Local City Council Praises Our Work In Tanzania

Below article was issued by Sengerema City Council - the local City Council our work falls under.

The original is in Swahili of course, so I have translated and provided necessary context where needed.

FINANCE COMMITTEE OF SENGEREMA PRAISES CEDAR TANZANIA FOR PROTECTING KAMANGA HEALTH CENTRE

The Finance, Administration, and Planning Committee of Sengerema District Council has commended Cedar Tanzania, an locally registered NGO, for its support in constructing a flood barrier wall to protect against Lake Victoria, and its ongoing efforts to strengthen Kamanga Health Centre.

The appreciation was expressed today, November 12, 2024, by committee members during a visit to inspect development projects implemented by Sengerema District Council from July to September 2024.

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The Chairman of Sengerema District Council, Hon. Yanga Makaga, who is also the councillor of Nyamatongo Ward, thanked the organisation for its consistent support and the construction of the barrier wall. He noted that the wall will help protect the health centre, which has been frequently affected by flooding from Lake Victoria, disrupting services and damaging staff housing.

"The construction of this wall will greatly help to protect this centre from frequent flooding caused by the lake. This is an expensive project, and without your support, the Council would not have been able to build this wall due to the high costs," said the Chairman.

Presenting the progress report on the construction of the barrier wall along the shores of Lake Victoria, the project supervisor from Cedar Tanzania, Musa Victor, stated that the project began in October 2024 and is expected to be completed in January 2025 at a cost of 266 million shillings (AUD $155,000). The project is being executed by SIMR Company from Mwanza City.

The Great Wall of.... Kamanga!

For the last three years, flooding has been a real hassle for our hospital in Tanzania, making it tough for patients to get the care they need and putting vital medical equipment at risk.

We're excited to share that we're taking action to tackle this ongoing issue and make healthcare more accessible for the community.

We're kicking off the construction of a retaining wall towards the lake, which will help protect it from future floods. This project is super important because it will not only keep the hospital safe but also help us move forward with building a new maternity ward — something that’s crucial for improving maternal healthcare in the area.

We're teaming up with local engineers and a trusted construction company to get this done using sustainable practices that respect both the environment and the local community. Together, we want to create a safe space for people to receive the care they deserve.

This project is all about hope and resilience for the community, ensuring that healthcare services keep running smoothly, no matter what Mother Nature throws at us. With financial support from Capital Drilling, we can help build a brighter future for healthcare in Tanzania.

Are you off to a great year like us?

2023 has begun and we have hit the ground running! 

First, I owe you a MASSIVE thank you!

We raised a whooping AUD $8,300 during our Christmas Campaign - well above our $5,000 goal - for our Outreach project.

This means we can buy TWO NEW MOTORBIKES as well as cover all expenses to MEDICINE AND TREATMENTS, and MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS. All of this is covered for a FULL YEAR. Thank s to you and your amazing support. 

We are beyond grateful for the generosity and trust you have shown us.

Our team has ordered the motorbikes and as soon as they arrive I will send you an update from the field. We can’t wait - and neither can the 35,000 residents of Nyamatongo.

What are we planning for 2023?

Healthcare

With our Outreach Team well supported, we are going to continue to deliver healthcare to residents who are unable to come to the health centre. Many times this is because of disabilities, or simply due to not knowing a condition should or could be treated. A lot of our work consist in sharing knowledge around prevention and treatment of injuries and diseases.

Kamanga Health Centre, our small-scale hospital, is also thriving. It is a busy place tending to more than 1,000 patients every month. Although we do not have a surgical unit only a small number of our patients (less than 3%) needs referral to the larger District Hospital. We are happy we can provide those who need it safe and stable transport in our on-site ambulance.

Ante- and postnatal care as well a safe environment to give birth is also a very important function of Kamanga Health Centre. We generally tend to 100+ pregnant women every month and deliver just short of two babies a day on average. Giving birth in Tanzania can be a deadly event and every day 30 mothers die during childbirth. In most cases, from preventable causes.

