Outreach Visits

The Tanzanian Development Trust (TDT) (https://www.facebook.com/tanzdevtrust?ref=ts&fref=ts) is a UK based charity that provides small to medium sized grants to assist development projects in Tanzania.  I applied for the maximum grant of 1,250,000 Tanzanian Shillings (about £500) to start an program of Outreach visits.

The aim of the program is to visit villages in remote areas who do not have access to healthcare, and provide free HIV testing and counseling for the villagers.  

Who wants to be a Millionaire?

Together with the help of Mama Mpunga, the HIV specialist nurse, we have organized trips to at least 7 villages in the area surrounding the hospital.  Many of these villages have no electricity supply and are accessed only by dirt (sand) tracks which are sometimes impassable during rainy season.  If the villagers need medical care then they must walk the long distance to the Hospital.

4x4 Landcruiser - the only way to get to the villages (I want one!)

 

Last weekend we visited 2 villages, Ndawa (15km away) and Mahiwa (5km).  In Ndawa we tested 53 people (31 Female, 22 Male) and in Mahiwa we tested 158 (64 Female, 94 Male).   HIV testing is performed using a rapid test and requires just a few drops of blood from a fingerprick sample.  Once the results are ready, the client is counseled by a trained counselor about the significance of a negative or positive result, and told when they should return for another test. 

Our Clinic for the day in Ndawa

Not exactly sterile conditions!

Taking a fingerprick sample

It's always the men who flinch more!

 These visits are also an opportunity to give out information leaflets, detect patients that may need medical care for other conditions (e.g. complicated pregnancy, TB etc) and to increase the profile of the hospital in the region.

Post-Test Counselling

We were well received by the villagers as shown by the good turnout, and the village chairman in Ndawa gave us a tour of the village showing us the school, the water pump, the single shop and the many, many chickens!

As always, the children were inquisitive about the Mzungu in their village, and when they saw I had a camera they all wanted their photos taken and to see themselves on the screen!

Our Clinic at Mahiwa (next door to the flour mill, so it was a bit noisy and dusty)

We are planning another 5 or 6 visits (depending on remaining budget) over the coming weeks, and hope to test over 500 people.

As always, the kids want a picture!

But not just the kids... this Mzee wanted his picture taken as well... although I wasn't sure if he was blind or not!