckily, I had one in our medical kit, so a female doctor from the hospital was called in to perform a C-section. It took several hours for her to arrive!!!! Dr Jane & myself spent hours caring the laboring mum, waiting for theatre in the hot, dirty, mosquito infested hospital with no resources, not even a wet cloth to wipe the mum's brow. No pain relief was available; the trolley was smeared with fecal matter, no nurse or medical personnel to be with the mum, people remained oblivious to the situation. Unfortunately, time slipped away for the struggling bub & the bub ended up dying, because everything moved so slowly. Post operatively to keep the mum alive; free from infection she needed IV antibiotics. The hospital only had benzyl penicillin; this would not be enough from preventing a fatal abdominal infection. I was able to purchase the necessary IV antibiotics from a pharmacy, give instructions to the nurses to administer them. It is a miracle the mum is still alive; we visit her daily and organize her medical treatment. It is so difficult because we must respect their home, and not invade our principals on them and leave to only return every now & then.

On a lighter note, I saw the land yesterday, it is awesome, everyone loves the plot, and it is perfect. Rohan is doing an amazing job with early developments of the centre. Yesterday a crew of 10 locals worked with Rohan & Abdullah digging the foundations out with shovels. I dug 3 wheel barrows loads of dirt, whilst Dr Billie carted them away!!

Well, the time has come to head back to my second home, Tarime. I am so looking forward to seeing all my beautiful people again. I feel such a part of  their lives. It has been an incredible journey we have travelled together since my first visit in 2006, this has now created a phenominal bond between us.

I have the most wonderful team of  9 volunteers coming with me. They have generously given  their time and expertise to work together to help the people of Tarime.

We have

• Jane James: Medical Doctor
• Selena Sayoko: Medical Doctor
• David Morrell: Teacher
• Monique Artis: Teacher
• Dickson Barasele: Intrepreter
• Aisha Butterworth: Registered Emergency Nurse
• Rohan Brown: Builder
• Sebastian Morrell: Anthropologist
• Jared East: General Maintanence
• Lucy Allwright: Gap Year from School

 

 

The Launceston Church Grammar School Care for Africa group held a Trivia Night on Friday 23rd September to raise funds towards running their education program in Tarime in 2012. The night was a huge success, enjoyed by all and lots of money was raised for the program. Well done to the LCGS CfA Team!!!!

Care for Africa will be taking some of the students  to work in the outlying Tarime community schools in 2012. The students will be running education sessions whilst they are in Tarime

 

 

What a difference our youth will make to break the cycle of poverty through education.

Our Youth is our Future!!!! 

Travelling to Tarime as a volunteer this year would have to be one of the most memorable, rewarding and life changing experiences I have encountered in my life thus far!

Whilst working in Africa can be hard, tiring and confronting at times; I look at the strength, courage and kindness of the people of Tarime, and feel grateful to be apart of the team of volunteers which make a difference to this community year in and year out!

Confucius says that it is never too late to be kind…

“Most of us rush through life and miss many of it’s great rewards. Take a gentler road, where you have time to talk to people. Learn about their lives, and their loved ones. It will broaden your life. It will give you compassion. Accept their kindnesses. Be kind in return!”

This statement really encompasses my journey to Tarime.. How each of us should take some time out in life to just listen and help others! The people of Tarime are kind and open; each of their stories has touched my heart and changed my life in some way. So please, show compassion and kindness to the people of Tarime, because they give so much in return!

I cannot wait to return next year and once again work alongside the people of Tarime and the other Care For Africa Volunteers to really make a difference in Tanzania

Alisha xxx

 

Diana Butler, with the Thornbury High, (Victoria, Australia)  School Representative Council and support teacher Maharaj Preeti. The students have elected to support Care for Africa, as their International Project.

Care for Africa looks forward to working and nurturing a wonderful relationship together to help and support the people of Tarime.