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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 .  I will help us match up skills, needs and availabilities.

 

Dear friends and supporters of IHP,

 

Den Lofstrom writing:

This past month has been dedicated essentially to two construction projects, the laundry and what our construction workers are calling the “Sele” house, because Sele designed it and has been supervising its construction. This house will be a hospital staff physician’s home eventually. It is an established tradition in Tanzania that the housing be provided for the hospital professional staff. There is seldom adequate rental housing available as is the situation in Nyakato. The “Sele” house is about 15 min. walking distance from the hospital and we hope to attract an M.D. or A.M.O. (Assistant Medical Officer) surgeon that will be a full-time staff physician and can do C-sections.

 

When the “Sele” house is completed, we will convert the double-round house into a 16 student dormitory, 8 male medical students at one end, 8 female medical students at the other end with a lounge, kitchen and dining area between.

 

The medical program and the construction programs are moving forward concomitantly thanks to your continuing support. Thank you.

 

The patient load at the clinic continues to increase. Dr. Frank, the Diocese Medical Director, is a urologist surgeon and is now performing his busy surgical practice at the Nyakato Health Center. His operating theatre has been set up in the birthing center and post-operative care is provided in the Patricia Ward by Dr. Frank’s staff as well as clinic nursing staff. Because of this we have had a number of V.I.P. patients, which has enhanced the reputation of Nyakato Health Center. Our medical students have also been enthusiastic about being able to observe and assist with these surgical procedures.

 

Thanks again for all your help.

 

Den Lofstrom, M.D., Vice President, Chief Operations Officer, IHP, US & Tz

 

Andrew Want writing:

My name is Andrew Want. I am a final year medical student from England and I have been staying at the clinic for 4 weeks now. I had never been to Tanzania before and wanted to see this part of the world and see how practicing medicine differed from my experiences at home. I therefore chose to spend part of my medical elective at the Nyakato Health Center.

 

My time here has been extremely enjoyable. The clinic is currently small but there is plenty for us to do. The doctors and other staff here have all been extremely welcoming, and the chance to improve my basic medical skills and learn from everyone here has been invaluable. During my stay I have learned a lot about the common conditions such as Malaria and Typhoid. I knew before I came that these conditions were very prevalent in this part of the world but I had no idea just how many patients I would see. I have also seen conditions that have progressed far beyond the stages that would be seen in England. This is often due to the simple fact that accessing good healthcare can be very difficult here.

 

The clinic is well run, the students are given plenty of opportunity to get involved though still well supported, and the accommodation has been excellent. I have seen the plans for the future and I now have some appreciation of what a difference this hospital could make and how badly it is needed. I wish everyone involved with the plans all the best for the future and hope that they are realized soon. I would highly recommend Nyakato Health Center to any other medical students

 

Selena writing:

My name is Selena and I am a final year medical student from London. I am just reaching the end of what has been a fantastic month at Nyakato Health Centre. It has been great to have the opportunity to work with Paula, Denny and the clinic staff and to learn more about tropical medicine and infectious diseases such as malaria and typhoid. I have had numerous opportunities to improve my clinical skills, but perhaps more importantly I have gained an insight into the challenges involved in providing healthcare in a deprived country with few resources. Despite these challenges, I have been amazed by the high standard of care that the clinic staff are able to offer to the people of Mwanza. The clinic really is a gem, and I hope that they are successful in expanding so that one day the people of Mwanza can have access to the healthcare that they really need. Aside from the medicine, it has been a brilliant month. I have felt so welcome here, and I can’t wait to come back in a few years when I qualify as a doctor so I can help in the clinic and continue to learn more from the doctors here.

 

Catherine King writing:

My name is Catherine King and I am about to return to the UK as a final year medical student. A rather daunting prospect to say the least. I write this with only a couple of days left at Nyakato, and find it very difficult to pinpoint the most memorable parts of my trip, as so far every part of the trip has been fantastic. The clinic is superbly run, and I am hugely in awe of the enthusiasm and dedication that Paula and Denny put into their work every day. Their continuous drive to build what will be a truly unique hospital within Mwanza has driven my own medical career down a route which I would otherwise never have thought of. I plan to return to Tanzania to Nyakato as soon as I possibly can, with a long term plan to become very involved in the hospital hopefully in the not too distant future. If they will have me!

 

The medicine that I have learnt has been very unique with a variety of tropical diseases as well as chronic diseases. I also had the opportunity to assist in some urological operations. Working in environments and using techniques extremely foreign to oneself is a daunting prospect especially in the surgical field, but with the support of the excellent doctors It has been an experience which I will not be forgetting in a hurry!

