During a recent visit to the dentist I was thinking of a story I was told in Tanzania, and so I shared it with him. A friend of mine had the opportunity to try out a strand of dental floss sometime in the past and liked how it felt and its purpose, but had not had any since. When Rich and I were preparing to return to the states a few weeks ago, I kept out unused supplies such as dental care items to give away. Needless to say, this particular friend was given the dental items. The reaction was one of such gratitude and happiness.

Once again, I had come across a situation which served as one of many reminders that a seemingly very small item for me may be an out-of-reach luxury item for someone else.

- Barb

We left Tanzania a week ago to fly home to the U.S. for the summer. Our stay there was so valuable, both personally and professionally. We found that the time flew by and when it came time to leave, we were wishing that we could stay longer. We will write more about our time in Tanzania in the next blog entry, at which time we hope to have our array of thoughts pulled together. For now, we’ve attached several pictures, some that are work related and some that are not, but we miss everything they represent. If you follow our blog, then it’s possible that you have seen a few of the pictures already.

Barb & Rich

Last winter, we included a blog entry about a little girl who needed a walker to assist her in developing the ability to walk independently. Upenda was one of seven children who were waiting for walkers. She had tried mine with the hand grips lowered and she took off with it, leaving us in a cloud of dust. I should mention that another child had also tried it, but without supervision and guidance, was not ready for it. Upon arriving in Tanzania this winter, I was told that several of the children had walkers now and that they were helpful to a few of the children. So I had images in my mind of walkers such as mine rolling around, powered by the children. Well, it turned out to be another reminder for me that I cannot make assumptions like that. I also should remember that people in Tanzania are so resourceful and will design and construct something with available materials that they hope will serve the same purpose. I’ve included a picture to show you what I mean.

he picture shows a child using a locally-made walker that worked for her size and skill level. Three other children who I know are not able to use the locally made walkers that were specifically made for each of them.

My walker is not necessarily the answer for everybody, but it would be helpful if there was one available here that was adjustable for different body sizes and skill levels. It appears that people here have not seen one like mine and often don’t know what its purpose is. I have had many good laughs about peoples’ comments and/or actions when they first see it. It’s usually mistaken for a chair. I take time to help people understand what it is, how it works, and why I use it. Even the med students who are working with the ProMot Health project said they had neither seen nor known about walkers until they met me. My friend Genevieve of BCC made an interesting observation one day by saying that her country makes people more disabled and dependent because there is nothing available for them between the use of a cane or stick and the use of a wheelchair. Consequently, if a cane does not provide enough support and stability, then the next step is to use a wheelchair. Then, of course, there are the issues of availability, cost and an impossible terrain for many people. That’s another whole story!

Shouldn’t all kids have the opportunities for being playful and silly?  Check out the pictures from Romania and Tanzania!

As I said in part 1 of the entry on Baby P, I would provide a larger view of him in part 2.

Baby P. has an older brother who started life in almost the exact same way. He was older than Baby P. when his mother first became acquainted with the staff at the Building a Caring Community (BCC). She hesitantly enrolled him in hopes that he would learn to walk. He was receiving lots of nourishment and exercise last year at this time. When Rich and I returned to Moshi this past January, we almost did not recognize him because of his significant growth and his ability to run, jump, and climb. However, he had not started to develop speech yet. He attended the day center infrequently January – March even though the staff had encouraged the mother to send him. She said that her husband did not want him attending because he would end up speaking like “those kids there,” meaning the children with greater needs in all areas of functioning. The center staff and Dr. Matweve, working together, managed to persuade the mother to send both children anyway. Her husband was at the center but would neither enter nor take part in the conversation. The staff member provides transportation to and from home every day for the children and she is also making sure that the mother has food to feed them on weekends and holidays.

So what’s going on here?

1. This is a very poor family living in a very basic shelter.

2. Medical care and transportation has not been easily accessible or affordable.

3. The health of both parents is unknown. One or both of them may have malaria.

4. There is still a significant stigma attached to having a child with special needs, two in this case.

5. A father especially feels the anger, humiliation, old beliefs of being cursed, and does not want people to know, thus isolating the family. This is magnified if the child is a boy in this culture.

