Neither of us have a medical background so we will be participating as logistic members. What does that mean? Well for now what we believe it to be is: packing, unpacking, pharmacy inventory, counting pills, talking to residents, logging some of their personal information for medical stats, setting up reception areas, and generally entertaining the locals while they wait to see the doctors. More to come on what we actually do in later blogs.
This particular mission lasts for 14 days. During that time we will staying at the Kilema Hospital which is built on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro.
According to the web site InterCare-Medical Aid for Africa Kilema Hospital http://www.intercare.org.uk/health-centre/tanzania/kilema-hospital
"...is run by the Sisters of Our Lady of Kilimanjaro and has a catchment of around 228,000. This was the very first hospital in this area to be set up by the European missionaries. They chose this site – high up on a hill – because the place was too high for the mosquitoes so there is virtually no malaria caught in the area. The place is beautiful, and pine trees (planted by the missionaries to remind them of home) grow alongside lemon and orange trees. To reach the hospital it is necessary to travel on very poor roads up the slope of the mountain and in the rainy season this is virtually but not quite impossible. "
Every day we will be driving out to the surrounding villages with our "caravan" of supplies and people. Hope the rainy season is over by the time we get there.
