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Charles Powell writing:
I had the distinct pleasure of seeing Selemani Shabani in Kansas City this week. Sele is here for a visit and for our upcoming meeting to work with, and with any luck, complete our business plan. Since Selemani is our project manager in Tanzania, his insights are essential. I am so impressed with the work our team has done thus far in planning for the new facility.
We have also gained the interest of a craniofacial surgeon who is looking for new sites in Africa to perform surgeries. He visits Tanzania regularly. Progress in Africa can be slow, but we have nearly completed the guard house on the property. It is livable at this point. Part of our upcoming meeting will be to plan to establish construction priorities and to hire workers. My hope is that we soon can add teams, first for construction, then to provide special services that are not routinely available. Outpatient services are typically the first priority, but we as a team would like to move ahead as quickly as possible to provide as many services as we can in short order. I cannot help but think we are on the threshold of new, and very exciting times! Your support is both essential and greatly appreciated in whatever form it comes, whether it be prayer, volunteering, or financial. Charles W. Powell, MD President, IHP
Paula and Denny writing:
Because we knew the Finance Committee meeting would be on Saturday with people from Ohio and Iowa attending, and then the IHP – US Board Meeting would be on Sunday, with the majority of the Board attending, we delayed the sending of this Update so you could see a photo of us.
Much progress was made. Having Sele here to answer questions and help with strategic planning made for a truly productive and efficient meeting.
To continue answering the prayers of people desperate for quality medical care, we appreciate your sending what you can to:
IHP – Duane Quanbeck, Treasurer
2420 N. 6th Ave. East
Newton, IA. 50208
Or, go to our website, www.ihptz.org and click on Donate, or call Duane at 641-831-9170.
Selemani Shabani writing:
Hi everyone!
It is time again to give you the report of what has been happening here in Zuzu, Dodoma District, Tanzania. We are so excited about it.
We have brought in three-phase electricity to the property. This enables us to run big machinery. I was so excited when they came in to connect the power.
Also, we built a guardhouse which will be able to accommodate 16 guards, the number we will eventually need for the entire campus when it is completed. We connected the guardhouse to the construction office for efficiency. Additionally, a tower for a 5,000-liter water tank has been built so the guards have water and plumbing.
Bibiana Mwaluko, Dean of Students, St. John's University, and Sele.
The people in Zuzu and the villages around it are very excited that we are building a hospital because there is a big need for medical care for them. Right now, they have a very small dispensary [local medical clinic] that is operating 8 hours per day and 6 days per week. This dispensary is not big enough to accommodate the number of people in Zuzu in the area needing care.
In addition, the city of Dodoma is the capital of Tanzania. This is the fastest growing area of population in the country. Because of this, the need for healthcare is critical.
I am writing to ask you to help to build The Zuzu Medical Center. It will bring smiles to the faces of the people of the Zuzu area and relief to overwhelmed medical services presently struggling to do what they can with very limited resources.
We have been together for so many years and we have done a lot.
Let's get together again for this Zuzu Medical Center.
I BELIEVE TOGETHER WE CAN DO IT.
WE CAN MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
WE CAN MAKE THIS DREAM COME TRUE.
GOD BLESS YOU.
Best Regards;
Selemani Shabani.
Marie Quanbeck, V.P. of IHP-US writing:
Last January, I was privileged to spend a week in Tanzania with Selemani “Sele” Shabani and his wife Maria. While there, I traveled to Dodoma with Sele and Dr. Bonaventura “Bon” Mazezele. One of the places we visited was St. John’s University of Tanzania. We toured the campus and talked with students and saw first-hand the needs of this excellent center of higher learning. The late Mary Ellen Kitundu of IHP‑US was instrumental in establishing the School of Nursing at the University back in 2007, and we have been supporting it ever since with textbooks, lab equipment, and most recently, scholarships for nursing and pharmacy students. The School of Nursing has a stellar reputation, and 3000 applicants vie for the 200 openings available each year.
When visiting with vice chancellor Yohana Msanjila, it was made very clear to me how much the School of Nursing appreciated the $10,000 scholarship fund provided by IHP‑US. In 2022, seventeen scholarships were awarded to seniors in the nursing program, selected by their professors, and IHP‑US is happy to continue this support. Our mission is to provide excellent healthcare to the people of Tanzania, and supporting the medical personnel who provide this care is one keyway of accomplishing this. A matching grant in the amount of $5000 has been established to grow the scholarship fund. Please pray for the students of St. John’s, and consider what you can contribute to support their education. Paula writing again: Because of your support, prayers have been answered. Mothers who had given up hope that their babies would survive are now blessing you for providing the care that kept their children alive and well. Blessings and gratitude, Paula and Denny
Paula Lofstrom Managing Director International Health Partners, US & Tz It is in kindness to others that we find true joy. Desmond Tutu A gift to the very poor can enrich the world. Let there be peace on Earth and let it begin with me.