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Welcome to International Health Partners TZ and International Health Partners - US INC.

General answers to common questions are available on the FAQ page of this site.

If you are interested in volunteering at IHP-TZ in Tanzania, please fill out our Volunteer application.  It will help us match up skills, needs and availabilities.

Dear Friends of the Children of Tanzania,

We are working hard at the site of the children's hospital. First of all, we are working on putting a roof over the containers. This will protect them from rusting during the rainy season. Secondly, it provides shelter for the Maasai Guards, and a place to store valuable cement and other construction materials. The process has been interesting because we are working in a new area and with new people. We have found an excellent carpenter who will be invaluable in the building process.

This site is different from all the other sites, because it does not have electricity and water. Both the electricity and water companies are trying to convince us to install long pipes and poles. Since the government has in their plans to install electrical poles and water pipes within the next 3 years, we have decided to delay with this expensive proposition for awhile. We will use solar around the guard area, and a small pipe for water. Hopefully the Rotarians will help us with a well.

The Maasai guards have dug a hole in the ground to try and find water. The water table is quite high, and they found water 3 yards down. This water will be good for construction.

We appreciate all the support you give us, and think, with great appreciation, about you every day.

Without each of you, this whole project could not happen. Mary Ellen

Den Lofstrom writing:

IHP-TZ is transitioning into IHP-JEMA-TZ to comply with Tanzania government regulations. (IHP-US remains unchanged.)

New Articles of Incorporation and an updated constitution must be promulgated to follow the 17 page format for constitutions registered under the NGO act No. 24/2002 for the new IHP-JEMA-TZ NGO which will allow us to proceed with construction of the Children’s Hospital at Zinga and meet all of the government regulations for the new combined NGO.

The site plan previously approved by the Ministry of Health has had an orphanage of 69 beds added for infants of 0-2 years of age for those whose mothers have died in childbirth. The orphanage is designed with three wings to serve infants from 0-8 months, 9-16 months, and 17-24 months. There will be 24 beds in each wing, 3 beds in each of 8 rooms per government regulations. After the infant reaches the age of 2 years, the extended family then assumes responsibility for rearing the 2-year-old within the family environment and the family values. Having an orphanage has always been part of the master plan and this is just more detail on the project.

We solicit your help for this new children’s hospital project at Zinga and thank you for your past support of the 3 IHP-US-Tz projects. In eleven years we worked at Iambi Hospital, supported the founding of the St. John’s University School of Nursing at Dodoma, Built Nyakato Health Center at Mwanza, and now we start The Children’s Hospital at Zinga.

Blessings and thank you again,

Den Lofstrom, M.D., C.O.O., (Chief Operation Officer)IHP-JEMA-TZ

Some thoughts from Joyce in Arizona:

I have been very blessed in my 71 years here on earth. It has been a great joy although sometimes trying to be the parent of three grown children. The important thing is that they were able to thrive in this wonderful country we live in

In addition to my three grown children I have three practically grown grandchildren. Two granddaughters who have both graduated from college and are in the teaching profession and a grandson who's in his second year of college

In reminiscing over all the joys I've had watching my children and grandchildren become the people they are today, I am strongly made aware of the need to further the projects of International Health Partners.

Although we here in America rarely question whether or not our children will grow up to be adults the same is not true for the parents in Tanzania. Life is very fragile for the children of Tanzania. Our current project in Zinga is a major step toward improving that possibility for the parents in Tanzania.

Having a quality hospital facility specializing in the care of children will be a major step forward for all the people in Tanzania. It is to this end that I dedicate all of my volunteer hours. I feel blessed that Paula, my childhood friend and classmate, sought me out to be a partner in this wonderful project. I have become the link between you, the generous donors, and Paula and Denny in Tanzania.

It takes all of us doing our part and there are no small parts to reach the ultimate goal of saving children.

God bless all of you for making this a successful program.

