2017 Arusha, Tanzania

Jun 5, 2017

Day One – All Roads Lead to Arusha

Arusha, Tanzania

“All Roads Lead to…” is a proverb, referring to the fact that many routes can lead to a given result.  That was in the air this morning when the Rotaplast 2017 mission to Tanzania starte... Read More »

Jun 6, 2017

Day 2 – Polepole

Arusha, Tanzania

Polepole [pol-lay-poh-lay] is Swahili for “slowly” or “slow down” and could not describe more perfectly the lessons of Day 2 in Tanzania.  Still without luggage or supplies, the day started with ... Read More »

Jun 7, 2017

Day 3 – The journey of a thousand miles

Arusha, Tanzania

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” (Lao Tzu). Or for the Tanzania Rotaplast team, 9,738 miles to be exact.  And a big step for many patients traveling from near and far to... Read More »

Jun 8, 2017

Day 4 – “can’t wait”

Arusha, Tanzania

He stood there outside pacing in the dark, as any nervous father would, illuminated only from the light that streamed out from the Pediatrics ward where every other child and parent had already been reunit... Read More »

Jun 9, 2017

Day 5 – WhatsApp

Arusha, Tanzania

Africa is not the first place that comes to mind when you think of mobile phones.  However, estimates posit that mobile subscriptions have jumped to 1 Billion as of 2015 (Source: The Economist) and that A... Read More »

Jun 10, 2017

John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt- a love story

Arusha, Tanzania

At opening clinic, most children clung to their mothers and were visibly tense.  Not John.  He ran through the legs of doctors and nurses, pulling on our pockets in search of chocolate or a good tickle.... Read More »

Jun 13, 2017

Day 7 – Kali Sana

Arusha, Tanzania

She came in with sunglasses on, to hide her face as much as possible.  From her marbled skin color you could tell she had been badly burned.  She told us it happened while cooking.  1.2 billion people ... Read More »

Jun 13, 2017

Day 8 – Purpose (part 1)

Arusha, Tanzania

The desire to go on medical missions to another country is not something that everyone universally understands or shares.  The hours are long, the conditions can be rough, the locations are often unfamili... Read More »

Jun 14, 2017

Day 9 – Purpose (part 2)

Arusha, Tanzania

What are the different motivations for going on a medical mission?  In part 2 of “Purpose” we explore the rest of the teams’ answers. Jann Johnson (Surgeon): I was asked to go in 1991 an... Read More »

Jun 16, 2017

Day 10 – waiting to be free

Arusha, Tanzania

Flora is 10 years old.  She fell into hot cooking oil when she was 2 years old.  As she has gotten older, the burned skin around her lips has contracted closing the opening of her mouth smaller and small... Read More »

Jun 18, 2017

Thank you and goodnight

Arusha, Tanzania

[Pictured, L-R (top): Alirameen Akram (Medical Records), Salman Dasti (Anesthesiologist), Lianna Hopper (OR Nurse), Bryan Stamm (Pediatrician), Neal Fleming (Lead Anesthesiologist). (Middle): Devi Tantri (... Read More »

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