Alhagi

The first week at the hospital went by just as quickly as the following two. It was just Jasen and me in minor theatre working on whomever came in along with the inpatients. Everyday is a new adventure with new challenges. A kid came in where we had to literally piece his face back together. He had been chopping wood and the axe bounced back and hit him. His face was split from the top of his hairline to his lip. Luckily his orbital membrane had somehow stayed intact even though his eyelid was in two. It’s been two weeks though and he is looking great and able to open his eye.

That weekend Jasen, Sona (a new volunteer from Czech Republic who insisted on walking around in our room butt naked) , Bill and I went to Arusha. Ally, one of our coordinators, met us and took us to the orphanage he established there. In addition to his orphanage, he has a primary school built on 3-4 acres. The school not only caters to the orphans but the local children as well. Most primary schools in Tanzania are taught in Swahili while secondary schools then switch to English. Ally’s school is all taught in English to make the transition into secondary school easier for kids. They are in the process of building a larger orphanage on the same property as the school as well as a clinic which Jasen’s volunteer program founded.

We were greeted by five new volunteers when we got home. Rachel, a U Dub student from Alaska, Jordan, a Montana U student, and a family from New York with a daughter Jamie a Colorado State student. The mom, Lit, reminds me so much of you mom it almost frightening. For Valentine’s Day she even made everyone handmade hearts with our names on it and put them on our doors. She is extremely outgoing, upbeat, enthusiastic and caring. Every one of them with the exception of Rachel went to Upendo Orphanage. Rachel came with Sophie, Jasen and me to St. Joseph’s.

The following week was a little more…overwhelming than the last. Not only did we have Jasen, me, a nurse, and the patient in the 10’x15’ trauma room, but we added Rachel, Anny, a volunteer from Austria, and a different medical student from Kilimanjaro County Medical Center. Jasen gave me the liberty to work on the patients we had seen the previous week while he showed the others the ropes.

Monday, Rachel and I sat in on our first actual operation in the major theatre. It was an abortion and took a total of about 20 minutes, of which the doctor answered a phone call during the procedure. Only in Africa. On Wednesday or so I learned how to suture and put 5 or 6 stitches in someone’s wrist and later was able to do another set by myself, the patient of which asked me to marry him several times. The wedding is this coming Saturday. You can send the gifts here or just wait until I get back.

Last weekend was packed. We got another volunteer from Iran, and seemed to have something going on constantly. Friday night Rachel, Fatuma and I went out to the hottest club in Moshi apparently and got in free because Jasen and I had worked on a white patient who came into the hospital the previous week and he recognized me. We met more travelers from Germany, Scotland, South Africa and Poland. Rachel and I had a lesson on African dancing. She picked it up a lot quicker and I was informed that I wasn’t well equipped for “shaki shaki”.

Sunday Rachel, Sophie and I went to Marangu, which is on the slopes of Kilimanjaro, to see Craig the Rasta as everyone knows him here. There was a concert/talent show thing going on up at the center he worked at. That, like most things here, was an experience. I don’t even know how to explain what happened except lip-syncing, awkward dancing by guys dressed as fat men with fake beards, fire dancing and comedy in Kiswahili. Afterwards we walked down the mountain to catch the daladala home. The walk was absolutely gorgeous with a view that stretched out over the valley. It reminded me a lot of Hawaii with how lush it was.

This upcoming week will be Sophie’s last week. It will be so weird without her seeing as she’s been here since I have and her Jasen and I went everywhere together. We lost internet this week so this post will have to go up with the others next time I have access.