Mission Accomplished

After a long week of travel and meeting thousands of new friends, our group has completed this part of our partnership and journey with our sisters and brothers in Tanzania. Words alone can not express the warmth and beauty of the villagers and the land. We have thousands of pictures and hours of video that will reflect what words are not able to. We will post many of these on our website in the near future. I hope that everyone will take the time to view what our eyes saw every day and see the true friendships that have been developed. The Tanzanians are beautiful, faith-filled people who are not looking for a hand-out, but a helping hand. I appreciate all the hard work that our team and the many supportive people that helped us prepare for the trip. The sincere drive and passion is greatly appreciated. I think each has been touched in a very special way and has a place in their hearts for the plight of the people and our many new friends. Without this commitment, the work we are doing would not be possible. I am also thankful to all the families who have allowed their loved ones to travel with the group. You also have made sacrifices, but I will let you know that you were with us every step of our trip. Lastly I want to thank everyone who prayed for us each day for safe travel and strength to do our work. As Sister Verona at Rhotia Health Center says, "little drops of rain will fill the bucket over time". She was referring to all the work that St. Joseph, Mercy and CHI has provided to the people of Tanzania. I can not find any better words to describe our work. God Bless Asante Sana John Tolmie

Hi, It's me Tony La Porta. All the others have gone on safari to the Serengeti and Lake Manyara. I have stayed behind to attend to loose ends before we leave Karatu on Monday morning. We did it! Nets have been distributed to Getamok, Ayalabe, Slahaamo, Kusumay, and Kilimatembo villages. Dr. Henry and Lucian are off and running to move the remaining nets to 16 other villages by the end of November. The weather has been hot and dry during the days and the nights tend to cool off somewhat. I do find myself sleeping under covers in the morning. Paul Neuman and I visited with Jolene Mullins, aka, "Mama Minnesota", the country director for Minnesota International Health Volunteer Tanzania. We spoke of the projects that each of us are undertaking within the Karatu district to get a better feel for the work that's being done by others. After the meeting, Me, Paul and Emanual stopped for dinner at Bytes, a really neat roadside eatery on the main road in Karatu Town. I had a cheeseburger fries and a "Chui" and the music was wonderful, Neil Young, Cat Stevens, Willie Nelson! It doesn't get better than this. Earlier this week, my dear friend, Wolfgang Edrich, aka "Baba Nyuki" or Father Bee, arrived in Karatu. Wolfie has agreed to establish a viable and sustainable wild African bee project in the Karatu area as a joint project sponsored by SJMC and Mercy Regional Medical Center. We are excited that Wolfie has agreed to undertake this well needed project. This evening, we will all say farewell to our Tanzanian friends at a dinner at the Bougainvillea Safari Lodge just outside Karatu Town on the main road to the Ngorongoro Crater. I am anxious to return home to be with my family and watch the election returns. Remember, Tanzania, where water is scarce, goats are nervous, and every day is a bad hair day. Ciao/t

The winds and spirit of the world

I have a daughter on her second trip to Burkina Faso and these pictures Curt has taken remind me so much of the love our daughter has for the country of Africa. She is in another part of the country but the life style reflects what we see and hear from her. Your postings bring the heartfelt happiness you all are spreading throughout Tanzania. The details of your day make our days here seem relatively mundane. It is such a pleasure knowing that CHI hospitals helped give "kill malaria" a very real meaning- our donations were fruitful. You are a very lucky group of special people to take this from us to them; the experience is one that we all are sharing through your writing and pictures. Please keep sending this loving information to us; many of us wish we could be there with you. Give my best to Tony! Sincerely, Marene

