February 2013 Mission Trip Newsletter

^th mission trip started off on a very high note with the opening of our newest dispensary in Lekrumuni. As you may have heard us talk about in past newsletters, we promised the Maasai community stationed in the Lekrumuni area that we would help them build a clinic to aid their sick. By the end of last year, our promise became a reality – we completed building the clinic and as of February 10^th, 2013, it is now officially open for business! The Tanzanian government has shown support for our efforts by providing a doctor and nurse to staff the clinic – at their own cost. The whole Lekrumuni community came out to welcome us, thank us and of course, christen the new dispensary. Brian had some help video-taping the ceremony (see picture, right) and it was such a joy to see how happy the people are. I am constantly in awe of how far these people travel every day (by foot!) in order to get to school, church, medical care, etc. Putting a clinic in the heart of their community is a godsend to the Maasai and as a thank you, we were invited for lunch with two families in the community.

It was an amazing experience to be invited into the homes of the Maasai, and so humbling to be offered the best of everything they had. As if the meal was not enough, each family presented us with a small token of their appreciation. At the first house, we were given traditional Maasai necklaces. At the second home, we were presented with Maasai cloths and each of us was given a Maasai name as a symbol of our acceptance into their community. My Maasai name “Nayini” means “one who is part of the Tanzanian family.” Words cannot express my own gratitude at being a part of this experience and being included in their extended family. The community shared with us their plans to plant trees around the dispensary to act as a perimeter and provide shade for patients waiting to be seen. My mom, Jehane (a.k.a. “Natoishe” in Maasai), is pictured, above left, in her Maasai cloth with our hostess, who stayed home from the christening ceremony to prepare lunch for us. Luke (a.k.a. “Loitore” in Maasai) is pictured, above right, proudly wearing his Maasai robes with Dominic, our host. And not to be left out, Brian’s Maasai name is “Saitoti,” meaning one who takes care of others.

Following our exciting weekend, we had big plans for Monday – a visit to one of our clinics, where I snapped this photo of a mom and her baby (right), a shopping trip to Moshi for the purchase of medical supplies followed by the long car ride to Rombo to visit the schools and students in that area. Each clinic was given $1,000 USD to use for the purchase of medication and supplies. That may not seem like very much in the states, but in Tanzania, $1,000 can go a LONG way. We were very lucky to have a strong exchange rate on our side and we were able to get a rate of 1:1612; higher than we’ve ever gotten in the past. Armed with 1,612,000 T-Shillings, each sister had their list prepared and each was excited to purchase supplies for their clinics that would cover approximately 3-5 months of needs for their patients. As a side note, we usually try to set aside more money for each dispensary so that they can purchase a larger supply of medication and necessities, however, with the building of the newest dispensary, the bulk of the funds earmarked for the “Health” portion of our mission went towards that project. After many hours at MSD (Medical Stores Department), we gathered our receipts and headed to Rombo.

Our first day in Rombo was full of students. We visited 4 schools the first day and over a dozen students. We had the opportunity to rekindle our relationships with the school administrators, review report cards and discuss plans for the future with each of the students. Some were very shy. Some were incredibly personable. Here’s a picture of Brian with two of my favorite students, Nasoro (in white) and Malkolmu (in blue checkers), who live as brothers even though they are unrelated. They are 9 and 8, respectively, and T.H.E. Mission started sponsoring them 3 years ago. Both boys were found living on the street in Dar es Salaam, orphaned by their parents and without any family history or ties. The Minister of Education of Tanzania placed them at Moshi Airport Primary School and asked us if we would sponsor their education. As we normally only provide scholarships to high-school aged children, we went back and forth with our decision. Ultimately, because of our generous donors, we decided to take them on and I am so glad that we did because the boys are flourishing in school. Malkolmu is the number one student in his class and wants to be a Swahili teacher when he grows up. His brother Nasoro is number five in his class and wants to be an English teacher when he grows up…AND he speaks English better than a lot of the high school students we have met along the way.

We had a lot of fun getting to know our students and I think they had fun getting to know us as well. While we were serious about keeping grades up and doing well in school, it was also nice to get to know them on a personal level and learn about their families, hobbies and aspirations. We spent a lot of time laughing and it made me realize that although Tanzania may be a poor country, what it lacks in money, it makes up for in the wealth of its peoples’ spirit. Even after 7 years, it STILL amazes me how happy the people we meet are. They don’t have a lot of what I would consider basic necessities (hot showers, refrigerators, etc.), and they do not have a lot of money, but they are some of the nicest, happiest people that I have ever met. It helps, of course, when you have someone in your group who isn’t afraid to laugh at themselves…

In addition to spending time with our scholarship students, we also made a special trip to Niruvande, a school for orphans. While we do not currently have sponsored students there, each time we visit the school, we try to bring a supply of food. Right now they have over 100 students – all orphans – and our contribution helps provide one hearty meal a day for each child for at least a month. One of the highlights of our time at Niruvande is recess. On this trip, recess consisted of handing out pencils, followed by a rousing game of soccer. Since there are so many children, teams were comprised of at least 20! Brian played goalie and honestly, I think he had more fun than most of the kids. His team lost, but they were still all smiles!

"In a lifetime we are touched by many people. Some brush by you, not really being felt. Others are but a whisper, just a faded memory. But a few - so very few - get inside and touch your SOUL,

never to be forgotten." 

Trudy Cunningham  US Navy