 

I am already putting some pennies aside for my next trip out here to see Paula and Denny and their gem of a project.

 

Eivind Soeby writing:

My name is Eivind Soeby. I am a 4th year medical student from Norway. I came to Tanzania in hope to get some new medical knowledge and experience I wouldn’t get back home in Norway, and which could be meaningful for me later in my study and life. I didn’t exactly know what to expect before I came, but as soon as I stepped in the door I realized how great this project really is, after a quick orientation around the compound with Paula and Denny. It has not yet become a hospital, but the plan is to be one as soon as the all the funding is in place. Today it is a health center consisting of: a clinic, lab, dental office and a surgical ward. A lot of other wards are on their way which will make up this to a unique hospital in Mwanza. So far I have stayed here almost 3 weeks, and have one more left. Until now we been about 10-15 medical students from all over the world, who have rotated around, all from assisting in surgeries, drawing blood at the lab, doing tooth extractions, general patient history taking and physical examination at the clinic. We have also had the opportunity to visit some local orphanages, and the bigger hospitals to see conceptions etc. I think the program is very well suited for students, and I would highly recommend it to other medical students who want to go abroad for some clinical experience out of the ordinary! I hope I have the chance to come back another time, and contribute in making this to one of the best hospitals in Tanzania!

 

Douglin Schmidt writing:

My name is Douglin Schmidt. I got to know Paula in the late 1980s during our coinciding time at Unity Church in Overland Park, Kansas. She and my mother are special friends and I have kept in contact with Paula for many years now, as I’ve watched Nyakato Health Center grow from a distance. During their New York City stop last winter, Paula and Denny encouraged me to come visit the clinic and see first-hand what I’d read and heard so many good things about. In April of this year, I booked the flight and excitedly emailed Paula that I would be out to Africa in August to help out wherever and however I could.

 

My two week stay here at Nyakato has been a time of enlightenment. I have found the people of Tanzania to be very friendly and charming. The city of Mwanza thrives but is still developing. It’s not easy out here, folks! For example, electricity comes and goes but everyone’s attitude stays positive for all of the work at hand. My work has been to help Paula put out the breakfast in the mornings for the med students and to help the construction crew plaster and paint the interior of the laundry building (between trips to town!) I have gotten the first-hand glimpse of the wonderful people Paula and Denny have amassed to provide important healthcare to the people of Mwanza, Tanzania and Africa! Nzuri sana!!!

 

Laura writing:

Hello! My name is Laura and I am a medical student from Austria. Since my first weeks of studying Medicine I knew that I wanted to go to Africa and support the people there. So, at the time I felt ready to start this adventure I was looking for an organization and found IHP.

 

I have been staying here for 3 weeks now and I can tell you that every day was different than expected. The people here are very nice and the doctors are trying to teach me as much as possible. Life here is totally different to Europe. People have to get along with so little and somehow still manage to live their lives. They are so thankful for any help they get. However, it is very difficult to plan ahead here in Tanzania: will there be electricity tomorrow, will we have running water or do I need to go somewhere else to have a shower. This really thought me, what is important in life and I learned to live with very little myself. In the end it is all about the people you care about and that you have the few things to live a good life. This is what many Tanzanians are not able to do. Therefore in my opinion it is very important to continue the good work here, so that maybe one day they have a good healthcare for everybody.

 

I am leaving Mwanza in one week, but I hope I will come back some day and will not recognize it at all because it is so much better than it is now. There is still so much to do, but Paula and Danny are on a good way to make a difference.

 

Christine writing:

Hodi! My name is Christine and I am a 5th year medical student from Austria. I have never been to Tanzania before, but I stayed in Kenia some years ago. At that time I lost my heart to Africa! I always planned to come back to this beautiful continent. My medical studies gave me the chance to combine travelling and helping other people.

 

I came to Mwanza together with my friend Laura. Now we have been here for 3 weeks and we have still one week left. Time flies because the work in the clinic makes a lot of fun. Dr. Bon and Dr. Msengi are really good people. The clinical pictures we see here differ a lot from those in Europe. So we learn very much!

 

The hospital is still under construction but you can imagine that it will be great. Paula and Danny put their hearts and patience in this project and I hope they can continue for many years!

