Nkoaranga Adventures

N o power - 4/5 nights without power

K ids at the orphanage - behind our house where we spend our spare time

O opherectomy - marc and supriya each assisted on this surgery

A ll sharing one bathroom (12 people)

R oosters - 24/7

A ir drying laundry - takes 8 days when at 100% humidity

N o running water - the one night we had power...

G owgate aneasthetic (local aneasthetic) injections in the dark

A ll 8 (+2) crammed into a 4 seater taxi

Nkaronga Hospital
The team has spent the past four days volunteering and learning in the rural village of Nkaronga. As students, our healthcare experiences in Canada are limited, however many of us are striken by the differences between the small rural hospital of Nkaronga and what we have experienced in Canada. In class, it never dawned on me that people would undergo surgeries we learn about without a general aenesthetic, having to bare the brunt of their illness while awake and in pain. During my observerships, I never realized that surgeons accross the world sometimes have to scrub into emergency surgery while the running water of their hospital is shut down for the day. At the risk of being cliche, I truly have a newfound appreciation for some of the drugs and procedures we get for free in Canada.
I have decided to lead off with care in the hospital such that it will be more difficult for me to complain about our living arrangement: 2 rooms. 8 People. 4 additional Roommates. 1 Bathroom. No running water presently. No electricity at times.My bed is on wheels and sinks into the center of the room. We have two mysterious pets, a dog and a cat, who come and go as they please. To be a little more candid, I woke up the other day with a spider bite on my backside which I am reminded of every time I sit down. You think I may be miserable, but the truth is that aside from some mild homesickness and a literal pain in my ass, I have never been better. The group has been getting along and facing every hardship, either instrinsic or extrinsic, with enthusiasm and gusto. We have been learning every day during rounds and in the operating room theatre, helping to treat illnesses which have been ignored and neglected while they ought to have been treated within weeks. This truly has been the experience of a lifetime, and it makes me now more than ever appreciative of the people who have supported us and our plush lives in Canada. As always, share your comments, and keep in touch.
-Marc Lipkus and the Gang

Kilimanjaro Mararthon

Before kicking off our official Medoutreach mission of learning and donating to healthcare in Tanzania, the team decided to participate in a charity run in the town of Moshe in order to contribute to one of the local hospitals and challenge ourselves. Caleigh and Christina ran their first marathons ever at the base of kiliminjaro in what I could only describe as pure grit and determination that drove them through every single gruelling hill and turn. They may not have fared as well as the Kenyan winners of the race that ran their marathon in 2:23 minutes (a world class speed) but they both did Medoutreach proud. The two amazing nurses of our group are still feeling the rigors of their marathon, but the pain is blunted by glory, pride, and sheer strength. Andy, Harpreet and I (yours truly, Marc Lipkus) decided to support our two fearless leaders by participating in the 10 K run. While Andy swiftly finished his run and doubled back to help the rest of the team, Harpreet and I challenged ourselves by pushing beyond what we thought possible and finishing our first ever 10 kilometre runs. Although we were dwarfed by the accomplishment of the two nurses, and our muscles and blisters have healed long before theirs, we have also tasted the sweet nectar of victory and are proud of what we accomplished in Moshe. The night of the marathon, we picked up Cara and Supriya to embark on what has thus far been an incredible journey. Stay updated on what we are experiencing, and feel free to share your opinions and insights with Medoutreach, with our family and friends, and with the world. Hi Mom!

-Marc Lipkus and the Gang

Arusha to Moshi

Today we required transportation from Arusha to Moshi to participate in a Marathon/ 10km run at the base of Mount Kilimanjaro, benefiting the people of Moshi. Through familiarizing ourselves with the streets of Arusha we came upon a "bus station." This is not your typical bus station. As we are "Mzungus" (White-tourists), for obvious reasons we were swarmed by the locals trying to recruit us to take their bus. After quickly exploring the "bus station" we left the area a little overwhelmed and uncertain about this new mode of transportation. Through exploring other possibilities and speaking with Mamma Mhando we felt comfortable and reassured that this was to be expected but all the same, is a safe route to take. Not to mention, 2500 shillings per person (=$1.60) for a two hour ride to Moshi. Not bad.

After packing up our gear we began our trek down to the station. On the way we stopped at a "local" restaurant/bar/club/patio/park, etc to grab a bite to eat. As 6 white Mzungus we turn a lot of heads as we made our way to our table. After much confusion and a "slight" language barrier we managed to order and began plotting our plan as to how we would conquer the bus station and remain as camouflaged and unnoticed as possible- a daunting task.

We came to an agreement that only 2 of us Mzungus would enter the feeding frenzy as the others anxiously waited from afar. Once we received the signal to go ahead from Andy and Hilarie we knew it was game on. Single filed, we briskly walked to meet our counterparts and climbed aboard a bus.

Slightly skeptical, but happy to be aboard a half-empty bus we settled in and spread out throughout the bus. Oooops. Little did we know that they would wave people in off the street and fill up the bus beyond capacity. By beyond capacity we mean, 40-45 people in a 28 seater bus. Cozy much? Plus all of our bags on our laps. Harpreet got sat on. 2hours later, we arrived at the Moshi bus station, happy to find our hotel around the corner. After settling in, and updating our wonderful blog, we're excited to be here and looking forward to the weekend events!

Caleigh, Christina and Hilarie