October 2009

October Update from IHP

Habari from Nyakato,

There are no words to describe the feeling in my stomach as I watched Paula, Den drive out the gate, knowing they would not be back for over four months. How would we manage? Could we keep things here safe and sound? What had we got ourselves into?? I am happy to report the walls are all still standing. As a matter of fact there are more walls standing than when they left. The staff here take wonderful care of us. Knowing Mary Ellen is only a phone call away is so reassuring. Construction is moving ahead at a very rapid pace. Procedures that took all day a month ago are now done in less than a couple of hours. Len is so impressed with the construction crew. They are so willing to learn. They have all mastered their jobs and take such pride in producing quality work so quickly. Half of the crew are female, if any of you could see them mix concrete by hand, you would never complain about working hard again....... THEY WORK HARD!! They had not realized the building they are working on is a birthing center. Their smiles were huge when Mary Ellen told them. Of course, there is a drawback – there always is. The faster the construction the faster we use up the funds in the building account. The challenge now is getting all of the electrical and plumbing supplies. Donations desperately needed. Any and all help will certainly be greatly appreciated. Paula emailed to tell us about walking in the snow...... I am happy to report it a lovely +80 degrees every day here – no sign of snow!! Blessings to you all from IHPTZ.

Gloria Duda

Birthing Center construction update Sept 15 – Oct. 15th by Len Duda

Sept. 15th we had walls all studs and wire mesh. Now all of the exterior walls are browned (have two coats) and will get the final decorative finish coat after the curing time. The expansion joints have all been cut. The fascias and soffits are half done. The windows have all been plumbed and the ones that are missing are framed and ready for glass. Interior walls are half browned and the electrical conduit is in ¾ of the buildings.

Joyce Zemel, Treasurer, with a different point of view………

Hello to all of you caring people from IHP’s treasurer. I am going to step out of my “treasurer” shoes for a moment and ask for a different form of support other than hard earned cash. IHP would like to solicit another asset of yours, your ideas, your expertise and your networking abilities. We are reaching out to all of you to put on your thinking caps to develop more ways and means to help bring more goods and services to those in need in Tanzania. Who do you know, what goods and or services do you have access to or knowledge of? What great idea do you have that can further the aid IHP provides in Tanzania.

Please let Paula know directly ANY ideas you have that could further our efforts.

From Mary Ellen Kitundu, President, IHP US & Tz

How exciting it is to arrive at Nyakato every couple of weeks and see the progress on the birthing center. From airy steel mesh and wood walls, the concrete transforms it in to solid rooms: birthing rooms, surgery and complex delivery room, and last of all, but not least, the area of the premature nursery. Now one can see into that room through the nursery windows from the waiting room and can imagine how it will look very soon. Charles Powell is designing the premature nursery and looking for isolettes. This will be a life saver for the many premature babies born in this area. People walk into the building and are truly impressed. Len Duda has organized his work crew, and they are working twice as fast as in the beginning. And here is the unique slant to the work crew: half of them are women. They were delighted to finally understand what they are building. Truly this project will help Tanzania reach the Millennium Goal of decreasing maternal and infant mortality. Many thanks to all of you so involved in this part of the project.

Hello from………Brainerd, MN.

Denny and I are here to meet our new grandson, 9 lbs. 5 oz., and see his two older brothers, ages 2 and 4. Yes, we do have a life other than Nyakato. We are going to present at Den’s son church tomorrow, though. We’re hoping to see them in Tanzania, too.

When we come to the U.S. it’s always a wrench to leave Nyakato. However, this year it was much less stressful knowing Len and Gloria would be filling our shoes. They’re doing such a good job. What a relief for us.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for the wonderful donations that came in this past month, and especially thanks to each of you for the vehicle repair money. You covered it ALL. Magola will be so relieved that he and Sele won’t be driving unsafe vehicles.

We’ve got a crowded speaking schedule, but there are still some open dates, namely Dec. 13th but we may have a tentative invitation from Chicago. But, it’s still officially an open Sunday.