 

John Are Broenstad writing:

My name is John Are Broenstad. I’m a 4th. year medical student from Norway who along with my friend decided that this summer should be different than all the previously ones. We did early decide that we wanted to go abroad this summer and sent e-mail requests all over the world to clinics/hospitals we found interesting. Luckily, in some way we were redirected to Paula and from there everything went quick. We didn’t really know what we should expect, but after landing in Mwanza we immediately felt welcome and after an introduction meet with Paula and Danny, all our second thoughts were blown away. I have seldom experienced people being that open-minded or friendly towards foreigners. It’s not only here, it’s the whole country. After working at the clinic for almost three weeks now, I must say that not only is the job being done here extremely valuable for all the patients coming in, but it’s also a place where people are brought together no matter what social or economic background. There is a lot to learn from this and I wouldn’t have traded these weeks experience with anything. For sure, this summer has been different, in a very good way. I’m already looking forward to the next time I’ll come back.

 

Barbara Skarbal writing:

My name is Barbara Skarbal and I am a nearly graduated medical student of the Medical University of Vienna, Austria. It is my second time here at Nyakato Health Centre. As you can guess I enjoyed my first stay a lot. I returned to meet all the friendly people again I got to know last year. As well I wanted to know what has changed during the last year and what is going now. The dental unit for example is new and Dr. Bon became one out of five doctors in Mwanza doing dental fillings. It is also my first time to see the Patrician ward open. Moreover I wanted to see once more tropical diseases and I wanted to experience again how to work under more demanding conditions. The staff of the clinic is doing really good work but diagnostic tools are few. I am very curious how the clinic will develop over the next years. I hope for Dennis and Paula who dedicated their lives to this project as well as for the people needing the help of this clinic so much that there will be enough donations to turn it into a hospital. For me, it was a worthwhile experience again, surely influencing my further life. I keep them all in my heart and probably I will see and work with them again one day.

 

Max writing:

My name is Max and I am a medical student of the Medical University of Vienna. I am going to graduate in human medicine this autumn. I decided to come here not only because tropical medicine is neglected badly at my home university but also because a fellow student who was here last year told me about this amazing project. I am now here for three weeks only having one week left. Although I knew a lot about the workday life before, it’s a completely new experience. Even though all of us here are not yet MD’s we are taken seriously. Decisions like what kind of treatment a patient should receive are made together with the doctors. I have never experienced such a constructive and open-hearted work climate between the clinic staff and medical students before. I have learned a lot about tropical illnesses like malaria and typhus. To see illnesses at a stage we would never see in developed countries is interesting and shocking at the same time. For this reason I can highly recommend to every medical student to come here and experience the cordiality of Tanzanian’s people.

 

Chris Bassett writing:

Dear all, my name is Chris Bassett and this will be the second time I have had a chance to write about my time in Tanzania. I am a 5th year medical student from the UK and I have been having a wonderful time in Tanzania. Having visited several of the local hospitals and seen their associated problems and weaknesses, I can’t emphasize enough how encouraging it is to see such a high level of healthcare being delivered due to the hard work and perseverance of Paula and Denny. The whole experience has completely shaken me (in a good way) and has me reconsidering where I would like to take my medical career. I won’t say I have a heart for Africa (only because everyone else has probably beaten me to saying it) but I don’t think I have ever been made to feel so at home in any other country. Daily, I find myself wondering how much I would like to come back later and work at the future hospital which seems to be growing around me a little every day. So if you are curious please come out to Tanzania and see what all the fuss is about and while you are here, I hope you learn as much as I am learning about an incredible project in an incredible culture.

 

Paula writing:

As you can see from the above, we’ve had a lot of students and guests and it’s been busy and good for them, for us, and for the people we serve. This is because YOU give and because YOU support our work. Thanks to some very generous donors, we’re able to carry on, at least until we get to the U.S. Speaking of which – here is the schedule, so far:

 

 

Sept., 2011

Sept. 25, leave Mwanza

Sept. 28th leave Arusha to fly to Kansas City

Sept. 29th, land in Kansas City

Oct. 2011

Oct. 1st, Golf outing for Atonement Lutheran to help finance their mission trip out here to finish the eye center.

Oct. 4th and 5th, Nobel Conference, St. Peter, MN, “The Brain.”

Oct. 6th, visit Sam and June Lofstrom in Grand Rapids, MN

Oct. 9th, Sunday, Lord of Life Lutheran, Brainerd, MN

Oct. 12th, Grace Lutheran, Fargo, ND., Potluck, 6:00 P.M.

Oct. 16th, First Presbyterian, Foley, MN

Oct. 19th Wayzata Rotary Club, outside Minneapolis, MN, Noon

Oct. 20th, University of Iowa Medical School, Iowa City, Iowa, 12:30 P.M.

