Monday, January 13th

The team flew into Mwanza yesterday without any luggage lost!  We had a dinner with the doctors and scrub nurse that the team will be working with at Bugando Hospital and celebrated the graduation of a resident that Hope Ministries sponsored with cake.

Jacky spent the day shopping for food for one of the local orphanages that Hope sponsors.  She was able to experience Tanzanian grocery shopping where you have to go to separate vendors for each item and it is all sold in bulk.  With the help of the team and Hope Ministries, we were able to purchase, corn maze, rice, beans, fruits, beef, and sardines.  Jacky had the best time playing with the children and learning some of their games as well as teaching them about proper hand hygiene and coughing/sneezing etiquette. The children were ecstatic when she presented them with a few small toys and candy for each of them.

The rest of the team spent their day at Bugando Hospital.  In the morning they were introduced to the administrative team and they complimented Hope Ministries and how they have helped transform the medical care that they are able to provide. They then proceeded to the clinic where Alex assessed patients that were potential total joint surgeries.  Alex taught them asssessment skills to determine if the patient needed joint surgery. Gayle was able to meet two of the doctors that she is sponsoring. Pendo was referred here from Arusha by Gayle to have a total hip surgery three years ago.  She was treated for an infection in the hip joint and now that the infection is cleared we are able to perform the replacement surgery tomorrow!