Every week we invite families to bring their babies under 5 years old to our ‘baby clinic’. Here we vaccinate children, weigh them and check their general health. We talk to families about nutrition and answer any health concerns they might have. This means we have a very high vaccination rate in our communities and generally we see about 30 children and their families every week.

We couldn’t do this work without our close relationship to the local Community Health Workers. These are locally elected health workers from each village or area and is often the first person to know if anyone in the area is in need of medical care. We provide medical training to our Community Health Workers and in turn they help spread knowledge on family planning, danger signs during pregnancy, and many other health related topics. They visit close to 250 households on a monthly basis.

Entrepreneurship

Last year, we finalised our pilot projet focusing on mushroom farming, entrepreneurship and Climate Change. Mushrooms are a great crop as it climate change resilient and you do not need to own land to be able to grow them.

Our Pilot was a great success. We learned a lot along the way and we are now ready to launch a full 12 month program after which it will be financially sustainable in itself. We are aiming to educate 200 residents every year and assist them to set up their own collaborative small-holder farms. The reason we are encouraging collaborative farms is to benefit from shared overhead costs and shared knowledge and responsibility. 

This project has so many benefits - I have listed a few of the major benefits below:

·       Increase in income for the whole household

·       Increase in income leads to better healthcare and education

·       Increase in self-esteem for women and people with disabilities

·       With self-esteem and independence comes healthier individuals and a higher uptake of birth control

·       A new and affordable nutritious crop available to the whole community

·       Mushrooms can help combat some of the nutritional deficiencies we see daily

·       More children in schools/less drop out caused by economic strain or health issues

·       Innovative low-tech and low-cost driers not needing electricity

·       Any excess production to be dried and access to international export channels

·       Project able to finance itself within 12 months

·       Excess funding and earnings to be used for scaling and other projects within our organisation

Of course, all of this is pending funding. We are actively seeking funding from all corners of the world. The full cost for a 12 month project is AUD $150,000 (approximately USD $100,000). If you want to know more about the Theory of Change, budget and project details please feel free to contact me directly by clicking the button below:

Climate Change and Green Kamanga

As everyone else, we are trying to do our part to combat climate change. In 2021 we planted 600+ trees germinated from seeds. We focused on quick growing timber and fruit trees such as mango, papaya and avocado. We continued this in 2022 and planted an additional 600 trees in Kamanga and surrounds.

But this is just the beginning. 

We are currently developing a 3-year project that will see to plant no less than 100,000 trees! Yes, you heard me right, 100,000 trees in 3 years! 

This 3-year project will build on establishing 100 community self-help groups, as well as provide education on environment and climate change through primary school clubs. Focus will also be on fuel-efficient stoves and the importance of using improved latrines and clean water. 

It is a project with BIG goals and a huge IMPACT or all our 35,000 residents. Of course this also comes with a need for funding with a budget of AUD $65,000 (~USD $45,000) per year for 3 years.

Again, if you want to know more about this project you can contact me below.

We are looking forward to share all our wins and stories with you in 2023.

Can a nurse be a volunteer?

Hello Everyone!

My name is Lucia Melloni, I’m 26 years old and I’m originally from Italy. I studied nursing in Italy and after graduation, I moved to England to work. I have been living and working in the UK for four years now.  

How long was your volunteer placement?

I worked at Kamanga health Centre for nearly 3 months. From mid-January 2020 till the end of March 2020.

What was your volunteer role at Cedar Tanzania?

I was the first volunteer nurse at Kamanga Health Centre, before me only doctors had volunteered for Cedar Tanzania. During my time at Kamanga Health Centre, I mostly worked side by side with the nurses in the health centre helping improve their everyday practice. 

Please mention a couple of highlights of some of the activities that you were involved in whilst you worked for Cedar?

For three months, I have been working with the staff at Kamanga Health Centre and everyday was a highlight in my opinion.  What I most liked though, was that everyone in Kamanga was grateful for my efforts and time spent to help improving the running of the health centre. 