Oct. 22nd, - IHP-US Board Meeting, Newton, Iowa

Oct. 23rd, First Lutheran, Newton, Iowa then take Sele to LaCrosse, WI to spend the week at Gunderson Lutheran learning building techniques and equipment repair

Oct. 24th, Family Practice Reviews, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN

Oct. 28th, 29th, A Taste of Tropical Medicine, Mayo, Rochester, MN

Oct. 30th, Sunday, Central Lutheran, Winona, Minnesota

 

November, 2011

Nov. 5th, Women’s event, St. John’s Lutheran, Ft. Wayne, IN

Nov. 6th, St. John’s Lutheran, Ft. Wayne, IN

Nov. 8th, Case Western Reserve, medical school presentation, Cleveland, OH

Nov. 13th, Sunday morning, Unitarian Universalist Church, Utica, NY

Nov. 13th, Sunday evening, Hamilton College, Utica, NY

Nov. 14th, Utica College, Utica, NY

Nov. 15th, 12:15 P.M., Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees, Utica, NY

Nov. 20th St. Paul Lutheran Church, Annapolis, MD

Nov. 24th, Thanksgiving, with family in D.C.

Nov. 26th, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Falls Church, VA

 

December, 2011

Dec. 4th – Lutheran Church, Jackson Center, OH

Dec. 8th, 12:00 Noon, Rotary club in White House, TN

Dec. 11th, Sunday, Clarksville, TN

Dec. 18th, Atonement Lutheran, Overland Park, KS

Dec. 25th, Christmas Sunday, with family in Kansas City

Dec. 28th, Sele leaves to return to Tanzania, Denny and Paula will start the drive west, perhaps to Denver, CO.

 

January, 2012

January 1st, Sunday, Salt Lake City, no commitment yet, just being there with Bogumils who have been so important to building the Bogumil Birthing Center.

January 15th, Sunday, Unity church in Seattle, WA

Jan. 22, Unity Church, Maui, Hawaii

Jan. 29, Holy Shepherd Lutheran, Orinda, CA

 

The only open Sundays at this point are Nov. 27th, when we will be in the D.C. area, and January 8th when we’ll be on the west coast. We are OPEN to invitations for those Sundays! We are also OPEN to mid-week presentations if they fit into the areas where we’ll be driving through. We’re willing to zig-zag the route to week-day venues. We try to be economical gas-wise, but distance-wise Den and I are TROOPERS. WE get behind the wheel and GO. We never speed, we just keep plugging until we get to where we’re going. We appreciate any and all efforts to tell the story of IHP and the hospital being built with love and faith at Nyakato.

 

Please look for our Facebook page,  http://www.facebook.com/ihptz. I try to add it it, or Katie Diiro does it for us. Sometimes our internet connection is just too slow. I’ll try to get better at it so I can send pictures.

 

Selemani Shabani, Project Manager for IHP writing:

Hello everyone, this is Sele talking to you,

First of all I would like to THANK all of you for all of your help you are giving to IHP,THANK YOU VERY MUCH. For your help we managed to finish the laundry building. We are still painting the laundry and it will be done next week. The laundry now has got power and water except we don’t have the equipment for it. We were also working at Sele’s house at the same time, the roof is done, all the walls are smoothed. Next week we are going to start working on the floor.

 

For the next week we are going to start digging the new cistern which we will be collecting all the water from the wells that were dug earlier this year. This will be hard work and it will cost a lot of money and it will take time too.

 

I am leaving with Danny and Paula to the US on September 28th this year, and I will have the opportunity to receive orientation on how to repair and maintain the x-ray machine and the generator which we are receiving from Fort Wayne, Indiana, and I will have to visit different hospitals in the U.S. This will help me to have the picture in my mind how the US hospitals are built; then when I come back I can build Nyakato hospital at least to the level of those hospitals I am going to visit.

 

Once again THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALL OF YOUR HELP.

 

Paula writing again:

When you’ve made your choices, and life is “on course” you do what comes up, knowing God is in charge, God has given you life, God has giving you talents and gifts that the world needs NOW.

 

Den and Mary Ellen and I accepted the challenge God gave us. Then, God gave us you to help. Each and every one of you has helped in some way, whether you know it or not. Your gifts, your prayers, your telling others about the miracle you’re helping to create here at Nyakato, count. They help make a real difference in the lives of the people we serve here in Tanzania. Thank you. And thank you, God.

 

To continue the building of Nyakato Hospital, please send gifts as you can 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!

 

Blessings and gratitude,

Paula, Den, and Mary Ellen

 

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