We had our International Health Partners, U.S. Board meeting in Newton on Saturday. We added Drs. Lou and Cosette Scallon to our board and at their request moved John and Cathy Nosek to our new Advisory Committee. This is a group of people interested in helping IHP but don’t want the responsibility of attending the board meetings and having a policy vote. However, we look for ideas, suggestions, and volunteering from these folks. If YOU would like to join the Advisory Committee, please let us know. The “meetings” will probably be mostly by e-mail and/or Skype. IHP is growing. IHP is reaching more people and doing more things. IHP is in need of a lot of help, ideas, and energy.

Our focus while in the U.S. is to raise the money to build an MCH and an MHC. That’s a Maternal and Child Health Center where we can do pre-natal exams, family planning, and well-baby checks as well as education for mothers and mothers-to-be and a Maternity Home Complex (MHC).

One woman dies every hour in Tanzania from the complications of pregnancy. That’s 130,000 women a year. One of the reasons for this high maternal death rate is that women can’t get to the hospital in time. The other focus of our fund raising is to build a facility, a home, for at-risk pregnant women who can come in a week or 10 days before their expected delivery date and be right on the campus when they go into labor so we can admit them directly into the birthing center and be there for them if there’s an emergency, a Maternal Home Complex. YOU can help.

This facility will also house our nursing students when they come to Nyakato for a practical rotation in their nursing education. YOU can help.

In addition, these rooms (besides the ones set aside for the at-risk mothers-to-be) will be there for our visiting teams and volunteers that come to help build Nyakato Health Center into the hospital it needs to become. YOU can help.

One hundred forty (140) babies die every day in Tanzania. We want to provide a safe place for babies to be born. YOU can help.

Each of these two facilities will cost about $45.00 per square foot to build. Will you help?

We leave Brainerd on Saturday, Oct. 24th to go to the Methodist church in Belle Plaine, Iowa.

Oct. 26, 27, 28th we’ll be in Rochester, MN at Mayo Clinic Family Practice Reviews.

Oct. 29th and 30th, Gunderson Lutheran Medical Center, LaCrosse, WI.

Nov. 1st, Peoria, IL

Nov. 3rd, Pedukah, KY

Nov. 4th, Bowling Green, KY

Nov. 5th White House, TN

Nov. 6th, Franklin, KY then Nashville, TN

Nov. 8th Chattanooga, TN

Nov. 10th Trinity Baptist Church, Seneca, SC

Nov. 11th, Univ. of North Carolina Medical School at Chapel Hill, N.C.

Nov. 12th Burnsville, NC

Nov. 15th, St. Paul’s Lutheran, Church, Niceville, KY

Nov. 17th, Indian Road Presbyterian Church, Ft. Pierce, FL

Nov. 18th, Jensen Beach, FL

Nov. 22nd, Peachtree Road Lutheran Church, Atlanta, GA

Nov. 26th, Thanksgiving, Dallas, TX

Nov. 29th, Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church, San Antonio, TX

Dec. 6th, Peace Lutheran Church, Rockdale, TX

Dec. 13th, Zion Lutheran Church, Matteson, IL

Dec. 20th, Atonement Lutheran and then One Community Spiritual Center

Christmas in Kansas City.

From there on our schedule will depend on what’s done for Den’s back at Mayo.

So, though November is pretty full, December is mostly open. We know that’s getting ready for Christmas time, but nevertheless, if someone has an idea for our speaking somewhere, we’re open. We know that God puts the people in front of us who are ready to hear. We never consider a group too small or too large. We just trust God and do what comes up.

What about you? Do you trust God? Sometimes it’s hard if someone you love is really sick, or has passed away. Sometimes there are tests of faith. It’s just a fact. It’s also true that God is hurt, the wondering “why”…. God is always there and love is always the answer.

If you’d like to help this work go forward, please go to our website, www.ihptz.org and look through it, and if you want to donate, just push “Just Give.” Or, please send checks to:

International Health Partners, US & TZ

Joyce Zemel, Treasurer

1811 So. 39^th St. #36

Mesa, AZ 85206

Blessings and gratitude,

Paula and Denny

Now for some pictures:

Bogumil Birthing Center