What things did you find challenging either in your work or living cross culturally?

Lucia Melloni, Volunteer Nurse

Our team 2020

Baby and toddler clinic

Families waiting to get their babies seen by our nurses.

Work and living within another culture can be challenging in many ways. What I found the most challenging was the language barrier. Working in healthcare and being able to communicate with your patient is essential. Not being able to communicate properly with my patients and particularly with the little ones was very frustrating.

What things have you found enjoyable or surprising about Tanzanian culture either socially or at work?

What I like the most of Tanzanian culture is the community living. Since the very first day I was in Tanzania, I felt welcomed. Same thing at the health centre, since the very beginning I have been welcomed as part of their family. I really felt home in Tanzania. 

What would you say to anyone considering a medical volunteer post with Cedar Tanzania?

I think it is a very good experience and a good starting point if you are interested in humanitarian medicine. It is also a chance for professional and personal growth.

How did the corona virus outbreak affect your time at Kamanga Health Centre?

The corona virus outbreak did not affect me that much to be honest because I was meant to come back home anyway. Two of my flights to come back to the UK were cancelled, but I managed to come back home in the end!

Find out more about volunteering with Australia for Cedar Tanzania here

Changing Lives One Mask at the Time

With COVID-19 getting more prevalent on the African continent and therefore also in Tanzania we are in urgent need of personal protective equipment (PPE) to keep our medical staff safe at Kamanga Health Centre and to continue to provide quality care to the people of Nyamatongo Ward. Most of which have no access to running water or electricity and is experiencing severe poverty.

We do not have the ability to test for COVID-19, nor do we have ventilators, but we will treat people according to their symptoms and refer patients to larger regional hospitals if it is needed.

With the urgently needed Personal Protective Equipment we will be able to safely continue to conduct quality care and lifesaving treatments to the population of Nyamatongo Ward. We will be able to continue to provide a safe environment for women to give birth and for children under five to receive their regular check-ups and vaccinations even during the time of a pandemic.

This will minimise the risks of an uncontrollable spread of COVID-19 in Nymatongo Ward where essential measures as handwashing and social distancing isn’t feasible along with establishing new sanitising routines and an opportunity for us to inform the population about the importance and benefits of sanitation and hygiene. 

It will also assist us in further minimising risk of spreading other waterborne diseases such as diarrhoea and typhoid. With a minimised risk factor, we will experience fewer overall COVID-19 cases and fewer severe cases needing transfer to larger hospitals. Transfers in itself poses an added risk factor which is desired to avoid. Pneumonia is one of the most common diseases we see also prior to the Coronavirus pandemic.

You can see a breakdown of the needs on our appeal presented on Australian Communities Foundation website.

By Nina Hjortlund
Founding Director/CEO
Australia for Cedar Tanzania

Three Months of Caring in Numbers

In January, Kamanga Health Centre celebrated its second birthday and we are proud to say that we continue to provide quality medical service to the people of Nyamatongo Ward. To give you an idea of the scope of work of Kamanga Health Centre here are some numbers and insights:

• On average, Kamanga Health Centre sees more than 1,200 patients each month. The most common diseases are pneumonia, upper respiratory diseases, urinary tract infection and diarrhea. The majority of patients is treated in the Outpatient Department while around 200 are admitted monthly. 

• Almost every day a baby is born at Kamanga Health Centre! On top of that, between 50-100 pregnant women attend the antenatal clinic for check-ups each month. Additionally, Kamanga Health Centre offers family planning services. 

• When Kamanga Health Centre is really crowded, we know it’s vaccination day! One of the most popular services Kamanga Health Centre offers is the vaccination clinic for children. More than 200 children get vaccinated each month against tuberculosis, polio, PCV13 (pneumococcal conjugate vaccine), rotavirus, measles-rubella, and pentavalent vaccine, a combination vaccine which includes: diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), hepatitis B and Haemophilus influenzae type b

• In Q1 2020, more than 400 people made use of the free HIV testing service offered at Kamanga Health Centre. Moreover, between 200 and 250 patients per quarter come to us for regular HIV counselling and treatment. This is a vital service as it provides care to HIV-positive community members and the life-prolonging antiretroviral drugs are administered. 

