|
It has been a while since we have updated on what we have been doing in Tanzania so have we written a brief summary.
 AMO SCHOOL: The new hospital started an Assistant Medical Officer school. (This takes "doctors" who had 3 years training and trains them for two years to increase their diagnostic accumen and their practical skills. There are about 20 students. Before she left for NZ, Jenny was lecturing once a week on surgically related topics.
HOSPITAL: Beyond the AMO school, Jenny has become increasingly involved in the Lutheran Mission Hospitals where she works, until being temporarily interrupted by maternty leave. On Thurday mornings, Jenny chairs the doctors meeting and has also introduced a Morbidity and Mortality meeting. She also continued with her Tuesday clinics and Wednesday operating, with some very interesting cases and challenges.
 WATER PROJECT: In October 2009, we were visited by Russel Kelly and Eric Hill, who have a passion to supply quality water for the local Tanzanian. They had raised significant capital and shipped various water filtration devices that can be used in village settings. This was a preliminary trip to ascertain the extent of water issues and work out the best solutions for various areas and conditions. Russel is an inventor who works with filtration systems around the world, being based out of Christchurch, New Zealand. They visited some villages and slums in Arusha and in the surrounding rural areas, visited Magugu school (run by The Joshua Foundation which is endevouring to provide clean, fluoride free water to the pupils) and a project with the Maasai in a very remote setting. They arrived in the height of our drought season, which reinforced the importance of getting water to each Tanzanian regularly. One of the key findings was the need to first provide a stable supply of water and then have plans for filtration. We are in the process of analysing options and hoping to start some pilot projects shortly.
JET: Jenny joined Richard, Alan and Lynda on the Joshua Executive Team (JET) last year. This team provides the leadership and governance for The Joshua Foundation. We have enjoyed this new responsibility and opportunity, and also being involved with such amazing pioneers as the Stephensons - who have worked here for over 20years in Tanzania.
 OM: Paul Carstensen's departure from The Joshua Foundation, when he returned to NZ permanently with his family last year, meant there were now significant holes that needed to be filled. Richard took over managing the Operation Ministries (OM), which run the practical side of The Joshua Foundation. A priviledge of this role is working closely wth a number of our African staff, empowering them to lead in the areas for which they are responsible, and doing very well in. He has also been joined by Neil Murray, a sound and video engineer, from Auckland, New Zealand, who is volunteering at Joshua for 2 years. He has been a real blessing to Richard and an asset to the team.
ACCOUNTS: As part of overseeing the practical aspects of The Joshua Foundation, Richard has been working on improving the accounting system. It started with the employment of a Tanzanian Accountant to join our staff and has since been a process of refinement and simplification. It is vital that any organisation has access to reliable, relevant and timely information - and it is no different on the 'Mission Field', especially with a ministry such as The Joshua Foundation with a Bible College, Teachers College and Schools - on top of many other aspects. Richards role is very much as adviser, mentor and overseer, holding the finance portfolio on JET.
EXAMS: Jenny finally received her registration with the General Medical Council of the United Kingdom in April 2010 after a very long and frustrating experience. This enables Jenny to work in the UK as a surgeon for short-term locums, enabling her to upskill on various procedures and earn funds for the children's schooling or other key needs. This involved a basic medical exam in Dubai and then a practical exam in England. There was also a lot of paperwork to complete, made all the more difficult by trying to do things from Africa - the paperwork often seemed more difficult than the exams!
 CIRCUS: There was a circus in town last year, that was completely run and performed by Africans. It was similar to Cirque du Soleil and of remarkable high quality. It was very reasonably priced at about NZ$5 per person and was the first circus to come to town for 30 years. Therefore as they may never get the experience again, we took our personal staff and their families to it. They enjoyed thie circus and talked about it for days. We did have to explain that the chalk on the performers hand was normal not magic as they initially thought.
 JENNY'S FAMILY VISITED FOR CHRISTMAS: Jenny's parents and younger brother visited for 4-6 weeks over the Christmas period. The children loved having good quality time with them, especially Caleb who loved bouncing on the trampoline with Uncle Andrew. For Jenny's parents, as this was their first visit, this gave them a better understanding of what we are involved in and the struggles of living here. They managed to go on safari, experiencing first-hand what it is like to be just meters from huge wild elephants. It was also a privilege to spend a week with them on the island of Zanzibar - a great family holiday.
BUSINESS: One of the key develpments for The Joshua Foundation and ourselves over the past year has been the commencement of the Business aspects of our work here in Africa. Poverty is such a huge issue here and business is a key to helping overcome this killer. The key components of business development we have completed (or in the process of completing) are:
- Change 4500m2 of our land to a Commercial zone
- Register a charitable company in Tanzania
- Complete all registrations with Taxation and Local Authorities. Gain correct immigration approvals.
- Gain the rights to import SLIME tyre sealant product to Tanzania as our first significant business venture
- Finalise our planning for the implementation of Community Banking and Micro-Enterprise
For further information about the above developments, click here to read about the business
For more news:-
| 
