Picture: Shirati KMT Hospital in Tanzania

Pictures: Services offered at KMT Hospital

Hello my dears,

My name is Kaya Watermann. I am a pediatric nurse from Germany with a background in Global Health and Tropical Diseases. I have been working in various medical projects in different countries all over the world.

In 2019 I have been visiting and working in a small hospital in the rural area of Western Tanzania for a few months. Malaria, Tuberculosis, Parasites, Malnutrition and injuries from road accidents are omnipresent, next to the well-known non-communicable diseases like cardiovascular and respiratory diseases as well as diabetes and cancer. The workload is high and the staff, consisting of local doctors, nurses, midwifes and lab technicians, are highly focused and dedicated to ensure best care for their patients.

Picture: Rezeption Maternity Ward

Picture: Female Ward at KMT Hospital

As seen in many places in the world, the lack of medical staff is also a problem in Tanzania.

High educational costs in terms of school fees for medical degrees leads many students to drop out or never even start their career. Especially students from impoverished backgrounds are hardly able to follow their dream of becoming a nurse or a doctor.

Once back in Germany after my visit to Tanzania, I stayed in touch with some of the medical staff from Shirati Hospital and I started to support two nursing students with their school fees, as well as one nurse, Sylvester, with his studies to become a Clinical officer, equivalent to a physician assistant.

One of the nursing students is graduating this year and the other one, Basil, just started her nursing education. She is very dedicated and one of the best in her class so far.

Picture: Sylvester and me in front of the hospital

Picture: Basil in her Nursing Uniform

I would like to continue to support Basil over the course of her three-year study and if possible to set up a continuous financial support over the next years for future students. The funding will help to pay for the school fees, the required uniforms, stationary, as well as meals and accommodation for the time period.

The costs for her education are the following:

2nd Semester Fee: 605 Euro (including boarding)

Second year: 1350 Euro (including boarding)

Third year: 1350 Euro (including boarding)

Total: 3305 Euro

For now I am collecting funds for Basils School Fees until graduation, however I am happy to provide you with more information, if you would like to engage in a continuous support for nurse students in Shirati.

Thank you so much for reading and caring.

Best wishes,

Kaya

If you like to read more about my experiences in Tanzania, feel free to visit my blog on: www.kayawaterman.de