• To ensure quality health care services and to promote learning on the job, medical staff who have special knowledge and skills in certain areas teach their colleagues in weekly sessions. These are some examples of the topics that have already been covered: critical First Aid care, identification of hydrocephalus in a new-born and, of course, symptoms of and protection against COVID-19.

• Since the beginning, Kamanga Health Centre works with a group of dedicated Community Health Workers who provide information and knowledge via a community outreach programme. They raise awareness about HIV/AIDS, provide information on the prevention of different diseases and regularly check-up on expecting mothers. In Q1 of 2020, almost 600 households were visited!

• We have an ongoing stream of dedicated western trained medical staff who volunteer at Kamanga Health Centre and support our local team. In Q1 2020, we had our first nurse volunteer.  

We are proud to be able to provide such extensive services to a community in which these services were non-existent a little over two years ago. With your support, we hope to be able to expand our set of services continuously which would allow to serve even more people.

If you want to know more about Kamanga Health Centre or have specific questions, please contact us here You can also find out more about our volunteer options here

By Vivian Nordquist
Director of Projects
Cedar Tanzania

Bamboo to the Rescue

It’s raining and muddy and you could almost use a canoe to get to the hospital entrance. The rainy season is seems endless this year and the lake has risen to unseen levels. We are struggling with more than just COVID-19.

As everywhere else in the world, Tanzania has enforced restrictions on social gatherings and is encouraging social distancing as well as good hand hygiene. Research is showing that most African countries are about one month behind Europe when it comes to the spread of the Coronavirus.

As we continue to provide lifesaving services to the population of Nyamatongo Ward in the North-Western Tanzania, we are faced with the urgent need to provide our staff with surgical masks and other relevant Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). 

The 30,000 people we serve have no other health facility in the area and no other place to give birth, be treated for malaria, get medicine for an infection or to take their children when sick.

Bamboo Rock Drilling came to our rescue and has ensured the purchase of 500 surgical masks and a full set of Personal Protective Equipment. This means we can continue to provide safe and secure medical services to the more than 1,200 patients we treat every month.

Bamboo Rock Drilling is one of our long-standing partners who regularly provides valuable support to Cedar Tanzania’s work.

Australia for Cedar Tanzania, Cedar Tanzania, and the people of Nyamatongo Ward are immensely grateful for the continued kindness and support provided by Bamboo Rock Drilling.

Thank you!

"Bamboo Rock Drilling Group operates throughout the African continent and is focused on empowering local stakeholders. By creating a network of locally registered businesses, engaging with key local selected partners and backed by our years of experience and wealth of knowledge in the sector, we are perfectly equipped for your every mining and exploration drilling need."

By Nina Hjortlund
Founding Director and CEO
Australia for Cedar Tanzania

HIV Awareness Campaign in Nyamatongo Ward

In Tanzania, like in most Sub-Saharan African countries, HIV/AIDS is a major public health concern. The worldwide majority of 68% of HIV-positive people live in Sub-Sahara Africa with the highest prevalence in East and Southern Africa. In Tanzania, 1.6 million people are living with the virus, whereby women are more affected than men. In order to address this severe health issue, Cedar Tanzania implements a number of projects in Nyamatongo Ward. Read more about Tackle Africa and our annual event commemorating World AIDS Day

After several community members as well as local leaders approached us to further support the education of the community around HIV/AIDS, we have developed and implemented an awareness campaign from October to December 2019. In collaboration with the Community Health Workers, our Field Officers Jacqueline and Consolatha conducted interactive community dialogues in 14 locations across the whole ward, covering all hamlets. Our aim was to demystify the virus, inform about the transmission and prevention of HIV and offer free testing on-site, provided by Dr Neema from KHC. This should contribute to the overall goal of a more informed and open society which empowers people living with HIV/AIDS.

