I haven’t written for 3 days and it’s amazing how many things happen and how many interesting people cross my path. Let’s start with the weekend.
I arranged a car and driver for the weekend to take us to Kipili which is a small village on the edge of Lake Tanganyika. It is not an easy trip but well worth the effort. The lake is the longest and second deepest in the world. It is also one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. I took my signature sunset picture there last year and hoped to get one even better. We were invited by Chris and Louise 
Horsfall, a South African couple who are building a resort on the beach dedicated to the adventurous traveler who loves water sports, especially scuba diving. The location is dramatic and yet very peaceful. They have been living there for some time in a semi-open air dwelling, perfectly suited to the climate that provides visual and physical access to an environment so idyllic that once there it is difficult to leave. Their mission is to build the perfect space to share with about 40 guests in either super-deluxe or just plain beautiful accommodations. They are well on their way and expect to receive the first paying guests in September. The food for the resort will come mostly from their organic gardens. Power is self generated from solar panels leading to a huge battery array. Chris hopes to add wind power soon so that the resort will actually add power to the local grid. During the day the place is abuzz with building activity. At night the quiet is perfect, broken only by the gentle lap of waves on the beach that are the whisper kiss that only a lake can deliver.
There were other visitors there for the weekend including Tony and Ann whom I’ve mentioned before. We also met Ross and Heidi Lloyd, a young coupe from South Africa who have quit their jobs and are touring all of Africa in their Landcruiser. Just them, no guide and no set itinerary. What stories they tell.
After hanging around all day Saturday enjoying the surroundings and downing a few beers while watching cricket and rugby (yes they have full satellite TV and internet service) we had a delightful dinner on the beach. After determining the true nature of our relationship (they had only met us once briefly) they set up 2 separate tents for Catherine and me and, fears of snakes, giant lizards, spiders, etc, notwithstanding, I slept like a stone. Awakening at dawn to watch the sunlight coming from behind me reach out over the lake was awesome. Oh, and by the way, I did get a killer sunset shot.
Back in Sumbawanga Sunday evening after another 3 ½ hour kishka krunching Landcruiser ride it was time to review the week ahead and plan for the new medical students due to arrive Monday. I will need to give then my full attention as I will be leaving here on Saturday. Wow, a month goes by fast. I’ll need to enlist other physicians to provide a program for them after I’m gone. There are several options and at least one will work out. We have some interesting cases to do. It seems the word has spread among the ear keloid afflicted that we’re taking on most comers. We scheduled two more of them for the coming week. There are a bunch more interesting surgeries to do and we’ll pack the schedule with as many as possible.
Today I made a belated tour of the AIDS/HIV project going on at Rukwa Regional Hospital. Five years ago people were literally dying in the streets. The HIV infection rate was upwards of 30%. Starting in January, 2005 the CTC (Care and Treatment Center) for AIDS/HIV was started here funded by the US government. It is a carefully managed, highly accountable program. We were shown around by a well trained, carefully spoken nurse named Matilda Ulinyeusya who has made this program her life’s work. She explained that over 3000 people locally have registered for the program And over 1400 have been placed on medication. The medications, known as AVR’s, are given free, again courtesy of Uncle Sam and the program has been a huge success. Besides diagnosis and treatment there is a strong outreach program to the outlying villages, condom distribution and massive education. The result is that we now seldom see aids patients at the hospital the HIV positive rate has dropped to about 7-8% of the population which is low for sub-Saharan Africa. Most of these people have good control of their disease. This program works on a similar scale nationwide. The problem is that the US aid package, known as PEPFAR, is in danger of not being renewed for political reasons. If you want to directly save the lives of countless people Google the program, learn the facts and then climb all over your senators and congressmen. This program cannot be allowed to lapse.
Another interesting character is Paul Graham Philips, the director of Sumbawanga Agriculture and Animal Food Industries. He is a black man from Zimbabwe who’s first language is perfectly elegant English. He is working for a member of the Tanzanian parliament who owns a huge cattle ranch not far out of town. He is dealing with a group of Jordanians who stayed at our hotel last night. Unfortunately his boss got fleeced by these guys and signed a huge contract to deliver beef in unsustainable quantities at a price that will bankrupt the company. Paul’s job is to figure out a way to make it work. I mention this only because at dinner tonight we had an in depth discussion of how the nascent African agribusiness works. What I learned is that most Tanzanians have no head for anything above day to day business and are very vulnerable to being taken advantage of. There is a great need for imported talent like Paul to help realize the tremendous potential of farming here. Tanzania could be a major player in the continental food supply if they could just get past "poli-poli" and get their act together. Paul’s a very savvy guy and I’m betting he’ll find a way to pull it out.
Our three medical students arrived this evening. I met them briefly. Fortunately they are staying at another hotel. I don’t think I could handle three more 24/7 shadows. Catherine is enough. We’ll meet in the morning and I’ll plunge them into the wonders of primitive surgery. I've given them some warning as to what to expect.
Off to bed............my mosquito net beckons.
Sounds like an amazing vacation destination - how about Passover 2010?
Posted by: Jessica | July 16, 2008 at 10:34 AM