St. Joe's Team at Slahhamo Village

Posted by Pat Bosse. Jambo! After the pageant and ceremony of the kick-off celebration at Getamock Village on Wednesday, Thursday’s visit to Slahhamo Village was far more intimate, and a wonderful contrast for us. The team from St. Joseph arrived in the village after traveling about an hour from Karatu – mostly along rutted roads of red, dusty clay. We keep the windows open, but quickly slide them shut when faced with an oncoming ‘traffic’ (which is very seldom once you leave Karatu town). The landscape as we travel through more remote areas is starkly beautiful. It is not hard to imagine life here as unchanged since Biblical times – we see women gathering water for their families at a well, a boy herding his goats along the road (how obediently they move out of our way when he waves the long reed he carried in command), men driving an overflowing cart of dried corn stalks – mounded higher than wisdom suggests, but somehow stable – pulled by four plodding and sturdy cows. Polly, our infection control expert, asks the driver to stop at the well so that she can test the water. Polly will have the results from her testing today – but our driver, Sos Peter, took a drink and declared it ‘very good.’ I think that all of us said a quiet prayer that Sos was right – water is a precious commodity here, and there has been very little of it in recent months. The well seemed to be productive and the herds of goats and cattle waiting patiently for their buckets to arrive looked healthy. We arrived in Slahhamo Village close to 10 o’clock. Dr. Slaa, a Member of Parliament representing the Karatu District, was at our car to greet us and make introductions. We met Joseph, the tall and handsome Village Executive Chairman. At 28, he clearly commands respect from the people. He has an intelligence and intensity that shine through his eyes and into his greetings to us – in very good English. Joseph put on our Village Wellness t-shirt and was a dashing sight as Village leader! Gail, Amanda and Polly made a quick trip down the road to the village dispensary to deliver medical supplies. John, Tony, Curt and I stayed with Dr. Slaa, Joseph and other leaders to get a sense of how the distribution would unfold. Curt set up his ever-present video camera behind the group of 350 or more who were sitting on the ground in the shade of large trees for the festivities. Men and women were separated – men on the right, women on the left. The morning sunlight filtering through the leaves painted the women’s brightly colored fabric with even greater splendor. It was a feast for the eyes. (Curt, I think, has been on media production overload – there is a richness and intensity to everything.) The ceremony began with a traditional African prayer, in Swahili, of course. Several of our friends helped to translate, but sometimes the dialect became very old and deep, and even they could not follow the path. The concluding rite was a litany of prayers for health, for ‘the clouds to be hungry for rain,’ for relief from malaria, for relief from HIV/AIDS, for a good harvest, and so on. The cadence to the elder’s chant – and the people’s response – was universal. Close your eyes, and you were anywhere, buried in the rhythms of a communal prayer. Christian prayer followed. The nets were blessed, and there was a thanksgiving for the opportunity to protect the 6655 people who live within the boundaries of the Slahhamo Village from malaria. Slahhamo is a Christian village, mostly Lutheran, with a simple but lovely brick church. It is perhaps the nicest building in the village. Dr. Slaa then spoke at length, educating the people about the nets and how to use them properly. He is a dynamic speaker! The people clearly know and like him. They respond with vigor to his questions and promptings. Finally, he greets John with genuine affection, wrapping his arm tightly around John’s shoulder as he introduces John to the people. Dr. Slaa tells the story of John’s deep love and commitment to the people of Karatu, the work of the Village Wellness Project, and the friendship that extends beyond oceans and time zones. Hearing St. Joseph Medical Center spoken so many times – buried in Swahili – was a treat. That part needed no translation for any of us on the team! Dr. Slaa also spoke of John’s parents – Don and Joann – and their remarkable commitment to Faraja and Karatu. The villagers listen to every detail of Dr. Slaa’s stories about John, his parents, St. Joseph Medical Center as if studying for finals, applauding with smiles and genuine emotion. It is something to witness. Travel guides and briefing books don’t quite prepare you for such wonderful moments of warmth and hospitality. John earlier had asked me to offer remarks on behalf of our team and present a monetary gift of $200 USD to Joseph, the Village Executive, to be used as the village leaders decided for health care and education. This would not be a normal role for a women in Tanzania – so when I asked if my speaking would offend anyone, John simply said that he thought that we should do things the ‘Joann Tolmie’ way! (Good training, Mrs Tolmie!) It was certainly not the kind of speaking environment for powerpoint presentations and pie charts. You speak from the heart and look into the eyes of the people – truly beautiful people, young and old, men and women. They were rapt in their attention as I offered words of greeting from our St. Joseph Team here in Tanzania and back home in Towson. I thought about Leigh Chapman in Towson, knowing how hard she worked to help us prepare for our visit. Her greetings and affection for the people of Tanzania were intermingled with mine and everyone else’s today. (I also learned that I sound so much better in Swahili, too.) Following the speeches, there was a demonstration of how the bed nets should be hung and used (complete with live bodies under them), followed by a ‘ceremonial’ presentation of one bed net to each of the 9 sub-village leaders. Then, the storage barn nearby was opened and the giant bales of nets were unloaded and handed off with precision to each of the sub-villages. During this process, we took Joseph and a teacher from the school with us in for a quick drive to the school to deliver supplies to the children. Along the way, boys were on a field playing soccer (with breathtaking landscapes beyond). We stopped and youthful and (ahem) limber President and CEO hopped out with several of the soccer balls we were delivering and joined in the play. No hat tricks for John, but maybe a few sore muscles today. Watch for the video on YouTube soon. We visited the school, then set off for 2 home visits of Faraja children. They were special opportunities, but are yet another significant chapter in the story of our visit. I will end this too-long entry with our departure from remarkable visit to Slahhamo, and pick up later on the visit to the homes of Petro and Esta. Asante Sana (Thank you very much) for reading such a missive!