In total, 547 community members attended the dialogues whereby 325 received Voluntary Counselling and Testing services. In order to understand the increase in knowledge after the dialogues, baseline and endline surveys were conducted.

One of the highest increases were found for the question “Can breast-feeding transmit HIV from mother to child?”. Before the dialogue only 67% of participants knew that indeed, breas-tmilk is among the fluids that transmits HIV. After the dialogue, 89% knew the correct answer. Additionally, the community learned that HIV cannot be transmitted through mosquito bites, saliva, shaking hands or kissing. Another focus of the dialogue was the prevention of transmission which can be supported by condom use and Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision. Before the dialogue, only 61% of participants knew that Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision reduces the risk of contracting HIV. After the dialogue, this number increased to 87%. Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision is offered at KHC and is proved to reduce the risk of female-to-male transmission by 60% (Source: unaids.org).

Moreover, the community was informed about the fact that, once infected with HIV, it is more likely to contract other diseases. The scores increased from 77% to 89%. The community learned that antiretroviral treatment can increase life expectancy of an HIV-positive person significantly and that the treatment is available free of charge at KHC.

All in all, the results were really encouraging as, on average, 84% correct answers were given after the dialogues. The knowledge of participants increased significantly in all areas: transmission, prevention, intimate partner relations as well as HIV-positive status. Nevertheless, we need to continue our efforts in the fight against HIV and are currently exploring additional methods to reach even more community members. If you want to support us in this endeavour Take Action

Happy 2nd Birthday!

January 18th 2018 was a very special day for Kamanga Health Centre and the whole Nyamatongo Ward. Two years ago the Regional Commissioner Mr. Mongella together with the Country Director and Founder of Cedar Tanzania, Mark O’Sullivan, stood shoulder to shoulder with Chris Eskdale, Friends of Cedar Tanzania board member, and declared Kamanga Health Centre ‘Open!’ The health centre soon after began serving the community of Nyamatongo Ward, with an approximate population of 30,000 people.

In the last two years Kamanga Health Centre has experienced many joys, such as the acquisition of the neonatal resuscitation table which was purchased with donations from Cedar Tanzania supporters, the installation of solar power panels, and the establishing of Kamanga Health Centre as a volunteer destination for European medical staff.  Paulina Urassa, the Director of Health Programmes is still at the helm, and the biggest challenge she faces is working within the line of the private-public partnership between Kamanga Health Centre and Sengerema District Council. But in spite of this challenge the figures coming from Kamanga Health Centre over the last two years are encouraging indeed. By the end of 2018, 4,607 new patients had registered at the health centre for the first time and exactly one year later in 2019, 6,546 new patients had joined the health centre. This was an increase of 142%. By the end of 2018, 201 babies were born at the health centre and by December 2019 517 babies were born resulting in an increase of 257% of births in the last two years. The top three diagnosed illnesses changed slightly from upper respiratory infections, UTIs and non severe pneumonia in 2018 to non severe pneumonia, UTIs and a surprising increase in severe cases of malaria in 2019. The reduction of governmental disinfection of high mosquito populated agricultural lands has been suspected to be the reason for such a high rise in figures of severe malaria cases in 2019. 

Cedar Tanzania is proud to say that two years on Kamanga Health Centre is still striving to bring high levels of heath care to the villages in Nyamatongo Ward.

Let the games begin!

On Saturday the 17th August 2019 Cedar Tanzania celebrated International Youth Day for the first time, in the village of Kamanga.

It took the Cedar Tanzania team a lot of time to set up the party tents, chairs and tables around the edges of the school football field. But time is relative here in Kamanga, where the event that was meant to start at 12 noon got under way closer to 2pm, with nobody even batting an eye-lid at the much later start. But the party mood was helped along with the blasting of bongo flava music from giant speakers, which would inspire a dance move or two from one of the Cedar Tanzania team members, much to the amusement of his or her neighbours.

