Interesting story out of Tanzania
Tanzanite: Tanzanian miner becomes overnight millionaire https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-53148612
1
Tanzanite: Tanzanian miner becomes overnight millionaire https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-53148612
Comments
Wow! Amazing! When I think of the small stones we saw for sale in Africa, I am blown away.
Here is a link to the hospital that we support in Tanzania, it’s encouraged news for those who love Africa. We had the very good fortune to be able to visit Fame thanks to our Tour Director when we took the Tanzania Zanzibar tour, just months after we met Susan and Frank. the founders, when they were fundraising in Philadelphia. Their success is incredible. Because we are not traveling this year, one of the things we have been able to do is make an extra donation to Fame. Tanzania is our favorite country we have visited in Sub Sahara Africa, because it is the first country there that we experienced. That’s where we lost our hearts to Africa. Namibia is the most beautiful that we have visited. Here hopefully is the link
COVID-19 Update
A Message from Co-Founder, Susan Gustafson
Greetings from Karatu! Much has happened on the COVID-19 front since my last update. We are encouraged by the lower than anticipated number of cases we have seen at FAME thus far. We are deeply saddened by the losses we have faced, yet heartened by the remarkable recoveries the majority of our patients have made. While guardedly optimistic, our team remains extremely vigilant, doing all we can to keep our healthcare providers safe and our readiness levels well oiled. We must take into account that only one laboratory in the country is authorized and equipped to test for COVID-19. Samples are typically collected by government lab personnel, who then transport them to the government-designated lab in Dar es Salaam. Once processed, we are notified with the results. Thus, as in much of Africa, we still do not know what the future holds — for FAME, the diverse communities we serve, and the country.
In these very uncertain times, we at FAME remain 100% committed to making sure ALL our patients are well served. We are taking every opportunity to learn from this global pandemic, striving to come out on the other side stronger and better at what we do.
Response at a Glance - Early Preparedness was Key
THE FAME TEAM COVID-19 PREPAREDNESS PLAN
FAME Response Up Close
Assembling the FAME COVID-19 Task Force
The FAME COVID-19 Task Force convenes when we have breakdowns in systems and/or unexpected situations arise. The purpose of these sessions is to better understand events as they happened and collectively determine how to improve our skills and/or structures to ensure provider safety and ultimately better patient care.
Embracing Ingenuity in the Face of Urgency
In the throes of disrupted supply chains and soaring prices, our pharmacy team continues to use local materials to make potentially lifesaving supplies, including face shields, and most recently a prototype for a non-rebreather oxygen mask. They have also kept a close eye on inventory, placing high volume orders on critical medicines and supplies that are becoming increasingly difficult to access, be it due to price increases or stock outs.
"My job is to make sure that all of our doctors and nurses have the supplies they need... The shortage of medical supplies is what inspired me to create face shields and non-rebreather masks."
-Egbert Chogo, Head Pharmacist
"Over the last several months at FAME, no day has been the same. In the early months as COVID-19 was busy spreading all across the world, we were busy preparing here at FAME...."
To read more about serving on the frontlines at FAME, Click Here.
Educating our Community
From writing educational scripts to shooting and editing video, the FAME team has now made three educational videos in Kiswahili about COVID-19 and infection prevention.
Learning by Simulation & Case Review
Practice, practice, practice. The FAME team continues to run simulations relevant to emergency COVID-19 situations. Scenarios have ranged from a patient in diabetic ketoacidosis coming through the ER to a woman arriving in labor but also exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms.
Note: To conserve our N95 and FFP3 masks, we use reusable fabric masks for simulations.
Extending Our Reach Through Partnerships
The FAME COVID-19 Task Force has stepped into a leadership role in the community, developing policies, structures and systems that have served as a model for infection prevention and management across the district and region. Long before the coronavirus reached Karatu, Dr. Gabriel and Nurse Siana began developing comprehensive trainings based on Tanzanian WHO and Ministry of Health guidelines. The trainings are focused on PPE and healthcare provider safety, logistical preparedness, the decontamination process, clinical presentation and diagnoses, and clinical management. Partnering with the government, they have now trained over 300 government healthcare providers across the district and have recently been asked to provide additional training for staff within the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority in preparation for the return of tourists. In a country enormously reliant on tourism, these are critical steps. Some forecasts suggest that if an interruption to tourism persists into October, well over 400,000 jobs will be lost. It is estimated that every employed person in Tanzania helps to support 15-30 immediate and extended family members. Given FAME’s location, this would have catastrophic consequences for our community.
FAME continues to serve as a model and resource for healthcare providers in the district in the fight against COVID-19.
Representatives from WHO Tanzania, Arusha Region and Karatu District visit FAME to evaluate our preparedness efforts and collaborate on the way forward in the District of Karatu.
Enlisting the Help of the Next Generation