Tumaini Health Centre

Jambo everyone! My name is Joelle I am 22 from America. I graduated from Caldwell University in 2013 and am now a registgered nurse. I am currently a medical volunteer in Arusha Tanzania. Tanzania is a beautiful country with beautiful people and vibrant culture. However, there is alot of poverty and a very low level of health care available to the people here. I volunteer at a clinic called Tumiani Health Centre, a christian/catholic faith based clinic run by the diases of Moshi and the sisters of Our Lady of Killimanjaro. The clinic sees many walk in patients everyday with diseases ranging from malaria, and other tropical disease to respiratory and gastrointestinal ailments. The clinic also serves as a maternity ward where pregnant women and new mothers come to receive prenatal care and and fetal assessments each month. The center also provides vaccinations for mothers and young children up until age 5. The nearest hospital (Mt. Meru Hospital) is very far away considering almost no one here has a car and the public transportation is very slow, so this clinic is the only form of medical attention the people of Tumaini can get. Infact many women will often deliver at home because they cannot get to the hospital; which in the case of HIV infected mothers transmits HIV to their babies. Sister Clarissa the head doctor, who i work closely with, is doing her best to keep the center functional to provide the best possible quality care to the people of Tumaini. But, with limited funding from the government and limited exposure, the center strugles with supplies. They reuse test tubes, syringes, and slides. They dont have gloves to properly protect themselves while assessing patients or maintain sterillity during procedures. Sister Clarissa's hope, and one of the main reasons I am starting this go fund me page, is to be able to proform cecarian sections at the clinic to decrease the transmition of HIV from mother to child and to encourage more women to come to the clinic to give birth instead of giving birth at home. With the money i raise i plan to purchase a surgical lamp and other surgical and medical supplies to make that possible. Anything you want to give would be appreciated in ways you can't even imagine! Thank you!!!!PS. More pictures available of facebook!