THURSDAY -- OUR GLOBAL FRIENDSHIP IN ACTION

Posted by Diane Jones. On Thursday, we split into two teams to continue the distribution of nets to villages in the Karatu District. One of the teams visited the village of Ayalabe. We were met by the women and young children of the village with a traditional welcome dance in which the women on our team were invited to participate. We began our morning with a visit to the village primary (elementary) school. The school has an enrollment of more than 950 students divided into classrooms of more than 50 children each. The teachers and students provided and enthusiastic welcome. We left gifts of school supplies, toys and soccer balls for the students and the teachers. All of the schoolchildren joined with village leaders and hundreds of residents in a ceremony prior to the net distribution. The ceremony included traditional song and dance and an educational session about the proper use of nets. Village leaders demonstrated how to use a net. Kirk Dignum, Mercy Regional Medical Center President and CEO, helped to distribute the nets to the sub village leaders who distributed the nets for families within their sub village region. The ceremony closed with dance and a special song of appreciation, joy, and love for our global friendship.

Internet Challenges

TIA (This is Africa!) Power blackouts, internet access, computer equipment and a rather rigorous schedule have made postings a challenge. Two are waiting on our zip for an opportune time to be deployed -- when the computer agrees to cooperate! In the meantime, please know that all the messages from home are gratefully received. Asante Sana, Pat Bosse

AMAZING GRACE

Good morning Team, What an amazing time! I am here in my office imagining you all covered in that red dust after such a wonderful experience. All of our love here is with you all in Tanzania. I cannot wait to welcome you all home and hear of all the gracious work. Thank you for keeping us posted. I miss you. Stay strong and well, Leigh

NET DISTRIBUTION KICKOFF CELEBRATION in GETAMOCK village

Posted by Meghan Ray

Wednesday we departed after our morning reflection to Getamock Village about an hour from Karatu town. We heard last night from Dr. Slaa (Karatu member of Parliament) that preparations were well underway and that they expected more than 2,000 villagers to come to the ceremonies!! Wow! We arrived at Getamock and parked in a big field. In front of us was shaded structure for the guests of honor. The villagers were putting the finishing touches on the decorations as we arrived. We are not sure if the pink fabric along the roof was in honor of Breast Cancer awareness month, but who knows? A few of us went to the dispensary to deliver some supplies before the ceremonies started. Dr. Cunningham worked with Agnes, the nurse midwife, to show her how to use the blood glucometer. When we came in January, Agnes shared her ideas about attracting more patients to her dispensary. Because we couldn’t deliver a TV to her waiting room, we settled for bringing some baby blankets instead!

As the ceremonies started at 10:00am, villagers were still lining up to see the festivities. By this time they were stacked 10 deep along the ropes. The colors and patterns of the traditional dresses were vibrant and beautiful. Seated against the ropes were hundreds of schoolchildren dressed in their uniforms and ready for us to begin. The ceremony and pageantry in Tanzania is unlike anything most of us have ever seen. Each sub village presented a song or dance to the honored guests in brightly colored clothing. Drummers kept the beat while the dancers chanted and moved in formation. All of these songs represented a welcome to Getamock, gratitude for our gifts and daily life in the village. Some of the dancers stomped so hard that the ground shook under our feet! It was spectacular! After about an hour of song, we began the speeches. The Bishops from the Catholic and Lutheran dioceses were there, a representative from USAID/US Embassy, Charles Llewelyn, Dr. Slaa, Representative from the Tanzanian Ministry of Health, Mr. Mliga, and they were joined on the dais by John Tolmie, CEO of St. Joseph Medical Center and Kirk Dignum, CEO of Mercy Regional. Since this was such a special occasion, each representative talked (mostly in Swahili) for quite some time. It makes speeches in the US look fast! Each speech emphasized the importance of bed nets and using them properly to protect against malaria. “Kataa Malaria” is the Swahili phrase for Kill Malaria and we heard that often. This day is so important to the health of the village. With a free net, people can immediately begin to protect themselves. Since we delivered the nets to the village, people didn’t have to make a 3 hour walk to town to redeem a net voucher that is too expensive. Our partnership with the government, CHI, St. Joseph and all of the Village Wellness workers means that people will be able to enjoy an immediate benefit to their health and well-being. The nets we ordered from A-Z textile mills in Arusha have packaging with educational information printed in Swahili to instruct in proper care and usage of the net. During our ceremony we blessed all of the nets and also had a bed and nets prepared to demonstrate how to sleep under a net

