Karibu (welcome in Swahili), ninaitwa (my name) is Drexel Smith, Arusha Rotaplast Team ’19 historian. I hope to provide information regarding this mission and posting it via the Rotaplast Blog as much as possible during the mission. Today is Wednesday, 05 June and the Team is four days (T-4) days from traveling to begin the work of eliminating the burden of cleft lip and/or palate, burn scarring, and other deformities. Over the past several months the team has been preparing for the mission gathering visa and related travel documents, updating immunizations, readying the packing lists for travel to Africa.
This Rotaplast Mission is headed to the City of Arusha in the country of Tanzania.
As an East African country the primary language is Swahili, also known as Kiswahili, and is the nation’s official language. English is widely spoken, and other languages spoken in the country are the native tongues of various ethnic groups. The ethnic languages are mainly of Bantu and Nilotic origin.
The Rotaplast team will be working at the Mount Meru Regional Hospital located in the City of Arusha. This hospital enjoys limited financial support, with limitations on equipment, so the Rotaplast team will be bringing most if not all equipment needed to support the mission. The team will make a donation of disposable supplies at the end of the mission to the extent possible, where-as all equipment will be returned Rotaplast in San Francisco.
More Anon….