Banjika Day 5 (Day 12: May 29th)

The day started at various times for all of us, depending on a student’s distance from school. We arrived to school around 7:45 where a warm breakfast, consisting of donuts, eggs, and tea, were provided for those who had not eaten at their homestay already. While we ate, students from both Menlo and Banjika took turns expressing their appreciations for their buddy. We then boarded the bus and took off for our NGO visit of the day to FAME Hospital. An incredibly kind doctor took time out of his day to give our group a tour of the facilities such as the out-patient ward, the maternity ward, and the 2 year old emergency wing. He generously showed us some pictures of various surgeries he had performed that had a range of reactions from students. Towards the end of the tour, we had the opportunity to learn about the origins of FAME and ask our health-related questions. FAME was created by an American doctor who, after receiving poor medical treatment for altitude sickness while climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, sold everything he had in America to come to Tanzania and start pop up clinics which eventually turned into the fully operational hospital that it is today. We also learned many surprising and interesting facts about blood types, herbal medication, and tribal reluctancy to seek medical attention. We then headed back to Banjika School to enjoy lunch and free time that many spent playing volleyball, soccer, and cards with the Banjika students. After, we had a chapati-making competition where five groups competed to make the best chapati with little instruction. While cooking the chapati, our competitive spirit lead to a flour fight that caused many students to have to wash their uniforms later that day. We then cleaned up and enjoyed our homemade chapati with tea and popcorn. After, we debriefed the day and discussed our plans for tomorrow, we all headed back to our homestays to pack for our trip to Arusha the following morning. While activity’s varied within homestays, many students helped cook food, washed clothes/uniform from earlier, watered plants, and taught card games to relatives. After dinner, most headed to bed early to journal and prepare for the six am start time the next day.

FAME
We learned that FAME is a low-cost hospital based in rural northern Tanzania. It is a modern hospital, laboratory, and outpatient clinic that serves more than 27,000 patients each year.They provide maternal care at very low cost, even though the actual cost of care can be more than ten times what patients are charged. The difference is covered through donations. FAME does not receive government funding or major NGO support and instead relies on many small donations to make its services possible.