Long over due update from Karatu

I know I'm almost 3 weeks behind on updating the blog. I have been in Karatu working for 3 weeks now and it has been extremely busy. I don't even know where to start. The week before I came to Tanzania I managed to spent a few days with Jack and his mom in Switzerland where they just moved back to. Jack is getting bigger every day and was telling stories and singing in Swahili a lot.

The first week at FAME Medical was great and Meredith, my predecessor, showed me everything and introduced me to everybody. Meredith left almost 2 weeks ago now and I have been learning and working non stop since then. Dr. Frank and Susan (below on Mobile Clinic in Mango'la) my bosses are great but they certainly have managed to keep me occupied in the last couple of weeks.

Last Monday we drove 2 hours on a dirt road with the mobile clinic to treat about 400 patients in 4 days in Lagangharere. Although it was chaos at times since it was our first time in that location, it was an amazing experience. Between our two Tanzanian docs, our two Scottish volunteer docs and Dr Frank we managed to treat a lot of people especially women and children who otherwise have little access to affordable health care. Our lab technician did endless blood and urine tests and our head nurse gave out a lot of medicine for Malaria and other diseases.


Karatu is a great community and I have already found my nightly spot to unwind and get dinner when I'm too lazy to cook which so far has been all the time. It's called Happy Days and owned by a South African couple. Nixon the manager and bartender is actually from Moshi and has been taking good care of me. It's walking distance from my house which is just too good to be true.

I've never been great at blog entries so I will stop right here. I'm too tired to remember all the things I should be telling you about anyways. I plan to go to Moshi for a few days in October and I will try to update my fellow LIA volunteers on how all the babies are doing then.