7/18

Today was hard. In Africa we encounter situations in medicine that would not occur in the US. Suffering tolerated and tucked away because of shame or ignorance.  There are people who fall through the cracks everywhere, but here the cracks are a lot bigger. There is simply not the medical resources and personnel to handle to needs of this country. 

It makes you appreciate the US. I think that there is an almost idealistic view of the people of the developing world. Like they have something valuable that we have lost. Life may be simpler here and there is a joy and beauty to that simplicity, but I would not envy the developing world. Because along with this simplicity comes suffering and poverty. You may be able to miss it when you glance around but it is there.

On a brighter note there are dedicated people here both Tanzanians and foreign aid workers. Last weekend we went up to visit an orphanage that was set up by an American woman in 2003. The children's village houses around 70 children. Once a child is taken in, they have a home for life. Many have gone off to secondary school but they still come back on vacations. The place was so alive! I was covered with children from the moment we arrived until they were pried off at our departure. There are many college aged volunteers who live their but they are almost all women and I think that the kids were so excited to see some guys.

7/24

I have decided to leave FAME early and spend my last three weeks in Tanzania at the children’s village.  Apart from the daily responsibilities of a volunteer, I will be working with Erica Southern, a nursing student at U W and volunteer at FAME, on a  sexual health education curriculum to institute in the local school while we are there. Check out their website http://www.tanzanianchildrensfund.org/

We are now packing for “Mobile Clinic” we drive 4 hours out on dirt roads and treat patients for a week that do not have a medical facility available to them. This should be as exciting as it is eye-opening. I have heard some horror stories that include bat bites and being forced to sleep with chickens but I am excited just the same.

Many of the people that we will be treating are members of the Hadza tribe, one of the few remaining hunter gather societies in east Africa . The Hadza were featured in a National Geographic article  in 2009. http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2009/12/hadza/finkel-text.html

Also I wish the Mountain Top team the best of luck at the Tahoe tournament! This is one event I am pretty bummed to be missing. LAX!

I wont have internet for about a week but ill try to update soon

Kwa Heri,

Dave