Members of the village began to trickle in at the sound of the attractive music and the intermittent loud microphoned invitations from a SASA! community activist welcoming the youth of the village to come and celebrate their day. Children on over-sized bikes rode around the field, a few young boys began to play with a balloon that had gotten loose from a corner of one of the tents, and food vendors settled themselves on the outer circle of the field ready to sell their wares of samosas, sodas and iced lolly-pops. And in time, which as you’ll remember is very relative, there gathered a crowd, which the community activist felt sizable enough to commence the day’s planned activities.

An elderly gentleman entered the centre of the field and entertained the gathering youth with his dramatic and flamboyant dance moves, announcing that the day’s fun had indeed begun. The ever increasing crowd, which maximised at around three hundred, continued to be entertained by choreographed dance groups and by individuals having dance offs. And in the midst of the games that followed - egg and spoon races and tug of war contests -  the youth also got to hear about Cedar Tanzania’s many projects in the district. Paulina Urassa, Kamanga Health Centre manager, spoke about the different medical services on offer at the health centre and once again reassured the crowd that the health centre was not a private entity but a government run medical facility that charged local rates. Paulina also announced that the school classrooms, on the far side of the field, were opened and hosted a medical team from Kamanga Health Centre that was ready to test anyone desiring to know their HIV status. Throughout the course of the day 107 young adults were tested for HIV and all got to know their HIV status by the end of the day.

The SASA! teams were also able to facilitate discussions through displaying posters and drama performances about the link between the increase of HIV infection and violence at home and encouraged the listeners to not keep silent if they were experiencing violence but to go to the village representatives and report the incidents. The different SASA! village representatives stood up and introduced themselves. Cedar Tanzania is so proud to have introduced the SASA! initiative to the village of Kamanga, as it has now seen a slow increase of women reporting incidents of violence, breaking their silence. And now these women can begin to get the help and support that they desperately need from the village leaders and police domestic violence unit.

Other Cedar Tanzania projects were also presented like the Tackle Africa program that uses football drills to discuss issues of respect and sexual health to young people and the Nguvu ya Binti project, which teaches young women to sew reusable sanitary pads as part of them learning about entrepreneurial business management.

The first ever International Youth Day in Kamanga was indeed a success, as it managed to deliver very important information about sexual health and safety and community empowerment with fun and games to the youth of Kamanga village and the surrounding district. Cedar Tanzania is Changing Lives! 

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"It has made me a better doctor"

Dr. Vasanth Naidu from UK tells about his experiences volunteering at Kamanga Health Centre with Cedar Tanzania

Get more information about how YOU can volunteer here

ACT now and start Changing Lives.

Who cares, wins!

Katherine Anne Lee, Chris Eskdale and the rest of Swiss group visiting is being greeted by many happy villagers

It’s still dark as the on-the-ground Cedar Tanzania team picks us up from our hotel in Mwanza. It’s been a short night after flying in from Switzerland, but we have been told that it’s worth catching the first ferry from Mwanza to Kamanga. While driving through the empty streets, I try to study the area to get a first impression of where we are. Now and then we pass someone on foot or a motorbike, loaded to the brim with goods or water. Life starts early in the morning in Tanzania. Moments later, I’m whisked into the organised chaos of the port. It’s fascinating, and at the same time epic, and I cannot imagine how anything works at all here. Large buses, puffing black smoke, push their way onto the old ferry. Women with small children tied to their backs, men with ready-to-sell food supplies and we five Swissies wriggle our way through the little space left on the boat for those on foot. The sun slowly rises as the ferry manoeuvres out of the harbour. 

The Ferry transfer from Mwanza to Kamanga

A passing ferry en the route

Lake Victoria and the intake for Cedar Tanzania's water purification system

Mark O'Sullivan speaking to the Swiss visitors about current issues and future plans

We visitors from Switzerland are not alone on the ferry - the Cedar Tanzania team is with us. Together with the Cedar Tanzania team, we are the only Caucasians on the boat, and you can spot from far who has done this before. Standing there open-mouthed, clinging onto my cotton bag and camera, I’m fascinated, and at the same time worried that the ferry could sink. The chaos that could break out between the black-smoke-puffing buses is unimaginable. It truly is a different world. Feeling a little lost and overwhelmed, I find it best to stick to the group and do whatever they do.  

