Words from Tanzania

I met Sister Veronica last year in the town of Same where I live and it was at our new internet café where I first talked to her. She commented about their organization’s need for communication means to the outside world, and would I provide a quotation for the cheapest internet service available. Sister Veronica is a Catholic Nun from Kenya, serving in a remote, flat, dry, poor Masai area in the Same District, not more than 20 miles south of Same town.
Today Sister Veronica came to me again today, finding me in my office at the Pare Diocese headquarters. She was in need of help. She had some documents which needed to be sent to Uganda, and the two fax machines in town would not dial out of country. Our internet café, which can normally help in these digital communication issues was closed today as the daytime attendant had family matters to attend to. I could see the despondency in her face, and promptly packed up my laptop and we headed for my house which has a copier/scanner/printer, and also internet.
The scans made, the internet messages sent with attachments done, and then we started talking about programs which we were involved. She works at a new Catholic Secondary (middle and high) school. I told her of our work in that area with vulnerable children, and that caught her attention. She mentioned a case where they recently took in a young Masai girl whose family had just agreed to let her get an education, but there are no tuition monies available. She asked me if our vulnerable children program could help support this young woman.
I have some very long, hard days. But, I come home to a house with electricity, a refrigerator, internet, running water, and access to any number of comfort items. I gave Sister Veronica my business card and asked her to write to me about her new school and the name of the Masai girl who desperately wants to have an education. I think Sister Veronica will not be shy in asking for support for those young people. Like many here in Africa, they have few choices but to ask for help.

There is a way in which seminars and meetings are conducted here. And since there are around 4000 non-governmental organizations operating in Tanzania, I’m guessing there’s a seminar or multi-day meeting being held every week of the year in most towns and cities.

We’ve been a part of a number of seminars where local people, workers of an organization or project partners have gathered for trainings and meetings. The format doesn’t seem to be much different where ever you go or which organization is meeting.

Here’s how they do it:

The sessions are usually opened by a leader or dignitary of the organization. In our case, the Bishop is almost always asked to open the meetings. If he is not available, a logical replacement is chosen. After the opening welcome and remarks, the leaders of the seminar look to the participants to elect meeting leaders who will hold the order, take minutes, keep the time and try to keep everyone’s needs heard. A chairperson is elected first. This person would open the succeeding days’ meetings, keep the peace, and close each day’s meeting. Then a secretary is elected who would assume responsibility for taking the minutes, passing the attendee list around etc. A timekeeper is often chosen, and that person would try to keep the agreed schedule from getting too far behind.

Sometimes at the beginning of the meetings, the chairperson asks for meeting rules to be suggested and agreed by all. They are written on a sheet of flip chart paper and taped to the wall. Some of the common behavioral rules would be to shut off the ringer or sound of all cell phones, to respect one another, and to not show up drunk (not so bad rules). Oftentimes it is agreed at what time all will go to chai (morning break), lunch and to quit for the day.

Almost all meetings are opened up with a prayer, regardless of mixed company. Sometimes the prayer said is by a Christian, and some general acknowledgments of others is mentioned.

So, to not follow this protocol would not make it a Tanzanian gathering.

In this and other developing countries, electricity is not a right, and to have it in your facility or home means you are fortunate. That is, until the electricity damages your TV, computer or an expensive piece of medical equipment. The leaders of the ELCT Health Care (HCTS) Technical Services and Global Health Ministries (GHM) used their wits and came up with a joint plan to install appropriate power protection in all of the 20 ELCT hospitals before any new equipment is shipped or installed. History and experience have proven that expensive equipment does not stand a chance against very low, high or damaging voltages.

Loyal and generous supporters from the ELCA SEIA Synod immediately took action last year when hearing of this plan, and raised the funds for the protective equipment needed for Gonja Lutheran Hospital in the South Pare Mountains. The manager/director/technician of HCTS, Henry Sommerfeld and I (Todd) made a few trips to Gonja Hospital together to engineer a power protection solution. The equipment chosen (Sollatek SVS) is installed in line at the electrical distribution area and monitors and stabilizes the incoming voltage from the utility, and a lighting protection device snuffs out huge strikes.

Gonja Hospital is the first ELCT hospital to take part in the implementation of this program, and we are very pleased that the folks in Iowa supported it. Henry and I installed the protection equipment just before Easter. Gonja, with some very good and expensive equipment suffers many power dips, surges, brownouts and cuts weekly. We figure the strain (load) on the old lines, transformers and distribution equipment produce the poor power quality, and being 1350 meters up on a mountain, far away from the electrical source adds to this issue.

For now, we feel relatively secure in knowing the critical equipment such as two portable x-ray machines, an ultrasound machine, oxygen concentrators, suction machines, operating light, sterilizers, hematology and chemistry analyzers, CD4 counters and other equipment are protected. Thanks be to God for God’s people responding!

We just concluded the last of three palliative care seminars in March here in Tanzania as part of a Twinning Center project (PEPFAR) with the ELCT Pare Diocese and the SEIA Synod.

The participants were health care workers in the districts of Mwanga and Same, and the facilitators were varied, 3 different teams from Iowa and Dr. Amini Mshighwa, the diocese medical secretary and Rev. Joas Mpinda, the lead HIV/AIDS counselor for the diocese.

The curriculum used was from the African Palliative Care Association. Our facilitator teams from Iowa included doctors, social workers, pastors, health care administrators, nurses and laboratory technicians. They ably studied the materials and presented the powerpoint presentations extremely well, and used other presentation aids and methods such as good ole flip charts, role playing and small group discussions.

I (Todd) helped in the logistics and coordination areas, making sure everyone was happy, that they were supplied with plenty of food and drink, pens, paper and accommodation and transport funds. We were able to construct our own flip chart stand and large projector screen, and the facilitators supplied the laptop and LCD projector.

Palliative care is somewhat of a new thing in this country, but we are finding that it is quickly accepted and understood. In the past, persons with long term illnesses such as cancer and HIV/AIDs were left in their homes to suffer all the pain, isolation and dehumanizing effects of having a debilitating disease. The plans are to continue into a second year with palliative care in the Pare Diocese, expanding the knowledge and base of trained personnel into the community through 10 new support and care centers. We see this as a challenge, but one that is worthwhile.

In early February, we attended the Mbaga Parish Jubilee, located high in the South Pare Mountains. The occasion was to celebrate 100 years of being a mission and parish, and there just happened to be a few special guests—The descendants of the founding German missionary Jakob Janssen Dannholz, the ELCT head Bishop Alex Malasusa, Pare Diocese Bishop S.A. Msangi, and our very own ELCA Southeastern Iowa Synod Bishop P. Hougen. The SEIA Synod was well represented by a delegation of first time Tanzania travelers as part of a sponsored trip with Bishop Hougen acting as host. Many others from Germany, the US, and from around the country of Tanzania were also in attendance.

As is typical, the guests started arriving days before the celebration. For us and the day-travelers, it was only a one hour journey up the rough and tumble mountain roads leading out of Same town. By midmorning, all arrived at the Mbaga Parish and were greeted by parishioners, music and the traditional chai and food.

The service started with a procession led by the dignitaries and all others fell in line as they walked from the parish house to the special monument marking the 1908-2008 Jubilee. The monument was blessed, trees were planted, hymns sung and many speeches were given. The service lasted almost four hours. The special guests were honored with food prepared by what must have been an army of parish workers, then the parties dispersed.

There was another Jubilee in the year 2000, that one at Shigatini (North Pare Mtns) which marked the first German mission in the Pare settlement area. This Mbaga Jubilee celebrated the first German settlement in the South Pare Mountains