Save Lives with Olorien Community Clinic

This past winter, I volunteered at Olorien Community Clinic in Arusha, Tanzania. I was touched by the unrelenting optimism and drive of the clinic staff to help as many people as they can with the limited resources at their disposal and hope to raise enough money to support them in their efforts. The clinic was founded in 2009 by charity donations and serves patients from both the immediate and neighboring villages. Over 100 patients are treated through OCC daily for a host of tropical and infectious diseases such as typhoid, malaria, and HIV. OCC provides a higher quality of care than the public hospitals and at a much lower cost in order to treat hundreds of people who would normally not be able to afford these life-saving treatments. In addition, OCC regularly absorbs the cost of treatments for patients who truly cannot afford the medications or pay the lab fees.

During my time in Tanzania, I saw and helped treat many people affected by these tropical and infectious diseases. I have seen many children who did not receive proper medical attention for their treatable diseases die way too young. The clinic pharmacy rapidly runs out of much-needed medication (e.g. amoxicillin, chloramphenicol, doxycycline, mefloquine) and the laboratory and medical equipment currently being used is breaking. All of the money raised would go toward life-saving medication and purchasing new equipment so the clinic can continue to diagnose patients and provide quality treatment at affordable costs.


Video courtesy of the New Hope Initiative

The clinic is supported by the New Hope Initiative, a philanthrophic organization that sponsors community projects in India, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sierra Leone, as well as Tanzania. If you would like more information about NHI or would like to donate via their page, click here.