Vivian, Claire, Adam and Dylan from the Cedar Tanzania team are sitting on the back of Mark’s pickup. It seems like a good spot, a little higher up, with some space of my own. We sit together there in the morning and evening, peeling oranges and talking about life, how the team is experiencing Tanzania, their work and what really matters. While sticky orange juice runs down my arm, I can metaphorically see their adventure in front of me and, for a short while, be part of the journey. They are totally dedicated to their work and the journey they are on. They are full of life, and what they are doing is inspirational. I cannot help but wish that I could one day do the same. I look forward to repeating the ferry procedure with them the next day, and to hear more of their tales.  

Arriving at the Kamanga Health Centre, we are given a tour of this tranquil place. They have made a great job of building the medical centre. After passing the gates, you enter a true oasis of peace and care. In a country that is not necessarily familiar with western medicine – in many areas, they work with traditional medicine, and we have to be aware that our way of living isn’t necessarily theirs – this is definitely a good basis on which to build trust. During the tour, we do see that there is definitely more we can do. In my last story about Emanuel’s walk, I talked about Lake Victoria and how the lake’s water is poisoning its surroundings. Kamanga Health Centre is on the lake, and depends on its water. Although water-purifying systems are doing their job, more is needed, and projects to filter the water in ponds are in progress. What amazes me is that the fish of Lake Victoria are moving with the water. The natural cleaning system seems to be a good spot for the fish, and this could maybe become an attractive side-line for the centre one day. Another problem we are made aware of is power. The hospital regularly experiences power-outages. Emergency generators can fill the gap, but this solution isn’t compatible with the aims of low costs and sustainability. Ideally, the centre should be powered by solar energy. I think this is a great project idea, and I truly hope it can be started sooner rather than later.  

Dr. Sian Ashby, Medical Volunteer, shares her knowledge

Katherine Anne Lee and the other Swiss visitors

At Kamanga Health Centre, we get to know Sian and Colinda. They are very talented doctors from the UK and the Netherlands, and I don’t know what the centre would do without them. Our group is allowed to join their training session for local medical staff. I have never done anything like this before, and try my best to keep up with the medical terminology. I actually catch myself wishing I could stick around a little longer and support them in their everyday tasks. It’s really fun to learn and be part of the group. They do an amazing job with their teaching, making Cedar Tanzania’s efforts more lasting, with a sustainable outlook. Day by day, the local medical staff can take over more and more of the centre’s tasks.  

What impresses me most is how devoted and happy the Cedar Tanzania team is. It’s such a great atmosphere and they all give the impression that they have found profound happiness in what they do. I’ve heard the term “who cares, wins” in a financial business context, but I feel this is also true in the case of the Cedar Tanzania team. If you ever get the chance to visit them, I can only motivate you to do so! My big thank-you goes out to the Cedar Tanzania team. Thank you so much for having me, for showing me your world, for inspiring me. You all do a great job! My third story is about you, because you are on my mind, and you did change my view for the better.  

As much as I admire the passion, fearlessness and work of the volunteers on the ground, those back home also help immensely and show passion for good work. I can remember a speech by his holiness the Dalai Lama. He was talking about volunteering to help others. A guest told the Dalai Lama how it makes him feel bad to not be on the ground, helping those in need. He wanted to know if the Dalai Lama would suggest that he should give everything up and travel to a country in need of support. I feel this is a question that bothers many of us. The Dalai Lama reassured his guest by telling him that it would never work out if we were all to give up what we are doing and head out as volunteers. Two kinds of people are necessary in order to keep a healthy system running: those who provide the support on the ground and those who stay home and keep our world working. What is important is that we all do our best, be thoughtful and care, because, ‘who cares, wins’!

By Kathrine Anne Lee
Katherine Anne Lee is a published author with her first novel "From Dust to Dust and a Lifetime in Between"receiving public acclaim.