Joyce Zemel

Selemani Shabani writing:

When I was in standard 5 of primary school, a friend of mine sprained his ankle. Being on crutches for 6 weeks made it hard for him to keep up with the other kids. But one friend stayed with him and made sure he didn't get left out. We came from different social and racial backgrounds, but that didn't matter to either of us. His friend literally let him lean on him and this friend was grateful for his kindness and strength. Also GOD tells us in ( John 15:12-15 ) Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that He lay down his life for his friends. You are my friend if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business instead, I have called you friends. For everything that I learned from my father I have made known to you. The reason for me sharing with you this story is to show you how God loved us and for that love we should love each other as brothers and sisters. Thank you very much all of you for standing with IHP since we started in Singida, Mwanza and now we are going to start building children's hospital in Zinga/Bagamoyo, we still need your help and support for having this hospital. As brothers and sisters let’s get this hospital done for the sake of the children of Tanzania, and May God bless us for everything we are doing for his people. STAY BLESSED.

Selemani Shabani

Paula writing:

Habari gani? (What’s the news?).

Snow. Lots and lots of SNOW here in Kansas City. It’s March and looks like January. I threw out some pieces of pizza (now supplemented with black oil sunflower seeds) onto the snowy patio and we’re watching the robins, junkos, wrens, and cardinals and doves fight over it. The pizza seems to be the biggest draw…

The news from Paula and Denny for March includes that Denny was down for a week-10 days with pertussis (whooping cough) but he got over it and is back to work, refining the drawings for the orphanage for babies 0-2 to be built at Zinga for babies whose mothers die in childbirth. By the way, now we know you’re supposed to get a DPT booster every 10 years, just like tetanus. Who knew?

We’ve spoken to several churches and groups and medical schools here in the Overland Park/Kansas City area about organizing and sending teams to come help build and serve at Zinga. Lots of folks want to come RIGHT NOW. Well, we’re not ready for that yet, but we want teams to start coming in 2014 for building and 2015 to do medical care. Start planning now!!

Soon Denny and I will be “on the road again” and Pr. Gunda will be with us for 2 ½ months. That will be so fun.

The Fund Raising Speaking Schedule can be found in the left hand column. Please note there are 14 open Sundays until the end of 2013. We need to fill those empty dates!

What are they doing? When will they do it? How can I help? Here’s the plan, so far….

Building priority list - optional

1 A – Outpatient Dispensary

1 B – Hostel

2 A - Birthing Center/NICU

2 B – Surgical Building

2 C – Laundry

2 D – Pediatric Ward

3 A – X-ray

3 B – Laboratory

3 C – Orphanage

4 A – Female Surgical Ward

4 B – Male Surgical Ward

5 A – Pediatric Ward

5 B – Pediatric Ward

5 C – Pediatric Ward

5 D – Security Wall

6 A – Administration Building

6 B – Maternal and Child Health Unit

6 C – Staff Housing

6 D – Maintenance Building

7 A – Emergency Trauma

7 B – Burn Unit

7 C - Mortuary

8 – Central Supply/Central Pharmacy

9 – Dental Clinic

10 – Eye Clinic

11 – Physical Therapy

12 – Staff Center/Day Care

13 – Education Center/Library

In Tanzania, each unit of the hospital is a separate building, single story, with “breathing space” in between for ventilation. Careful thought is given to wind direction and the placement of the buildings.

We have the design and cost of each building ready for your church or group or organization, or for you to come work on.

To help us “get it going!”, please send checks to:

International Health Partners, US & TZ

Joyce Zemel, Treasurer

1811 So. 39^th St. #36

Mesa, AZ   85206

Or, go to our website, www.ihptz.org and click on Just Give!

For everyone who has helped so far, we say Thank You, and God Bless you. For all who have prayed for us, told others about us, and hold the high watch for us, we say Thank You and God Bless you.

Denny and I are in good health and excited about the work. There are younger people coming up behind us to carry on. This project, to serve the children of Tanzania and their families does not depend on US, it depends on YOU.

Blessings and gratitude,

Paula and Denny, Mary Ellen, Sele, and Joyce

Please note: The attached pictures are viewable on the normal monthly update page.