Things are starting to pick up!
Greetings from Bukoba, Tanzania! Things are really starting to get moving now. On Tuesday I had my first day of shadowing and volunteering at Kagera Regional Hospital. After attending the morning staff meeting, Jenna, Laura and I went on a tour of the hospital. Tuesday is the day that the hospital holds its weekly Diabetes clinic, so Laura and I had the opportunity to visit with patients and staff in the clinic during the morning hours. Afterwards all three of us went to visit the gynecology and maternity wards, where we saw a baby born as we were speaking with the doctor! The hospital is very different from those we are used to in the United States. It is only one story and it is made up of many separate buildings interconnected by covered walkways. Since it is a government hospital funds can be scarce and the doctors and nurses are stretched to their limits.
I have enjoyed adapting to the African pace of life. In Bukoba, there are two walking speeds, African and mzungu (people of European descent). The village is fifteen minutes from our `house at an mzungu pace, and twenty-five at an African pace. We are living right on Lake Victoria, and the wind off the lake has made living one degree south of the equator quite pleasant temperature-wise.
Today Mr. Raza brought us dinner. Next week we plan to work on some of his projects: adding a floor to the house we built last year and cleaning up an orphanage. Albino children also live at the orphanage. We found out that the albino children have been placed there for their safety: there is a voodoo belief that a bone or a tooth from an albino person can make a person rich. Many albino people have been maimed due to this belief. When we heard about this we became very concerned and remorseful. We look forward to working with them and helping to distribute long sleeve t-shirts, sunscreen, hats, and sunglasses to the albino children.
Our time here has been very meaningful so far.