March 2009

Dear Friends of IHP US-Tz,

 

We’ve been back at Nyakato for just over 5 weeks now and are back in the routine that somehow never becomes routine.  There is always the unexpected cropping up.  A volunteer came to us from the U.K. via New England. His specialty is hospital computer systems.  With his help we are revamping our very basic system to make it much more user friendly.  One major problem we have is the inconsistency of the TANESCO electric supply.  Until we have a reliable solar generator for electric power supply, we must be able to utilize both a manual record and business administration program and the automated computer system when available.  Roger Booth has been an invaluable resource in establishing this program.

 

In a little over one month the installation of the new Bishop of the ELVD (East of Lake Victoria Diocese) is scheduled.  There will be many dignitaries from all over Tanzania and from overseas for the event.  It is said that the Prime Minister will be attending.  The diocese has requested that IHP have the Patricia Ward complete and furnished for an open house.

 

Nothing is just routine at Nyakato.  Thank you for your support and prayers.

 

Dennis E. Lofstrom, M.D., Vice President and C.O.O., International Health Partners US & TZ

 

 

Paula writing now:

What do I know and how do I know it? I know God wants Nyakato Health Center to become a hospital to serve the 186,000 people in our catchment area. I know it because the people come to help exactly when we need them most. I know because people are sacrificing in order to send us the money we need to keep us going. I’m still learning to trust God. Trust God.

 

I truly believe everything happens for a reason, when it must. When one looks at the tragic history of Africa, the human rights abuses, the wanton killings of the past, the Big Man politics in so many countries, it’s hard to understand why God has allowed so much suffering and death. But, Africa is evolving, slowly, painfully in many ways and places, to join a more modern world.

 

But, Africa has lessons to teach us also. It teaches the lessons of family relationships and that loyalty to family that is more important than business/financial needs. This is a relationship based society rather than a results based society. It may not be the best business model, but it is definitely Family First. The family relationship is not second place to business.

 

Which is better? Hopefully the children coming up in the world today will find the compromise that is successful…a little less materialism….a bit more family time…and holding out a hand to help those in need, and an awareness that the biggest gift of all is one’s time.

 

One thing that is amazing here is the participation in government of the people. There is the thrill of being able to vote and the interest in what goes on in parliament is amazing. When Parliament is sitting the proceedings are televised and every restaurant, and waiting room of any kind that has a TV is tuned into that station and everyone pays attention to what is going on.

 

Taking the time to make the world a better place, starting with the family, the church, the schools, the neighbors, and on and on, is the best use of time. And if you are reading this you care. If you are sending support, you’re helping to change and improve lives half a world away. If you want to do more, email me at paulalofstrom@yahoo.com or paulalofstrom@gmail.com and we’ll find the way best suited to you, or just hit “reply.” I always answer my e-mails…if the power is up and the internet server is working…I’m pretty prompt. Otherwise, it may take awhile.

 

If you would like to send support, 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 hit “Just Give.”

Note from webmaster: You're already on the web site just go to the home page to find : Just Give", Thanks!

 

 

Below are the comments of some of our visitors:

 

This is Michael Goetting again.

It’s almost one month since I arrived here in Nyakato and it feels like only two weeks have passed. After the overwhelming first impressions from a totally different culture I now have the feeling that I have found some things which are really worth keeping in my spirit. The kindness and joy of the Tanzanian people, the effort of the IHPTZ-Members and the clinical staff as well as the problems and difficulties which the building of a sustainable health care in a third world country accompanies.

 

Except of my very instructive work in the clinic, it was easy to connect to the local people through joining them in football or volleyball matches or just saying some words in Kiswahili. In addition I really enjoyed the possibility of teaching at a girls school some basic medial topics as a kind of a preventive health care.

 

In conclusion I can say, that the month in Nyakato was a wonderful time for me and I am glad about the people I met and the great variety of experiences I was able to make. I am looking forward to coming back in the foreseeable future to support and watch this project growing.

 

 

Denise A. Webb, M.D.

PGY3, Mayo Family Medicine

Scottsdale, AZ writes:

 

My visit to Tanzania has been exactly what I was told it would be – an experience of a lifetime. In planning for the “best opportunity” I sought an experience in a place where I could really make a difference. Nyakato provided that opportunity. The people I have met here (staff, patients, volunteers, etc) have taught me many things about the proverbial art of medicine and what it means to be a “good physician.” They have demonstrated great patience with my attempts at Swahili and have shown a kindness that I will never forget.