Update from Kamanga Health Centre

Over the last few months we’ve seen many changes and developments at Kamanga Health Centre - here are a few of the most important updates:

INCREASING PATIENT NUMBERS

There has been a significant increase in the number of patients attending Kamanga Health Centre over the past few months! In February we had a total of 932 outpatient department attendances and 107 admissions, a huge increase on the numbers from last year. The most common conditions treated at Kamanga Health Centre were pneumonia, gastroenteritis and typhoid.

A busy day at 'Baby Clinic'

A busy day at 'Baby Clinic'

The Reproductive and Child Health department has also seen an increase in patient numbers, particularly at the bustling under 5’s clinic. Here the children are weighed, vaccinated, and given essential medicines like mebedazole, which kills intestinal worms, and vitamin A to prevent eye diseases.  Whilst the mothers are waiting we provide them with education on topics such as nutrition, breastfeeding, and vaccinations.  In February alone we saw 519 children at the under 5’s clinic. It’s wonderful to see so many children receiving crucial vaccinations to keep them safe, even if they do make quite a racket!

THE NEW WARD

We realised back in November that we needed extra space to accommodate the increasing numbers of admitted patients. We only had 4 beds (2 postnatal beds and 2 medical beds) and we were often over-capacity, leading to inappropriate rooms being occupied such as the clinic rooms.  After an emergency meeting of the Cedar Tanzania team we made a plan and the maintenance team got to work on converting one of the waiting rooms into a new ward.  This provided an extra 4 beds - doubling our capacity! The imaginatively named ‘New Ward’ was finished back in January and has been more or less full ever since! (I’m trying not to imagine the chaos that will ensue if we build another ward - ‘New new ward’?!)

NEW STAFF

To cope with the increasing patient demand, we have employed 12 new volunteer staff members. They have settled into the team wonderfully and, alongside the other staff, are working hard to cope with increasing patient numbers. Since we have started admitting patients all of the staff have had to adapt to working in the inpatient setting- this has involved many new procedures and protocols which ensure patients are closely monitored and receive the necessary medication during their stay. This has required a huge amount of work over the last few months, but we have managed to create a system which is working smoothly!

Awards to outstanding staff members

Awards to outstanding staff members

ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY!

Kamanga Health Centre celebrated its 1 year anniversary on the 18th of January! To celebrate the big day, all the staff gathered for a post-work feast. Awards for the best staff of 2018 were given to Neema , our clinical officer, and Mussa, head of maintenance – both very well deserved! A fun evening was had – eating, drinking, and celebrating our achievements over the last year. Excited to see what year 2 has in store.

By Dr. Sian Ashby
Medical Volunteer
Kamanga Health Centre in Tanzania

It's finally here!

We are so excited to announce that Kamanga Health Centre has received the brand new neonatal resuscitation table that was bought by funds raised by the crowd-funding campaign of December 2018.  The arrival of this life saving equipment will mean safer and better treatment for all our new babies born at our health centre. At the moment we average a birth a day but numbers are increasing as Kamanga Health Centre gets to be known in the region as a first class heath facility for mothers to deliver their babies safely.  

Kamanga Health Centre’s staff has received training in its use and is ready to give quality care to babies born at the centre.  

The neonatal resuscitation table became a reality through Australia for Cedar Tanzania’s first crowd-funding campaign. We were amazed by the fantastic support you all showed and we were able to raise funds not only for the neonatal resuscitation table but also for two portable cots as well. The cots have been ordered and are on their way to Kamanga, Tanzania. As you can imagine, getting good quality medical equipment to Kamanga Health Centre can be difficult and can take a lot of effort and logistical planning, but we shall announce the arrival of the cots as soon as Kamanga Health Centre receives them.  

From all of us at Australia for Cedar Tanzania and from the mothers of Nyamatongo Ward we thank you for making the purchase of the neo-natal resuscitation table possible. You did it!

By Nina Hjortlund
Founding Director and CEO
Australia for Cedar Tanzania