My baby and I would have died....

… had the health centre not been there.

That is what Mama Karen stated on this video. She is speaking the reality of many other mothers in rural Tanzania.

In rural Tanzania, childbirth can be a perilous journey. With limited access to healthcare, many mothers give birth unassisted, facing immense risks for themselves and their newborns. But did you know that a lack of skilled assistance during labour can lead to life-altering consequences such as cerebral palsy, untreated epilepsy, or even maternal death?

Cerebral palsy is a group of disorders affecting movement, muscle tone, and posture. It often occurs when a baby experiences a lack of oxygen during childbirth. This condition can lead to lifelong physical and developmental challenges, affecting not just the child but also their family. Similarly, epilepsy—a condition causing recurrent seizures—is another common outcome of unassisted births and frequently goes untreated in rural areas, leaving children vulnerable to stigma and further health complications.

For mothers, the stakes are equally high. Unassisted births often result in severe complications, including haemorrhage and infections, which tragically claim many lives. Yet, these outcomes are preventable.

Having skilled birth attendants is vital, but access to healthcare facilities can be nearly impossible for those living in remote areas. This is where a 4WD ambulance can be a literal lifesaver. Equipped to navigate rugged terrain, an ambulance ensures that women in labour can reach health centres quickly and safely, even from the most isolated villages.

By providing timely transport, a 4WD ambulance not only reduces the risk of complications for mothers but also prevents life-altering conditions for babies. This simple yet transformative resource could mean the difference between life and death for thousands of families.

At Australia for Cedar Tanzania, we’re committed to making safer births a reality. Your support enables us to equip health centres, train midwives, and provide resources like 4WD ambulances to bridge the gap between families and lifesaving care.

Together, we can ensure every mother and child has the chance to thrive. Thank you for being part of this mission.

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.

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

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