 

Though my time here has been brief (one month) it has served to renew my passion for medicine and remind me one needs only to have a vision, a willing heart, dedication, and faith that God will see it through to make a difference.

 

 

 

 

 

The following is written by Roger Booth, a British volunteer now living in Massachusetts.

 

Life can send us all unexpected challenges. As a born optimist I catch myself searching for the silver lining that is supposed to accompany each cloud. Here is a brief note of how a surprising change of events for me resulted in a visit to Nyakato.

 

In February 2009 I was made redundant when my employer reduced headcount in order to maximize the company’s profitability. After working for 16 years in the same business, I decided that I wanted to take a short break from the daily commercial routine, before starting to hunt for another job. The two criteria that I selected were to find a worthwhile project where I could volunteer and to select a location that would be far removed from my comfort zone. This meant casting my net wide and seeing what could lure me away from a snowy winter at home in Massachusetts, USA.

 

It seemed to me that equatorial Africa was about as far removed from New England as I was likely to find and Tanzania was the first country that I seriously considered.  To narrow my search down from a whole country to a specific location I turned to the Internet.  I have admired the quality of information at Trip Advisor before now, so this was where I started to search for volunteering opportunities in Tanzania.  (www.tripadvisor.com and then search for: Tanzania and Forum).  Most of the posts there are from prospective travelers asking the resident experts on the board to share some of their acquired wisdom, or for people who have just completed a visit to the country to share some of their experiences.  My request was to find a worthwhile local organization that could appreciate a volunteer for a month.  I was really fortunate that Karl Gingrich knows about Danny and Paula and the great work that they are spearheading at Nyakato.  “I would suggest that you contact an American physician and his nurse wife who operate a health center in the Mwanza area.  They are trying to get a hospital built, and are working among the people there providing them with good health care, and with some orphans and widows to bring them care.  They do excellent work; and they love to have volunteers doing all sorts of things”.  (Thanks again Karl, as this wouldn’t have been possible without you).

A brief exchange of emails with Paula answered the most obvious questions –

Is there work that I could do?

Are these dates a good time to come?

Then I was ready to book a plane ticket and head out to TZ for five weeks.

 

I’ll cover the types of work that I have been performing.  People who have been to Nyakato might be able to visualize what I describe below.  Anyone who hasn’t made the trip yet might see how their fundraising efforts have been utilized here, or they might appreciate that they needn’t just be a doctor or medical student to be able to assist with the work here in Nyakato.  “There is always lots of work to be done…” as Paula pointed out.

 

The Patricia Ward (Isolation Ward) is nearing completion, so I worked with a helpful group of US students on some outstanding tasks. There is a website that describes the educational/cultural/volunteering tour that these students are conducting over three months (www.carpediemeducation.org).

 

Each of the ten rooms in the ward has a separate bathroom with wash basin.  We needed to adjust some of the metal frames around the basin and then to cut out and shape wooden countertops to surround the bathroom sinks.  Adjacent to every patient’s room is a small nursing prep room.  These rooms will enable medical personnel to prepare and store items that are being taken into, or removed out of, the patient’s room.  There will be a sink and two laundry bags and storage space.  I have been helping to make and fit the metal frames for the sink and laundry bags and to cut out wooden countertops.  Natural variations in the room sizes and the floor surface ensured that each installation required individual modifications.  Painting the frames and countertops will be one of the next tasks, as well as some plumbing work.  I am delighted that my niece will be heading out from England to join me here for a couple of weeks volunteering…and I hope that she manages to bring me those plumbing supplies to complete the Patricia Ward!

 

The next main project has been to help sort medical and building materials in the multiple containers.  There are four metal roll-on/roll-off shipping crate containers of the type that get lifted onto/off ships and large trucks.  (I expect that you have been passed on the highway by many of these 53 foot long giants).  The containers here held a variety of items including donated medical supplies. It was time to clear out the containers, move some items elsewhere for storage or use and then to repack the containers with sorted and stacked items.  The students and I became fairly proficient at moving and sorting supplies, resulting in neatly ordered groups of medical and building supplies.  The task wasn’t too difficult, but it has already made finding materials much easier.

