2015 Arusha, Tanzania
Welcome to Tanzania!
Arusha, Tanzania
Clinic has begun! The U.S.A. Rotaplast team members arrived from the east coast and the west to Arusha, Tanzania. After the west coast team members experienced a day long flight delay, the clinic was set... Read More »
Surgery Begins at Mount Meru Hospital
Arusha, Tanzania
Organized chaos was the theme for this morning. The team started the day by identifying where various rooms and stations would be set up keeping in mind the logistical flow of patients for pre-op, surgical... Read More »
Meet Kokoya
Arusha, Tanzania
Kokoya is from the southern part of the Maasai village of Kisimiti. She is 20 years old and has lived with a uni-lateral cleft lip her entire life. She is married with two children ages 4 and 1 ½. Cur... Read More »
New Smiles are Born
Arusha, Tanzania
Four month old Christopher never left the house since the day of his birth. His mother kept him inside for fear of ridicule. Imagine now, how Christopher’s mother feels handing him to strangers from a ... Read More »
Meet Labwai and his Father
Arusha, Tanzania
Labwai’s father, Tajri received a call from his sister telling him that she heard on the radio that Rotaplast was coming to Arusha. He gathered Labwai and a few things and set out to walk the three hou... Read More »
Surgical Day Three at Mount Meru Hospital
Arusha, Tanzania
Each morning the Rotaplast doctors make the rounds in the ward checking on patients from the day before and examining new patients for the day’s surgery schedule. This is typically when we may find... Read More »
Surgical Day Four in the Operating Theater
Arusha, Tanzania
Inside the operating unit of the hospital, quarters are a little tight. We have two operating tables in one room, which actually makes it convenient for the surgeons to consult during procedures. As the ... Read More »
Meet Alex and his Family
Arusha, Tanzania
One year old, Alex came to us on the forth day of surgery as a walk-in. He lives 100KM away in the Maasai village of Nafco, meaning Maasai Land, close to the Lolkisale Monduli District and Tarangire Natio... Read More »
Surgical Day 5: Sometimes the Wait is Long
Arusha, Tanzania
Six year old Temba greets our team with all smiles on the morning of her surgery and readily cooperates with Dr. Tina who takes a look at her cleft palate. The surgery was long, as is the case with many Read More »
Meet Willison
Arusha, Tanzania
Willison, 47, was born with a bi-lateral cleft lip. One side was corrected when he was a child. The same hospital offered to correct the other side at a later date. However, that never happened so Will... Read More »
Surgical Day 6 & 7: Dramatic Results
Arusha, Tanzania
Two month old, Richard Rian was the first operation of surgical day six. The next day, during rounds with the doctors, his mother was slightly concerned by the blood around his nose. Dr. Brian assured her ... Read More »
Surgical Day Seven – Operations Continue
Arusha, Tanzania
The last day of surgery is often a busy day as the team continues to help as many patients as possible. We arrived at the hospital with walk-in patients waiting for us. As luck would have it, we were ab... Read More »
Welcome to Closing Clinic
Arusha, Tanzania
A little bit of chaos starts the morning as the Rotaplast team organizes closing clinic among the patients waiting to be seen by the surgeons one last time. Sarah, the organizer of a rehabilitation facilit... Read More »
Latest From Around The World
Caltech Women’s Clu...
Pasadena, California
Pictured Above: Marilyn Diaz (middle), seated just like Einstein, in the library with fellow CHATs at the Mt. Wilson Observatory Special thanks author/interviewer Gloria Mullendore and the Caltech Women&#... Read More »
Cebu City Day 10 – ...
Cebu City, Philippines
The final day of our Rotaplast Mission is the culmination of the incredible dedication and work by our team over the last nine days, with 69 children receiving new smiles and changed lives! On this day o... Read More »