Chalice: Notes from the field...

In our second clinic site our team was divided into Women's Clinic and Children's Clinic.  The children's team were working out of the local school, a 25 minute hike away.  Twice a day the team would make the hike through the forest and foothills - a beautiful walk, but not for the faint of heart. The region we worked out of is named Mkongo and had no running water or electricity.  We all have a new appreciation of how hard it is to live without what we take for granted at home.  I can say we've all gotten much better at the art of The Bucket Shower! The stars are beautiful when there is no light pollution.

Mission Mkongo is over and a complete success. We have spent 3 busy days   at the local school and dispensary providing medical assessments and services to over   1400 children and patients.   The community welcomed us with open arms and made our stay a most fulfilling experience. Mkongo is   located in the hill areas west of the city of Songea.   It’s a beautiful location but very remote.   There is no running water or electricity so   it was a big adjustment for the team.   Despite the challenges, we ate well, we showered in creative ways and got the job done. We have had some minor setbacks with cramps, and upset tummies but those affected are on the mend and we are a happy crew again. Onward to   Mbinga and Mbangamao.

After two hectic days in clinic, we have successfully assessed over 400 children and 130 new mothers and baby. As part of the medical mission, classes are being offered for keen Tanzanian medical staff.  We have been facing some interesting challenges; despite Ultrasound transducers still en route, numerous technical glitches and language barriers, Team TanCan is getting the job done.  The linguists in the group seem to be mastering Swahili.  They have a repertoire of 5 or 6 words and the rest of us are lagging behind in skill.  The children get much pleasure listening to our sad attempts at traditional greetings. The children greet us each day with genuine joy and smiles. It makes our work day worthwhile and so rewarding.

TanCan 2014 clinic is in motion.It's been an long and eventful journey of three days.  Most of our Canadian team meet in Washington DC, on route to Tanzania with a brief stop over in Ethiopia.  A few hours of sleep and then a 15 hour bus ride across country to Songea, quick supper and shower  if you have the lucky rooms with showers that are working. We all arrived at our first clinic site in Songea on Wednesday.  Blessed to have this experience. 

Hello everyone, I am the International Manager for Africa with Chalice. The TANCAN team begin to depart this evening for our third medical mission with our Congregational partners in Tanzania but I am already on route. As the Mission Operations Manager I travel alone to arrive a couple of days in advance of the team to ensure our on Site logistics are ready for the next 3 weeks of activities. Sitting in Heathrow airport in London, England I am going over our schedule and taking in the international sites one experiences at a major air transit hub. It never ceases to amaze me the beauty and complexity of the human race as it chorines through corners of the world. There are at least seven different languages being spoken around me as I sit here typing.  The travel to our final destination is no small feat. The majority of the team will take at least 3 if not 4 flights over the course of 2.5 days to arrive in Dar es Salaam. On arrival we will proceed to gather over 45 large ...

"Live simply that others might simply live."  - Elizabeth Ann Seton    This month I had the opportunity to spend two incredible weeks living simply in Southern Tanzania; playing in red dirt with smiling children, sitting in sun burnt grass with patiently waiting mothers, and listening to stories from wise elders over a cups of hot tea.  I owe these simple pleasures to  Chalice , a faith based NGO from Nova Scotia who graciously allowed me to join them on a two week medical mission (TANCAN 2013) in Songea and the surrounding villages of Mbinga, Mbangamao, Mpepai and Lifikara...   To read Susannah's the full post, click here .

This week an incredible team of Canadians and Tanzanians collaborated to support, serve and spread love in the Songea region of Southern Tanzania.    New mural in the reception area of St. Norbert's Clinic   As we drove down the bumpy red dirt road and pulled into the small but mighty community of Bombambili we were greeted in true Tanzania style - we ate, we danced and we sang.   Over the course of the week our team developed strong friendships and the deepest respect for our Tanzanian counterparts, who possess endless amounts of energy, exude positivity in the most challenging of situations and whose resilience and resourcefulness are remarkable.   Between the dancing and the singing and the painting of the clinic walls our team offered medical services to 725 community members; children, elderly and mothers.   The gratitude we were shown was overwhelming, children touched our heads and the elderly ...