 

I have also been involved with the computers here at Nyakato Health Clinic, having worked at healthcare software companies for many years.  The computers will benefit from some additional memory soon and there are some small changes to be made to the network cabling.  The clinic is running a software program called Afyo-Pro that is developed here in Tanzania with assistance from a group in the Netherlands (www.npktechnologies.com/moreNews.php?id=18) .  There is the potential to hook this software up with a barcode reader for easier control of medical supplies and the future development is expected to provide a level of integration with the financial package called QuickBooks (www.quickbooks.intuit.com) .  However, my discussions with the developers have focused on identifying any workarounds for the existing limitations in the software and to determine when the application might be enhanced to provide greater internal controls and usability.  I had thought that my trip to Nyakato would take me away from working with computers and software, but as I have years of experience in this topic, I have been glad to step in and be involved.

 

My feelings after my first 10 days here are that I am incredibly glad that I managed to make the trip to Nyakato.  It has been an honor to participate in the great work that others are doing here.  I will definitely be going home a changed person.  The optimist in me sees the huge challenges that need to be faced here, but I take heart in the participation by many that is forging progress and improving the lives of so many.  This is not a time or place for watching from the sidelines. As John F. Kennedy said "To those whom much is given, much is expected."

 

 

My name is Katharina Hirschmann, I am a medical student from Graz, Austria. I am 24 years old and in my 6th year of my study. I came to Tanzania because of my interest about this country, to learn about this culture, to meet different people, to work in a hospital, to practice tropical medicine. The people are so friendly and it is very interesting to work in a hospital in a foreign country. We can examine patients, learn many things about different diseases, do ultrasound, deliver babies, work in the laboratory…. It is a great experience, I am so glad that I had the chance to come to Tanzania. I will never forget this wonderful time in Africa!!!

 

 

I am Bernhard Schwaberger, medical student from Austria. When I was looking for the opportunity to work in an African hospital, I heard about the Nyakato Health Centre and IHP-TZ from other medical students, who recommended me the project as worthwhile to take part in. A few hours later I sent an email to Paula applying for a clerkship, and got a quick answer several hours later. Then I asked two friends if they want to join me travelling to Mwanza for working there, and they said ‘yes’ without hesitating for a second. So we planned our trip through the Serengeti :) to Mwanza, and three months after the first email contact we were standing in front of the Nyakato Health Center for starting our first working day. And it was a great day like all the others so far.

 

 

My name is Agnes Lackner.

It’s a great possibility for us to learn about tropical medicine and other topical diseases that are not present in Austria. We get the chance to improve our clinical skills by doing clinical examinations and ultra sound. The members of team here are really friendly and help whenever they can.

 

I am glad that I became a (small) part of the project and will support it in the future. I hope to get the possibility to come back soon as a M.D.

 

I am a medical student from Austria and currently in my last year of studies. I am in Tanzania now for 5 weeks and here in Mwanza working at the Nyakato Health Center for 3 weeks.

 

Actually, my plan was to go to Africa to work for some time after my studies, but now I had the possibility to accompany a good friend, who found out about this program. I took the chance and here I am! Now I know that this was definitely the best decision I could have made.

 

Up to now I have had an incredible time. If somebody would have told me at home that it will be like this, I would not have believed him. We saw a lot, we learned a lot and I have the feeling we also could help a lot. It is impossible to have similar experiences in our home country, starting with the ordinary normal life and customs here which are not comparable to Austria until delivering a baby in the bushes (outside of a government hospital where we were spending the day observing and helping to deliver babies).

 

All these are special experiences I want to take home and I will keep them in mind for the rest of my life. I will carry home many happy memories, like delivering healthy babies or just the smile of some children, as well as sad ones, such as when a newborn died, or we were not able to help some patients, but all of the memories seem to be quite powerful and I think some will influence certain parts of my life.

 

I am enjoying the time here a lot, also because it is so different to what I know and I hope to come back quite soon as a Doctor.

 

 

Paula writing again…

We also had a group of seven college students with the Carpe Diem program and their two leaders with us for a week. What a motivated group of students! They emptied out and re-arranged all of the contents of the containers so we have a place for everything and everything in its place. They cut and sanded the wood for around the sinks. The

y made a real difference and we are so grateful.

 

Building a laundry has now become critical as we can’t open the Patricia Ward until we can wash the sheets!!!  HELP!!!

 

Below are some pictures of volunteers plus a picture of 40 children brought in from a local orphanage for HIV testing. Thank you, God, all were negative.

 

Your help means the world to us and to those we serve. Thank you, thank you, thank you for helping all of this to happen.

 

Blessings and gratitude,

Paula and Den

 

 

Student volunteers with the Carpe Diem program 

 

 

Roger Booth playing with JJ

 

Some of the orphans brought in for HIV testing