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August 2010, Update The two well waster projects in Ugweno, Tanzania, and at Nila Orphanage in Mbagala, Tanzania, were completed. A storage tank is still needed in Ugweno. A well to help Mission Mikocheni Hospital grow food for their patients instead of having to buy it is the next water project waiting for funding. Hubert Kairuki Memorial University Medical students continue to be supported so they can remain in school. Please see the "Letters" section. Nila orphanage wants a shower so the children can bathe. The Safe Motherhood Mobile Clinic needs continuing support so it can keep running.
January 2010 update In addition to ongoing programs two water projects are currently in process. The first is a well at Nila Orphanage in Mbagala, Tanzania, and the second is a well and a storage tank for Ugweno village in northern Tanzania near the Kenyan border. Another water project is waiting for funding. This one is a well on a dried up plot which used to help provide food for Mission Mikocheni Hospital patients. Now there is no rain and drought is constant. Food is very expensive and because the hospital serves everyone, even those who can not pay, they are always in a deficit position. Once a well is drilled and water is available, the land can again help provide food to patients, thereby help ing reduce costs due to loss of workable farm land. September 2009 update The annual fundraiser and golf tounament was a success. Enough money was raised to dig a well in order to provide water to Nila Orphanage in Mbagala, Tanzania (outside Dar es Salaam). Up to now they have had to walk 2 km. to fetch water every day. We are very happy to be able to follow through with this. Several projects are waiting including more water purification and filter building training, digging two more wells July 2009 update Five medical student lodging fees at Hubert Kairuki Memorial University paid up for now. If students are unable to pay for lodging they can not stay in school. · Water filters at elementary school repaired. See photo gallery. · Payment made to support Safe Motherhood Mobile Clinics · Necessities for Nila Orphanage purchased and delivered (mattresses, kangas, plates, spoons, beds, and bednets) As a result of two fires the children had absolutely nothing. The next step which was to be the first is to dig a well to provide water and to provide water filters for purification. This will be accomplished when funding is in place. See photo gallery. · Collaboration with Unviersity here explored by the Vice Chancellor at the university there with me. We are exploring this possibility · Provided over 200 pair of reading and near and far vision glasses, and medical supplies · Trip to north identified village with serious issues regarding access to water. They provided a written plan with costing to address the issue. We will do so when funding is acquired. See photo gallery. · Mission Mikocheni Hospital supplies food to their patients. Due to climate change there is no rain and their farm has dried up forcing them to buy vegetables and rice which is very expensive. This is a concern as they are private and treat anyone who comes whether they can pay or not. They have asked HRC to dig a well so they can grow food for the hospital again. This will also be done as soon as funding is acquired. Other items waiting are to build a block fence around Mikocheni Primary school to protect the over 1000 children attending there, to repair fire damage at the orphanage, and to continue supporting medical students to remain in school, the Safe Motherhood Clinics, and to provide supplies and equipment as requested and able to the medical school and hospital. Right now the hospital specifically needs examination and surgical gloves. Medical Texts
New medical texts for teaching purposes were sent to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania in April 2008. As of June 2009 They are being used by medical staff and students at Hubert Kairuki Memorial University. In 2008, used medical texts were donated by the Kimmet family of Cochrane, Canada. Due to an unfortunate car accident and untimely passing of their daughter, Lindsay, all her medical texts were donated to HRC and now reside at the medical library in the Hubert Kairuki Memorial University, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Because Lindsay was a budding doctor and spent a memorable time working in Tanzania this was a special donation. Please click here to read Lindsay's amazing story.
Dental Supplies & Equipment
Dental supplies of all kinds including drill bits and a new hand piece were delivered to Mission Mikocheni Hospital in November, 2007, and to the Civil Hospital in NE India in October, 2008. Surgical and examination gloves
4000 surgical and examination gloves were sent to the Mission Mikocheni Hospital in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on their request in April 2007. Prior to this blood draws and other procedures, such as examinations were done without gloves. Gloves were saved for the most risky procedures and for surgery. Reading glasses 200 pair of reading and near and far vision glasses were taken to the Mission Mikocheni Hospital in June 2009. In October 2008, I carried approximately 70 near and far vision glasses to the Civil Hospital in Mizoram, India, to be distributed to those in need and unable to afford glasses. In June 2008, another shipment of glasses near and far vision glasses was sent to Tanzania. 430 pairs of reading glasses were sent to Tanzania in 2007. All glasses are distributed to people in the community who require glasses to read.or for distance vision. Water Water purification was undertaken in October/November 2007 in Tanzania and in October 2008 in NE India. Participants learned how and why it is important to have clean water and were trained in the building and maintenance of biosand water filters. As of February 2008, a clean water project is up and running at Mikocheni Primary School in Dar es Salaam. Four biosand water filters are installed. Each filter provides 60 liters of clean water a day. Together the four filters provide 240 litres of clean water for the students every day. While this is not enough for over 1000 students it is a good beginning. In October 2008, another project began at TNT Orphanage in Aizawl, Mizoram, India, where over 1000 orphans reside. As a result of the training five filters are installed and providing 300 litres of clean water daily. In the near future, we are hoping to install 2 new filters at Nira Orphanage, outside Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, to provide the orphans there with clean water. Another training in north Tanzania, close to Lake Victoria is planned for late summer 2009. After the training is complete participants will be equipped with the knowledge, and with at least two steel molds, enough to begin two small water filter production businesses. As part of the program those trained can train others to disseminate the knowledge in order to provide clean water to as many as possible. See Education below for Water Purification in schools. Education During the last trip to India in October 2008, time was spent working with the Department of Education, State of Mizoram, developing Leadership Guidelines and Discipline Guidelines which they did not have previously. They are now being employed by the system. Time was also spent with a new department set up under the Department of Education who are converting Mizo medium schools into English medium. A timeline and a limit for implementation is required as funding from the Asian Development Bank is time sensitive. In addition to this initiative they are considering adding biosand water filters to schools with access to water. Since water borne disease is a big issue this one small thing can make a big difference to students and staff health and in turn the ability to learn and teach. Medical Equipment and Supplies An application to secure between $400,000 -$500,000 worth of medical equipment and supplies is currently in progress. When accepted the shipment will go to the Civil Hospital in Aizawl, Mizoram, India. This is being done collaboratively with HealthSpan International as they have access to the non-profit providing the goods from the USA. Needles, sutures and other items were taken to the Civil Hospital in Mizoram, India, in October 2008. Adopt a Doc/Teach
If you are a medical person or trained in medical related professions and are interested in going to Tanzania for two to three weeks to work with local medical staff at Mission Mikochen Hospital and to teach in the Hubert Kairuki Medical School please contact us by clicking here. Trips occur twice yearly usually in October and April.
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