The ceremonies continued with more song and dance and also gift giving. The Mercy, St. Joseph and CHI team were presented with traditional African fabrics. John Tolmie presented the Bishops with commemorative books from the Basilica in Baltimore signed by Cardinal Keeler. After the ceremony ended at 1:30pm, we were treated to a traditional feast of rice, vegetables, plantains, beef, chicken and potatoes and very special cake. For those of you who do not know, traditional Tanzanian cake is a GOAT. Not goat in the shape of a cake, but a whole entire goat carried into the room with leaves stuffed in its mouth and carved right in front of you. Before you eat this goat, it is blessed and presented ceremoniously to the guests of honor on a plate. Then you take a piece and pass the plate to the next person. If you don’t enjoy eating meat that was just carved from the animal sitting next to you then it is advised to look like you do anyway to be culturally appropriate. Some of our group mysteriously disappeared as the goat entered the room. I wonder why…? ;0) Our hosts also prepared traditional American yellow cake with frosting which complimented the goat quite nicely.

As the afternoon sun got stronger and the goat digested, we mingled with some of the villagers, especially the children. They are so curious to see us and say hello. Many of them giggle when you wave or say hi. Taking photos of children on digital cameras and showing them the picture results in hysterical laughter. Some of them have never seen their own reflections! The children that weren’t following us around were sitting up in the trees watching the music and dancing that was still going on.

We finished the day witnessing the net distribution procedure. People were so excited about receiving nets that they did not want to wait until tomorrow. Hundreds of people gathered to watch the nets retrieved from a shed, get blessed and carried to the sub-villages for distribution. Each village has sub-villages and a chairman who is responsible for representing the families within it. After careful thought by Tony and the Village Wellness Team, this process was determined to be the most efficient for distribution, education and tracking. Watching bales of nets carried through the crowd was pretty spectacular. How amazing to watch the generosity of so many people at St. Joseph Medical Center, Mercy Regional Medical Center and CHI impact people’s lives like that. The people of Getamock and Karatu thank you. ASANTE SANA.

We arrived back at Kudu Lodge, happy and tired from this amazing day and also covered in layers of red dust!

Tomorrow, net distribution continues in Slahhamo and Ayalabe villages.

Visit to Karatu Lutheran Hospital (KLH) and Rhotia Health Center

Posted by Meghan Ray

Monday we visited our friends at the Karatu Lutheran Hospital. Dr. Awai, a physician at the hospital, extended a warm greeting to us in the Chapel. Our group met with hospital staff (John Kulle, Dawson Daati, Dr. Kimaro) for about an hour to talk about the current status of the hospital and some of the health programs. Unfortunately, they have had very little rain in Karatu in 6 months and there is a water shortage. However, the Village Wellness Program provided a water collecting vessel from which the hospital can draw water in situations like this. The diseases that they see at the hospital for inpatients (in order of volume) are malaria, TB, diarrheal diseases, skin/eye infections, diabetes and hypertension and trauma. They treat outpatients for blood plasma, bladder infections, skin infections, STDs and some psych cases. They also do testing and counseling for HIV/AIDS twice a week in the clinic there. It is separate from the main hospital to protect the privacy of the patients. The hospital faces many challenges. Drugs are often out of stock because only 60% of what they need is available from the government and the pharmacy is subsidized by the government. Moreover, they do not enough money to conduct needed repairs and they face some of the same difficulties we do in the US – nursing shortages!

We have brought some supplies from St. Joseph to donate to the hospital (sutures, blood drawing kits, sterile gloves, face shields, cast shoes and more). Supplies that are slightly past expiration date and would go to waste in the US are accepted gladly here.

