Ilula-Friends-2020

Not everyone made this group photo. Sorry! As you likely know, there is C-19 in Tanzania and most Americans have returned home. An exception is April Trout, the Bega Kwa Bega long-term volunteer in Iringa. Her term is up in August and she has ties to southern Tanzania so she elected to stay. Here is an article of some interest perhaps: https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/africasource/tanzanias-mild-response-to-covid-19-and-its-implications-for-the-2020-elections/ . If you have been to TZ, you will recognize all the issues raised in the article. I have been trying to think through some of the issues for TZ. I do not claim any inside knowledge, just some concerns below and in no particular order: ·         Age distribution. You know that 50% of Tanzanians are under age 5 and 75% are under age 25. There will still be deaths in this group of course, but their age-related risk population is small compared to ours. ·    ...

16,948 miles, 25 days, Minneapolis, Amsterdam, Dar es Salaam, Ilula, Iringa, Tungamalenga, Ruaha, kipaduka and many stops along the way with countless hours spent in a coaster bus that had far exceeded its nine lives, yet miraculously navigated deep ruts, washed out roads and overflowing bridges. The license plate, DNA, was aptly named and perfectly descriptive. Regardless of our geography and resources we are the same in our humanness, including joy and pain, heartbreak and hope and the desire to care for family and friends. I’m grateful to Shoulder to Shoulder and the generous and kind staff at Ilula Lutheran hospital for sharing their time and knowledge, always with a welcoming smile “Karibu.”  

I have come around to a clearer understanding of why we should consider alternatives to the X-ray package.   Splitting the PACS system off to do later makes sense to me if it is doable and brings the price of the X-ray machine proper to within our grasp. Kikoti and Chota are driving to Mbeya tomorrow to see two installations and get a first-hand take on Dominic’s company support. I asked if this could be via email, however, Benjamin did not think so, being too easy to disregard an email. Questions of course include what it would take to switch horses in this stream and how far back this would set us by getting more bids, site visits and other social as well as financial investments. I assume the new visits after those a year ago will satisfy the recurrent need for more information, hence, what would it take to spoil the deal now? The prices will doubtless trend upward regardless with more time spent. We will need to know from Valdi the conseque...

This afternoon in the pouring rain, we brought the kits to the second-floor classroom in the nursing school. Last week we had done training for the nursing students and clinical officer students. That is, Monica, Mary and Tuli had done the training. There were 39 students that attended the training and they all wanted kits. Another six missed the training the first time around so they were not eligible for the kits. We have left six kits so they may have them after a training.   Interestingly, these young women, all who have finished Form 4 in school, like tenth grade at home, are nearly full grown. We still have 15 kits left after the 45 at the nursing school and we used up all the 12s, 14s and women’s sizes. I am going to underwrite replacing the pants that are too small for the students, a small contribution. We will start a DfG account here in Iringa with BKB or with Shoulder to Shoulder if possible, then we will have a place to send funds. Today I met wit...

Meeting with USAID Deputies Jennifer and Ananatha; hotel mascot; Amsterdam airport agility

Lab orientation, hike, church and travel companions

Grateful girls (could not get out of drainage ditch w/o a little help); Days for Girls - Men Who Know review with DIRA (Iringa Lutheran Diocese Office) leadership: General Secretary Chavalla and team (excellent program and truly embraced by male leadership - ready to address cultural challenges); The Ilula 2020 Gang; departing yogis.

Iringa: Catherine and Jacqueline display some of the wares made by remarkable women who have been given special training to make top quality weavings - and amazing stories along with them. Pastor Gary, wife Carol and Ellen enjoy a few more minutes of friendship before departing Iringa.

I arrived back in Ilula Monday morning. It is great to arrive back in Ilula after a long series of flights, including a 5 hour delay for our first flight which resulted in missed connections and rebooked flights.  But in the end it all worked out.   Our group is a mixture of very experienced volunteers at Ilula, some who are here for the first time, and everything in between.  This is personally my ninth time coming on the trip.  Many thanks to Randy, Gary, and Ken for all their work and commitment making this amazing even happen every year. It is also great to see so many of the staff here who we have come to know and respect over the years including Dr Saga, Dr Sovelo, Dr Benjamin, Tuli, Anna our cook, Frank, and Mr Kikote the hospital administrator, and many others.  We have also made some new friends this year including our wonderful new cook, Immanuel, and social worker, Happy.  They do amazing work with ext...

January 22, 2020 Habari za Asuburi, We woke up to a severe thunderstorm and pouring rain as we did the day before.  The weather can be cool, hot and humid, stormy, rainbows and sunshine all in one day.  No matter what the weather, it was another wonderful day working with the students and medical staff here.  Today Patrick, Marissa, Jill and I met with Happy Maya, the Ilula social worker highlighted in a prior blog.  We had the opportunity to do home visits in Kipaduka village about 30 minutes drive from Ilula.  Kipaduka is spread out, a beautiful farming town and has a population of about 1,700.  Our loaded  four wheel vehicle made its way along a red dirt and very wet bumpy road.  Frist stop in the village was at the pastors house where we were invited in and offered refreshments.  We were asked to sign a guest book, which apparently is a custom whenever visitors come to a village.  We then walked...

23 January I awoke this morning, listening to our rooster crow, and the rain.  Reflecting on the ironies and contrasts that are Africa and Ilula, and what is an undercurrent in discussions. The incredible lushess of this area in the rainy season...green, fragrant, very! damp that will become so very dry, brown and dusty in the dry season in the dry season... The frustration and reality of poverty, limited resources, preventable death, limited/halted education for a people that do and accomplish much and continue to, with broad smiles, palpable joy and gentle,welcoming manner. Passing the farmer carrying a hoe to the field or "encouraging " his cow to pull the single blade plow through the red clay with serious purpose as the crops must sustain them, while smiling with an hakuna matata outlook. So, it has rained and rained...hard at least once a day all.week, last nite at least 3 times.  Usually short, fierce bursts with thunder, lightning, then drizzle, bu...