Updates from Usa

Habari ya siku ningi? (News of many days?)

Hujambo! It’s been a while since I've updated so there’s lots to talk about. Classes have been very busy the past two weeks and I only have 2 more days at TCDC training center before moving to Nkoaranga hospital to begin my work there.  My Swahili is definitely getting much stronger and this past few week has been focused on expanding vocab and using a lot of the technical and medical equipment terms that I will surely need to be comfortable with next week – quite exciting!

Friday was our final trip to Mt. Meru hospital for the workday as a group.  It rained the first few hours while we were there so the group couldn't occupy our usual workspace outside. This also meant we needed to find a new power outlet which can sometimes be difficult here even at a hospital.  We found one outlet behind a bookshelf in a records room with a very old plug style that didn't fit our extension cord plugs, so we stripped the plug end of the cord and stuck the wires straight into the socket to get power for our troubleshooting for the day.  I worked on a centrifuge with Sarah and Charlotte during the morning. Then I went with a group of students and our instructor Larry to the operating room and worked on an x-ray fluorescent backlight with Louise that was only half lit.  We worked while an operation was going on in the next room with the door half open and wore scrubs to enter the clean area with all of the surgery rooms.  The “clean area” was designated by a red wooden stick across the floor at the entrance.  After this line, everyone had to be scrubbed up and wearing rubber slippers.  In the dressing room on the “clean” side of the line there was bathroom with body fluids on the floor that got on the bottom of the slippers and then people walked around the clean area in them.  Mt. Meru is one of the nicer hospitals in the area but it is still apparent that the standards and hospital culture are far different from those in the US that I witnessed shadowing cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Cortina in Fall 2013.

Friday afternoon, I ventured into the city of Arusha with Jennie, John, and Ari to look for an internet plan for my laptop.  Luckily, we ran into one of the Tanzanian students who is currently taking the technician lab classes with EWH students at TCDC.  His Swahili is much more advanced than ours and he was able to direct us to the phone store and navigate most of the transaction for us.  It really made clear again the importance of having local friends.  It also reminded me why being an open person willing to make new friends anywhere you travel is so important and is something that I want to work on and translate to my life at Duke.

Parrot outside of our classroom at TCDC

Tuesday in lab, we taught our hospital partners skills that we knew to practice teaching
since we may have to use teaching and communication skills with hospital staff next
month after equipment fixes.  There was hair-braiding, latin dancing, and danish children's songs.
I taught Mikkel how to throw a frisbee forehand and the taught me some of the advanced settings
on my camera.

Lughano and I talked Thursday night about our plans for the future. I told him about my interest in medical research and a bit of my vision and he shared what he wants to do with his life.  Lughano first got an engineering degree, but didn't like the work so returned to school to become an accountant.  Now he works in Arusha as an accountant but would rather be running his own business.   He makes around $6000 per year as an accountant here, which is certainly enough to live comfortably on in Tanzania.  His bigger plans for the future involve returning to get a master’s in business this year and then starting his own shop or buying some of the Dala Dala buses that are crucial to public transport here.  He also wants to start a lodge for westerners staying in Usa River on some land he has already bought.  His connections with TCDC training center and westerners in the area in general would help with that.  I have also climbed Ol Doinyo Lengai (“Mountain of the God”) since the last blog post, but will save those stories for the next post. Tutaonana baadaye!