We took a tour of the facility. Patients who come to the hospital are usually accompanied by family members because the hospital cannot provide food service. The families cook in an outbuilding and help care for their loved ones. They do not have an ambulance at KLH so patients have to take a taxi (very cost prohibitive) or walk. Some of the villages are very far away. It’s hard to imagine walking such long distance when someone is so ill.

KLH is situated in a beautiful area in stark contrast to the suffering, disease and illness inside. I think that we were all amazed at the deep commitment, sincerity and hard work of the staff who work tirelessly to take care of their patients in extremely difficult situations.

We presented mosquito nets to the entire KLH community for the patient beds and the staff quarters. Hopefully this will keep the caregivers and the patients they serve free from deadly malaria. It is also important for villagers to see the same nets that they received in use at the hospital because it reinforces the importance of using the bed nets to protect themselves in their own homes. During the mosquito net preparations, KLH was also the storage facility to protect the nets for the rest of the community until distribution at all villages is complete.

Tuesday afternoon we headed in the opposite direction about 20 minutes through Karatu town to visit Rhotia Catholic Health Center. Sr. Verona Hutter and her colleage, Sr. Blasia, run a wonderful clinic. True to her Swiss upbringing, Sr. Verona runs a tight ship! The health center is clean and bright and welcoming for patients. The Village Wellness Program provided funds last year to assist in a water project that would create a pipeline for Rhotia and to the surrounding villages. Unfortunately this project has been delayed several times. They are ready to go with all of the equipment, now they just need power! As demonstrated by the rolling blackouts later that evening, it seems that the electric company is having trouble. Also, it just seems to take a long time to get things done in Karatu. In contrast, Sr. Verona just started construction on another building in JULY and it will open in two weeks! She and Sr. Blasia are amazing.

We interviewed Sr. Verona on camera so hopefully some of you will be able to see for yourself her warmth, sense of humor and sincere commitment to her ministry for the people of Karatu. We are proud to support the work of the sisters at Rhotia.

Notes from SJMC

Hi SJMC Team Members in Tanzania: I'm excited for all of you, but also for me. This is my first blog! It's 4:35 PM, and I'm sitting here in the FANS office wondering what your day was like today in Tanzania. I can only imagine the sights and sounds you are experiencing daily. I've read your note, Meghan, and am totally mezmerized. I can actually see the images you describe. Now I understand the comment people make when they return from Tanzania -- "that the experience changes your life forever." Your SJMC Family is proud of you and the work you are doing for some of the poorest of God's People. I'm certain He will bless you and watch over you as you continue to bring hope and healthy change to the people of Karatu and surrounding communities. Stay safe. Nancy Ashwood

Peace and all good be yours in this wonderful journey! Give joy, give nets and godspeed a safe return home.

A great salute from the spiritual team at St Joe's. I can not believe we can talk so freely across the wires of the world. It sure does make our concept of the world seems small and very personal. Our prayers and spirit are with all of you as you minister to the people of god in TZ. It gives such joy to share the wonders of your experience . It is great to know our love for humanity is shared through the work of your hands. Blessings and love.

St. Joseph Medical Center

What a wonderful thing you are doing for those less fortunate than we are. I would love to learn more about this and other projects like this. How does one get involved in these projects? God Bless you! Kelly Felo

Jambo--

Dear Gail, John, Pat, Meghan, and Team: Thank you for being our ambassadors of charity, grace, solidarity, and hope! It's exciting to hear of your experiences and can't wait to see pictures through the blog or when you arrive safely back home.... I have no doubt that, in your giving, you will receive ten fold....... Asante Sana! Sikuzote, Joy Goldman

Thinking of the group

Hi Gail, John, Pat, Meghan and Team: We are back here in "cold" Baltimore thinking of you and anxiously awaiting news of your trip. What a wonderful experience and humanitarian effort. Can't wait to hear all about it. The Medical Staff Office Team

Jambo Friends!

