The Overachievers

Like me, everyone here has a strong desire to learn or as I like to say “learning is in the FAME DNA”. It’s what keeps me coming back.

A bit of background…..in 2003 Foundation for African Medicine and Education started as a mobile clinic serving the rural Karatu region. 2006 the first 12 acres were purchased to build a hospital. Much has happened since then with continuing progress in every aspect of the hospital. There is a special focus on reproductive and child health with a new building started in 2017. This is THE best place for prenatal care and delivery. I love stopping in at the maternity center but need to give the new moms their privacy. So I get my fill of cuteness on WELL BABY TUESDAY when parents bring kids for free checkups, vaccinations etc. The hospital is overrun with adorable little ones.

One of the practices here that feeds the learning hunger is the volunteer program. A volunteer is here to coach, improving the skills and confidence of the Tanzanian staff. And I can say personally it is a profitable transaction for a volunteer. We learn things that are unique to this experience. It is rich in understanding culture, language and the hearts of people who live differently than us, but share the same inner workings. One cavate for me is language. Swahili gets stuck on my tongue and comes out unrecognizable and, too often, laughable. Kind of like my first two weeks here in January 2018 when I said fart to everyone thinking I was saying hello.

The past two weeks I have referred to the heavy load of work that is now taking shape in the updated 5 year strategic priorities. That process and more about the FAME overachievers in photos below.