Another goodbye.

Today is Lauren's last day. It is amazing how close you become with people when you are experiencing something so profound together.

We went for lunch at Shanga House, a place that employs disabled people and allows them to use their creative skills. They sell jewelry, paintings, bead work, and gorgeous glass work.

My original flight leaves tomorrow. Yup, not ready to leave yet. So happy I was able to change my ticket!

Neighbour kids

There are several kids who live just down the road from my volunteer house. They often peek over the walls or try and sneak in, just to be chased out by our guard, Joseph. The moment you walk out of the gate they come running to you, asking to be picked up, or to hold your hand. Living beside a volunteer house, they are used to being given things from different volunteers. It is frustrating when you walk out to the road and they run at you, and say "give me money" or "buy me candy" which happens on occasion. However, it is our fault, so I can't blame them for it.

They are pretty cute though, and as the weeks pass, I have began to know their names, and them mine. Sometimes we allow them to come play in our yard. Here are a few pictures of them.

Attitude? haha

Extended!!

I extended my stay!! I am so happy!!

I also requested to change my placement to an orphanage in order to experience another aspect of Tanzania.  Very excited to see what the next few weeks will bring!     

Not ready to come home yet.

Upendo Face Orphanage

I spent the day at an orphanage named Upendo Face with my friend Emily.  It is a gorgeous little orphanage which is currently being rebuild and refaced. They have a cow and chickens with the hope of one day being self-sufficient. They also have a little puppy named Upendo (which means love)!

We walked into the yard and the kids yelled, “Teacha! Teacha!” as they ran towards us and fought each other to be picked up or hold our hands.  We played, sang, and danced with the kids before they had to go to their classroom. Emily has 8 little ones in her class, and I went one by one asking their name, how old they were, and what is their favourite color, as they attempted to reply in English.

A few weeks ago a group of high school girls from Australia came and painted the orphanage. They donated lots of clothing to give to the kids. There is one little girl who Emily calls Snow White as she has worn a frayed, dirty, worn out dress every day since Emily has met her. We picked out a new outfit for her consisting of star leggings, a pink t-shirt, and a little zip-up sweater. She had the biggest smile, and was so excited (the next day she came to school in her Snow White dress again. When they asked her where her new outfit was, she said that she was saving that outfit for church on Sundays. Such poverty. They ended up giving her another outfit to wear to school).  We picked out outfits for other children, it was the highlight of my day!

Snow White:)

The kids lined up and I gave them all a quick health check, focusing on the presence of scabies and ringworm. Many had the big, malnourished bellies. Then I decided how much medication was needed, and another volunteer went to purchase the treatment.

A day in the life.

Entrance to theatre.

Oversized "dress" scrubs and size 11 rubber boots.

Sterilization tray.

Woops, ignore my finger. In the theatre.

Recovery Room

Post op, with 9 other new moms.

Zanzibar :: paradise

Zanzibar: an island in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Eastern Tanzania. Amazing beaches, amazing sunsets, amazing ocean, and fascinating old cities.


I spent the weekend in Zanzibar with a group of girls from my house. We had an incredible time. These ladies are seriously the best.

When we arrived we immediately did a spice tour in Stone Town as this is what the area is known for. We saw different spices in their original form, ate so much fresh fruit, and had a man climb a coconut tree and sing to us. His biceps were amazing. Then they made us accessories out of leaves. We really felt like tourists at that point.

We stayed in the northern part of the island at Kendwa Rocks, sleeping in cute little huts on the beach.

The sand was so white, clean, and soft.  The ocean was clear, and a million colors of blue. Heaven. I didn't think this place could get any better, until I experienced my first sunset.

We spent our days snorkeling with our pal, Captain Sugar (a buff 65 year old with no English), swimming, enjoying the African sun, and trying out local, nameless restaurants. One of the restaurants which we went to served a giant plate of rice, ugali, beans, boga, and an unknown hot sauce, all for 3000tsh ($2). Fruit was so fresh, and I ate as much as possible.

This meal was $2.00

We went to a fancy restaurant on the beach as a Goodbye Supper to Cassi. They served bread with oil and vinegar as a starter. Once my meal came, I was unable to finish my fries. The waiter picked up my plate and said "you aren't finishing this? You know it is really bad to waste food. Does anyone else want to finish these? Anyone at all?" as he offered my plate to everyone in the vicinity. Woops.

  

All hands on deck!

Morning meeting at placement today was held in the hospital’s laboratory as 10 beds were set up in our usual meeting room.  The hospital is increasing the number of beds to increase funding.

I joined the doctors and nurses in the labour unit as they did morning rounds. I do this most mornings, as they go to each patient and update the new staff on the events of the night before. The nurses give a TB shot and polio via mouth to the new babies. I then cleaned the patient’s beds and bedside tables, being careful of the used needles left on the tables.

I did a simple abdominal wound dressing change. Again, gauze and tape. Not too complicated.

A c-sectionwas done today for a lady with prolonged labour. The woman had been fully dilated since midnight with no progression in labour. The baby’s head had dropped, causing for a difficult urinary catheter insertion. In the middle of the surgery the surgeon called in the head surgeon as there was an unknown mass visible which appeared to have its own blood supply. Baby was removed, and chaos followed. This was the first time we were hands on during surgery. Baby aspirated on meconium and had to be suctioned for what felt like forever (using a foot pump suction machine), then was given oxygen.  I am sad to say that I never did find out what that mass was. 

On the way home I stopped to buy bottled water at a small convenience store. I only had 10,000tsh and therefore needed change. She didn’t have change for 10,000tsh, so told me to come back tomorrow. 10,000tsh is $7. A convenience store didn’t have change for $7! However, she was super trusting, and let me take the water with me anyways.

Laundry day!