Jambo! This is Meghan Ray posting from St. Joseph Medical Center. We've arrived safely in Tanzania and we are now in Karatu preparing for tomorrow's mosquito net distribution and celebration in the village of Getamock. Our internet connection here is not as fast as we expected - HAKUNA MATATA (no worries) - as they say! Thanks to all for the wonderful wishes and prayers on behalf of our mission. We all feel blessed to have your support on this journey. So far, we have had a safe and healthy trip. We arrived at Kilimanjaro airport on Sunday night after a very long flight. There was a lot of fanfare upon our arrival. We like to think it was for us but in fact KLM airlines was celebrating the very first flight/landing of their new 777 jet in Tanzania (TZ). We stepped off the plane to the sights and sounds of African dancing on the tarmac. WOW! I have to give kudos to our Durango group. They have shown wonderful patience and good spirits in the midst of lost luggage. I am happy to say it arrived this afternoon. We had a restful night at Ngordoto Mountain Lodge and woke up to the sounds of birds and wildlife I cannot identify. :0) We ate breakfast watching the marabou storks who were strolling around like they owned the place! Our first stop on Monday was at the Faraja school for Handicapped Children. We purchased nets to give all of the children and staff there. Faraja is a very special school and is one of two for handicapped children in TZ. Unfortunately children with physical handicaps are often overlooked in their home villages and many stigmas exist for handicapped people. Faraja is educating the children with the same curriculum sanctioned by the TZ government. There are about 80 students and some of them come from Karatu district and the villages we serve as part of the VillageWellness Program. Pastor Killeo and the children welcomed us with open arms and the gift of song! Imagine 80 students and staff singing "We are walking in the light of God" in beautiful harmony. It was a lovely welcome that brought tears to our eyes. I think for most of us we saw the light of God in the children and their spirits. Despite significant physical problems, their smiles were a mile (or in TZ a km) wide! We shook hands and hugged for quite some time. The children are well loved and the staff does a remarkable job. We gave gifts and toys and the bubbles and stickers and hand clappers were a BIG hit (thanks Leigh Chapman). The new bed nets were received with much appreciation. It was precious to see the kids walk with the nets down the hall to the classroom. The packages were bigger than some of the kids! We enjoyed lunch and some dancing with the children. To clarify, the children danced for us. We did not dance...yet! After lunch we got to play with the children out on the swingset and shared a lot of laughs. It was very hard to leave this special place! We left for Karatu inspired by the work at Faraja and mentally preparing for a 3+ hour drive to Karatu. After we stopped at the bank in Arusha, we stopped at the Shop Rite supermarket for some water. They have Christmas decorations up. Apparently the holidays come early all over the world! As we got closer to Lake Manyara we enjoyed the beauty of the setting sun and for me, the inside of my eyelids as jet lag was catching up with me! Our group is spread out in 4 vehicles and we watched as the first car veered to the side of the road suddenly. We quickly spotted the amazing herd of giraffe against the background of the sunset. It was truly spectacular! Stay tuned for more updates and hopefully some photos! Our internet is pole pole (slow) here. Thanks for reading!

Hello from USA

Hello Team, Kate C. and I are here wondering how you are doing? We hope your trip went well and by now you should be in Karatu. We are thinking about you and Kate is sending a "shout out", "I love you" to her Mom. Lots of Love, Leigh and Kate

About the Village Wellness Program and How You Can Help!!!

The Village Wellness Program is an innovative and comprehensive health promotion program, located in the Karatu District of Tanzania, Africa. This unique initiative truly embodies the Swahili phrase “Mtu ni Afya” or “life is health,” by serving as the district’s nexus for sustainable development for 70,000 residents. The VWP combines “best practices” in community health care delivery and disease prevention with economic stimulation and other social supports, to achieve the following shorter-term outcomes: improved health care access and service delivery heightened economic vitality increased levels of communication and collaboration among district stakeholders Our goal is to ultimately bring about reduced incidence and prevalence of such deadly diseases such as malaria, cholera, HIV/AIDS, anemia, dysentery, and malnutrition. The VWP works closely with both religious partners and the Tanzanian government to build additional capacity within this existing development network, using an effective three-point service model: empowering villages to take a more active role in their own health and well being; strengthening local dispensaries in some of the poorest villages; and fostering economic development to sustain positive health outcomes. The VWP was designed to build capacity among the villagers themselves for disease prevention and early detection, thus lowering the number of acute cases, and reducing the need for outside intervention. Since its inception in 2002, the St. Joseph Medical Center Village Wellness Program has made great strides in improving the health and well-being of the people of Karatu, Tanzania. We need your help to continue to raise enough funds each year to support a continuation of casting nets over all of the villagers in Tanzania! Please click on "Ways to Give" on the right hand side to help support the Village Wellness Program!!!!

The Catholic Review features the St. Joseph Village Wellness Program

The Catholic Review has posted a great article about our trip! Check out the full story by following the link above