6. It is not unusual for one or both parents to leave when a child is found to have special needs.

Look at the 2012 statistics for Tanzania on the CIA World Factbook website:

• Infant mortality rate in TZ is 72.42 males per 1000 live births and 58.87 females per 1000 live births. It is the 22nd highest in the list of over 200 countries.

• Infant mortality rate in USA is 6.64 males per 1000 live births and 5.3 females per 1000 live births. It is 205th in the list of over 200 countries, with western European countries showing lower infant mortality rates.

I’d like to end this by giving a huge BRAVO to the center employee who is personally going above and beyond to ensure that these two children have a fair chance at having healthy and productive lives. She hopes to engage one, if not both of the parents, with the center in a greater way as time goes on and as more trust builds.

Once again, I cannot say enough positive comments about the impact of the ProMot Healthcare Project on children with disabilities and their families, BCC, and the ultimate ability to impact the entire community. Thank you to everyone who has donated money for ProMot, and to John and Melissa’s Kilimanjaro climb which also raised money for this. It’s not too late to contribute.

An infant boy, who I will refer to as Baby P, was brought to a Building a Caring Community (BCC) day center two weeks ago for a medical assessment by the medical students and Dr. Metweve of KCMC, who partner with BCC in the ProMot Healthcare Project. Baby P. was noticeably underweight for his 1.2 years of age and he responded minimally to the attentions of people and his surroundings. His mother reported that he was born two months premature weighing just one kilo (2.2 lbs.). There is scarring on his head where fluid had been drained from his brain. Since birth, he has been kept at home with little or no follow-up medical care, insufficient nourishment, and lying positioned on his back. Dr. Metweve’s recommendations were for him to attend the center, to feed him a particular baby food to build up nutrients and weight, to position him on his stomach, and to start moving his arms and legs immediately.

I saw Baby P. this week. The pictures tell it all! He is alert, having fun with the new found movements of his arms and legs, and is eating as though he’s determined to make up for lost time. You may notice that in the picture of feeding, he grabs the spoon when the adult starts to remove it from his mouth to get more food for him. He now weighs five kilos (11 lbs.), compared to being between 3.5 and 4 kilos when he attended the medical assessment.

Baby P. is certainly a success story of the ProMot Healthcare Project, which is funded through private donations. The next blog entry tells the larger story of Baby P.

For the very first time, on this day, the children of Building a Caring Community (BCC) received health assessments at a day center. It was also the first time that physicians and medical students from the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center (KCMC) had joined up with a community organization to provide this service which has been given the name of ProMot Healthcare. Two physicians and about eight students performed extensive intake interviews with the parents/caregivers and they assessed eleven children who have disabilities. For the medical students, this was their first time they were exposed to such impoverished areas of Moshi. It was also their initial experience in meeting children whose disabilities may have been prevented or lessened with prenatal care and/or necessary medical intervention for the child at an earlier age. Dr. Mtweve, a pediatrician who was present, stated that malnourishment and/or malaria were at the root of so much of what they saw that day.

The following day, the intakes and assessments were performed at two more of the eleven centers. The remaining eight are scheduled during the next 2½ weeks, including children who receive services from BCC at home.

What a wonderful experience to see and hear the grateful parents, the kind, gentle, & respectful approach from physicians and med students, and the caring and flexible BCC staff who worked magic to make sure that parents/caregivers and children attended! A very cooperative effort!

It is important to note that this project is funded by donations from individuals, families, and small groups of people through Mosaic.

And now for a few pictures …

Melissa and John were very successful in climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro!

A celebration was definitely needed!

Melissa sent a text message that said “We made it to the top of Kili! We get to base camp tomorrow around 2-3 pm.”

They would have spent only a brief time at the summit for safety reasons – altitude. They started the descent today and are now sleeping on the slope. They complete the descent on Thursday!

Remember that this is a fundraiser for the ProMot Health program for the children in the Building a Caring Community program here. Donations in any amount are appreciated!

It’s so easy —- contact us or m.moslander@mosaicinternational.org

Thank you very much (asante sana!) Barb and Rich

Updated text from Melissa as of 6:00 PM Tanzania time today (Monday, March 5).  They are sleeping at 12,400 ft. tonight after climbing for 4 1/2 hours.  Tomorrow they have a 6-hour climb!

Check back for more updates!